Car guys, what is a decent cheap run around car?

[Anonymous]

Recently (in the last month) my car has had one thing after another go wrong. First the central locking screws up and now the car needs to be locked and unlocked manually, then two of my tyres get punctured by something sharp on the road, and now my battery has died 😵‍💫 considering just getting a new car and selling my current one for scraps since it’s just a cheap one. I don’t want anything fancy, just something that’s not a gas guzzler and won’t cost me a fortune to run. I barely know anything about cars and I’ve just started driving properly so what are some decent car models? My current car is a Nissan Pulsar, early 2000’s model.

[TheMajesticKing777]

That all depends on how the car was treated if you are buying from a private dealer

[Asker]

It was bought second hand from a private seller and the only thing wrong with it when I bought it was that the drivers window didn’t go down or up. Everything else worked fine. I think I paid $950 for it.

[TheMajesticKing777]

Well a car for 950 dollars is a giveaway that the car is not in good shape, never in my life would I go for a car that's less than 2k and that's still a low price and you should be cautious, ever heard of you get what you pay for, if someone is that desperate to sell a car it's cause there's something wrong with it that they don't want to drive it and just want to get rid of it

[Asker]

That’s true. At the time I didn’t have a big budget and was in need of a cheap car. It’s lasted 2 years until now where it seems to just be falling apart, and it has been taken care of while I’ve had it. I’m just wondering what type of car I should go for next, that could be an easy car to own.

[TheMajesticKing777]

Well you can do research but Japanese cars are good, more preferably a car with a Toyota engine, Toyota have good cars and are probably the most reliable car in the market right now because their engines are so well built

[cootjuhh]

i would go for a toyota yaris or somwthing like that

[youngmix]

I'm into cars, and I've gotten a few dead cars running.

It sounds like your car has an electrical problem, and if your battery is being drained, then I would start with your alternator, but that's if you still want to figure your car out.
Here's a page with a little info: https://www.lifewire.com/why-car-battery-keeps-dying-4125506

I say don't junk your car, but sell it. Just let people know that there are issues.

I recommend that you use a few car shopping sites/apps, like carguru. com and cars. com, then maybe craigslist or the letgo app, but I would recommend running a few tests if you're not buying from a dealership.

Depending on where you live, the car shopping sites can be great.

Narrow down your list to cars that look good to you, then post a link to it. Then someone can tell you if it's worth it.

There are many variables that make a car, no matter the make, model, or year, possibly worth a purchase, including: price, total millage, and accident/repair history.

Also, it may be better to ask what cars to avoid, or what you should expect from specific models.

Here's an example of the process-- you spot a 2016 Ford Focus zx4 for $5K, and it has 58,000 miles, and no accidents reported. The pictures look clean enough to you, and it is being sold by a dealership, then I would say, this is worth it to me. Google research the car, with a search like this: '2016 Ford Focus zx4 rating', then '2016 Ford Focus zx4 common problems'.

Expect no more than 200,000 miles out of this model, but it'll probably run until then. You may have to put about $2000 worth of work into it before you hit 100K miles (the 60K mile mark requires relatively extensive inspection and service, and you may have to repair some issues), but every car is going to cost money to keep up.

Try to read the manual, and make sure to read the recommended service schedule. Some parts and fluids require service or replacement during specific intervals.

[Staximus]

Those are minor problems, just drive it until the engine blows up and then get a new one. If you get a newer car, get a Honda or Toyota.