As you have no capital to buy this car you need as reliable as you can get, any nasty serious bills are going to be a problem i would think.

Certainly the Yaris is one i would consider, also Corallo and Auris, but would be prepared to look at virtually anything, preferably Japanese or Korean for reliability.

Sometimes those handy with the spanners can keep european cars going very cheaply, due to the availability of aftermarket parts and of course breakers yards, but i doubt you are a mechanic so you want something that is more likely to run and run with just good simple servicing.

I would only have a Diesel (of any make) without a DPF because even if your driving keeps the thing happy it will be getting past its sell by date anyway, major headaches.

Prius has earned itself a reputation for reliable and durable, but at 8 years if the one you buy does have a hybrid battery or inverter or other serious problem then it could easily present you with a 4 figure bill, that 4 figure refurb might give it another 8 years of dependable use, but if you haven't got that 4 figures handy then it's a gamble to be wary of taking.

Whatever car you buy it will need regular good maintenance, at your proposed annual mileage thats going to be twice a year for just the basic servicing plus any repairs on top, if you want a car to last then give modern euro makers amusing 20k servicing a good ignoring...you won't find Toyota advising 20k service intervals for very good reasons.

In my experience as a vehicle ages the very last thing you need is techy stuff, you want a more basic model with the minimum amount you can live with to go wrong, if its fitted it can go wrong, if it aint fitted it can't, the beauty of this is that more basic models go cheaply because most used buyers want all the bells and whistles.

Oh and whatever you do, do not be tempted by any automated manual gearboxes, such as MMT in Yaris/Auris, no car maker has made a durable automated manual or twin clutch (such as DSG) gearbox yet, and in cars at least they don't need to because increasing numbers of new car buyers get rid when warranty expires...the almost guaranteed failure of an automated manual or DSG box could present you with a bill of up to the cars purchase cost again...even Toyota couldn't get these things to work and apart from in current Aygo (i believe) they have been discarded completely, and good riddance.

There i've waffled on far too long as usual...is anyone still awake.

My Prius experience FWIW:

Bought late 2013 at almost 7yrs/70k. Now just gone through 98k.

In that time I've needed (apart from servicing & tyres):

New 12v battery (£100)

All 4 brake discs & one caliper

Exhaust back box

One new road spring

- totalling less than £1000, which I don't feel is too bad for the age & mileage. I haven't found the car seriously deficient anywhere, but I'm not a racer. It will happily hold 80mph on the motorway all day with cruise set, and the seats are very comfortable long-distance. Load capacity is good and the turning circle is very tight which is an advantage in town. It returns a true 51mpg in mixed use, better in summer, worse in winter.

Major hybrid drivetrain issues are rare in the UK, more common in the US (they don't like prolonged use at high ambient temperatures). Nevertheless, if the vehicle has a full service history, with the annual hybrid healthcheck, then Toyota warrants the hybrid drivetrain to 10 years.

Your budget however places you at the bottom end of the Prius market, and you may be better off with the Yaris, if you can manage with the smaller car.

I agree that you've started off with the right idea. I'd suggest a combination of Japanese make and petrol power. A Toyota Auris is not too big but should be comfortable on long runs: the same goes for a Honda Civic, provided you can live with the very poor rear visibility. Be sure to get one with a genuine service history.

A Prius is a nice idea but for the reasons given above you'll get an older one for your budget, which means a greater risk of expensive repairs.

Finally if you can't find a Toyota or Honda to suit you, bear in mind that there are lots of Ford Focuses around to choose from, and a properly maintained one of these could do you very well.

Why not the Auris?

Hi, I have a 2007 Prius.

I bought it in 2011 with 93,000 miles on the clock.

It's now got 215,000 miles on the clock.

I've done nothing exceptional to it except routine repairs - the service schedule has gone out of the window - I tend to do oil and air filters. I haven't changed the fuel filter or plugs since I got it ( for example ).

1 x 12v Battery - a common problem. Very small battery so doesn't like interior lights being left on overnight regularly for example. It doesn't have to start the engine, just throw a relay for the main battery - but if it can't do this then you're stuck.

1 x rear spring ( obviously replaced both )

1 x front wheel bearing.

1 x set of front discs and pads - seem to last 60,000+

2 x full set of tyres.

1 x water pump and coolant - did this DIY (all others garage) - a common problem the pump bearing goes and starts to weap. I actually ran it for over 50,000 miles as the weap had sealed up.

I do a lot of miles, MPG varies between 50 and 70 depending on time of year (temperature), how you drive it, and traffic.

I'm 6ft 5. 20st and I find it really spacious and comfortable - best car I've had.

The Prius is ludicrously reliable, the hybrid batteries in reality go on forever, you can still warranty the hybrid systems for up to 10 years at your local Toyota dealer by having a Hybrid health check carried out, it's free when done with a service. You wont go far wrong with the Yaris either, but if it was me, I'd have the Prius, but I would make sure it has full dealer history, with correct oils etc. I work at the sharp end of a Toyota dealer for nearly 30 years, and in my opinion nothing in that time has come close to the utter reliability of any Toyota hybrids.

Edited by SLO76 on 22/09/2016 at 16:44