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If your main aim was to have the most economical car to service and repair over several years what would you buy? Heard some horror stories recently.Example: Bloke with a Toyota needing track rod ends....have to have the whole lot mate, ends don't come separate, quoted over a grand but after hassling Toyota got it down to £700.
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>>what would you buy?<<
One that doesn't go wrong in the first place.
All together now...give us an S, give us a U, give us a B, give us an A etc..
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All together now...give us an S give us a U give us a B give us an A etc.. Or if you want something that doesn't make you ( or your wallet) wince, Hyundai!
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Or most other things Japanese...
Or Skoda
Or....
Why not look at the reliability section of Warranty Direct or one of the JD Power Surveys - all you'll get from us is our favourites or horror stories....
Would agree with Nsar, rather not have to repair one in the first place, first rule of keeping costs down - reliability!
Edited by b308 on 21/02/2008 at 20:28
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Simple. Do what very few people do: ring up servcie departmenst and get quotes for each service.
Get quotes for parts.filters etc. tyres
Then choose the car.
Eg. Yaris :
12k services approx £110/£220 .(Toyota dealers)
Tyres £35.
Air/oil/cabin filters about £25.
You can probably get cheaper and just as reliable cars: CitroenC1/Aygo.
Just do not buy cars with designed in high cost items which are dealer only: reprogramming injectors , replacement fluid for cats (PSA). etc. or low volume cars with low parts demand.
I am always amazed by people who complain about these costs : after they have bought cars!
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Jap reliabilty is as very well but if you are looking at service and repair costs over a number of years then you also have to consider the prices of wear and tear items like brake discs, clutches and exhausts etc. If you look at it from this point of view then high volume makes such Ford may be cheaper if you buy one of the more reliable models ie no TDCIs or dual mass flywheel Mondeos with horrendous clutch change costs.
Granted, far eastern makes may be more reliable but some of the parts prices can be much higher when they do wear out. I would expect a petrol Focus to be cheap to live with and reliable too. I know the previous model Ford Escorts are in my experience. I look at it from the view of availabilty of cheap spare parts in the main and the fact is that higher volume models mean cheaper fixes when they do go wrong as mechanics and dealers have seen and dealt with all the problems many times before.
I try to do as much spanner work as can myself so I look at parts prices and the simplicity of the work plus the info I can garner from websites with regard to mass volume makes.
If I was buying new I'd go Japanese for economy through reliability. If I was buying second hand (As i do) I'd be looking at Fords and the like for economy through cheap parts etc.
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>>Then choose the car. Eg. Yaris :
12k services approx £110/£220 .(Toyota dealers)
Tyres £35. Air/oil/cabin filters about £25.
And a Toyota exhaust is a mere £845 yes Eight Hundred and forty five pounds.
That was the price quoted to me over a year ago ( and the exhaust is still intact).
The other questiion to answer re service and repair is
Where to get so called "service" and do you trust them ?
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You don't really want to hear the answer to that question, but here goes!
An old larger car with a traditional layout and no fancy electronics. One that was built in reasonable numbers, has an enthusiast following, and a good supply of specialist parts suppliers.
In my own experience, Volvo 240s and Triumph 2000s are the cheapest and easiest to get spares for and maintain.
But you don't want to know that, do you? You want a nice new car with a set of standard service charges that cost as much on their own as my cars are worth. :)
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For cheap long term maintenance and repair costs a Ford Fiesta with a petrol engine would be the one for me. If a back street mechanic can't fix one of these he shouldn't be trusted with a car made of Lego.
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>> Why not look at the reliability section of Warranty Direct or one of the JD Power Surveys - >>
Or Which? magazine for unbiased, impartial surveys.
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