Yaris 06 T Spirit advice needed !

[nocturne_sa]

Howy folks!

firstly, I'm a new member so a big hello to all. I was wondering if you guys could offer me some advice.

I am interested in a certain Yaris 06 1.3 T Spirit 5 dr auto. It's got 12K miles on the clock with full service history, very good condition etc and is being offered to me for £6,300. I'm trying to bring it down to £6K but I don't think its going to happen. So I have a few questions:

1) Is this a reasonable price?
2) My journeys will involve motorway travel (around 10K miles per year total) so should I be looking at a 1.4 diesel? They seem to be around 1-2K more expensive. I assume diesels will require more maintenance?
3) Are they reliable?
4) How is the semi auto gear box?
5) Are they comfortable for long distance journeys?
6) is it possible to fit after market (prefer original Toyota) parking sensors?

Any advice will be much appreciated. Thanks!

[BluYrs]

12k seems low mileage to me, so it's reasonable to suspect the car is in good order. Not familiar with the prices in the UK, but it's difficult to find a current Yaris for less than £4500, so I guess the price is fair enough for all that kit (the T-Spirit has auto A/C, remoteless entry&start etc doesn't it?).

However, I wouldn't suggest the "auto" box. The Multimode is essentially a manual gearbox with full automatic gearbox functionality. The MM gearbox is known to be sluggish and not as comfortable as a "real" ATM (google it, you'll find many sad stories).

As for the engine, I guess you'd be better off with a diesel. It gets about a quarter more MPG and has better sound isolation (not sure it's a fact, just heard it somewhere). If you drive mostly on the highway, I'd go for a D4D diesel with a manual box and cruise control. The maintenance costs of a diesel aren't all that higher (ask your local dealer) and I think the MPG and insurance will make up for the difference.

The Yaris can handle long distances with surprising ease- the suspension is fairly comfortable and the seating position does not wear the driver out.

The Yaris is reliable. I have a 2006 Yaris myself and it hasn't needed any attention apart from regualr maintenance. Similar experiences are common on this board.

Aftermarket parking sensors are no problem, you can have them installed for suprisingly cheap.