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Old 09-09-2019, 04:05 AM   #1
chillfan
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Which car would be less expensive to own and maintain? (short term, long term)

Hi all, I figured this would be the right place to get some advice. I’ve always been a fan of the Echo/Yaris (and the Corolla), but I’ve never gotten the chance to own one, since my ’06 Nissan Sentra has miraculously went over 12 years without any major problems…until the past couple of months. It’s developed a leak, along with some other issues which have piled up over time, which might cost in the ballpark of a couple thousand to fix. So I decided to just trade it in or sell it off and get another car.

My first option is a 2010 Toyota Yaris from a used car dealership, 114,000 miles. 2 door, automatic transmission. No accidents or damage reported, regular maintenance done. Asking price $4,300, plus taxes and fees, of course. I have some some cash saved up, so the monthly payments on a car loan would be $50 to $100 a month, depending on the term of the loan, my down payment, etc.

My other option is my mom’s 2015 Honda Civic LX with 50,000 miles on it. She bought it sometime last year, and she’s never particularly liked the car (too big, she says), but she’s gotten used to driving it by now. I would take over the payments, either unofficially or thru getting a new loan in my name. There’s $9,500 left on the car loan, and it’s $230 a month, but if I decide to get a new loan it would be $170 to $200 a month.

I wouldn’t drive the car too far, let’s say 5,000-7,000 miles a year at the high end.

My question is this: over the short term (the next 1 or 2 years), which car would be the most inexpensive to own? Namely, do you think the Yaris would cost more to maintain than the difference in monthly payments on the Civic (maybe $1,200 to $2,000)? I’m in school now and working part time so I can barely afford car payments, but I assume that I’ll work full time once I graduate (depending on how the economy looks by then…).

I’m also curious about the cost over the long term if I decide to keep either car after I graduate, but short term costs are my main concern.

Thanks for any help you can give!
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Old 09-09-2019, 08:06 AM   #2
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I would go with the yaris 100% but check to see if the water pump has been replaced.

That's really the only big issue I've had with my car and I have 170k.

Minor issues I've had are just a bad wheel bearing and alternator going bad (pretty cheap fixes if you have basic tools)
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Old 09-10-2019, 09:26 AM   #3
Alexm
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Water pump and alternator info

Hi there I own a 2009 hatchback Yaris with 80,000 miles. At what miles did you replace your alternator and water pump? You’re feedback means a lot to me thank you.
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Old 09-10-2019, 10:43 AM   #4
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Hi there I own a 2009 hatchback Yaris with 80,000 miles. At what miles did you replace your alternator and water pump? You’re feedback means a lot to me thank you.
Water pump around 120k, alt around 160k
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Old 09-11-2019, 05:38 AM   #5
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Both sound like great options. The Civic has low mileage and you would know the service history. It's also 5 years newer. As Lee suggests, there might be some upfront maintenance for the Yaris. I would also spend some money in doing a full fluids swap - atf, coolant, brake fluid etc. Although the Yaris is not that old, it's getting to the age where rust/corrosion may play a factor. If you refinance the Civic, what would the term of the loan be; monthly payment over ? years? Interest rate? If you plan to keep your car for many years, the Civic might be the better option. That said, if the Yaris has been properly maintained, it would likely prove to be a very economical and reliable car. It's a tough call and I'm a huge Yaris fan, but I think I'd be seriously considering the Civic. Blasphemy, on this site, I know. Lol.
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Old 09-11-2019, 09:55 AM   #6
myfirstyota
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06! How could you!?! Lol total blasphemy!

The only issues I've had with my yaris's is, as stated earlier in this thread, is wheel bearings, and an alternator.

One thing to point out with the yaris is the ease of service. These cars are incredibly easy to work on. For example, the windshield wiper assembly can be removed in under 10 min. Somethig that can't be said for many cars on the road today. If you do your own service this is a major selling point to me.

I beat the shit out of my yaris's and they just don't break.

But on the same note, I know people that have taken late model Honda civics to over 600,000km. But the yaris, with regular maintenance can also hit this mileage. My daily driver has almost 350,000km, burns no oil, fires right up on the coldest days, and still runs so quiet, I mistakenly think it's not running standing next to it sometimes.

But I'm gonna have to say yaris. I bet the insurance is cheaper too...
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Xd/2zr-fe Swap/Build Thread
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http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61577
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Old 09-11-2019, 12:26 PM   #7
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06! How could you!?! Lol
Yeah, I know. I think a good old shunning is in order. Lol.
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Old 09-11-2019, 01:07 PM   #8
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My vote is with the Yaris based on your current situation and wanting it to cost you the least amount possible.

Assuming both cars have no issues/break downs then you are saving $150-100 per months on the payments alone. Be smart about it and pocket some of that in case anything does go wrong with the car and learn to do basic maintenance yourself.

Insurance will also likely be cheaper on the yaris as well. As other stated above I would plan to swap out fluids such as coolant, ATF, oil, even brake fluid if you can. This will keep it reliable for the next while.

Check inside the engine by removing the oil fill cap and see if it looks clean or sludgy, this is a decent indication how well it was cared for in terms of oil changes.

I'm not sure where in the States you reside but rust might want to be something you check if you live in the rust belt, if you dont then the Yaris should be in excellent shape. Try talking them down a bit in price, there likely is some wiggle room there.

Another bonus to the Yaris - there is an excellent forum to get info on and how to fix various things in case you ever need it - it's called Yaris World, you may have heard of it ;) Civic forums tend to be full of trolls and children
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Old 09-11-2019, 05:29 PM   #9
myfirstyota
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Originally Posted by 06YarisRS View Post
Yeah, I know. I think a good old shunning is in order. Lol.
I'll forgive and forget on this one. You've done a lot for all the other members that are considering a 2zr/turbo build. Blazin trails with a very well documented build!
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Xd/2zr-fe Swap/Build Thread
http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61427

Bolt-in 3.75" Suspension Lift Build Thread
http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61577
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Old 09-12-2019, 04:54 AM   #10
06YarisRS
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by myfirstyota View Post
I'll forgive and forget on this one. You've done a lot for all the other members that are considering a 2zr/turbo build. Blazin trails with a very well documented build!
Lol. Thanks bro. I appreciate that.
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2006 Yaris 5 Door RS 2ZR-FE (2011 Corolla 1.8L) Swapped, Automatic, T-28 Turbocharged (8 psi), HSD MonoPro Coilovers, DIY W/M Injection, custom 3" cold air intake, custom 2.5" exhaust, TRD rear sway bar, Penguin Garage 13mm spacers (rear), custom Civic front lip, full repaint, Android 6.0 7" touchscreen, Rockford Fosgate speakers, tweeters, NVX underseat subwoofer
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Old 03-17-2021, 04:13 PM   #11
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I know that this thread is a little bit old. But, I own a 2007 Toyota Corolla. It's the perfect option for a low-budget car. I think that is the cheapest car to maintain. Also, I never had any problems with it. I bought it using a loan. It was hard for me to find the best offer for me. But, using this the best online finance calculator, I found a lot of great offers. I think that I made the right choice. This is my first car. So, for a newbie, it's the perfect one. Also, I like the design of it.

Last edited by Sachiel; 03-19-2021 at 02:30 PM.
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Old 10-26-2021, 06:34 AM   #12
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Your choice is: pay twice as much for the honda , higher insurance (like "crack high" if you are under 25) Maintinance and parts cost more on the honda or buy buy the Yaris puddle jumper, less expensive insurance, do your own maintenance and fuel costs. If you want to impress girls then get the honda.
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