Bit worried about the age, and about the safety rating. But my budget is 10k and cant seem to find anything else that doesnt have 100k+ miles on it. My next option would be a heavily used rav4 for closer to 10k. Any tips? Thanks. For the record, this is to be my daily driver for short commutes. No longer than an hour every once in a while.
It’s 25 years old. I think it’s a little high. I would probably pay 4 to 5k. You are going to have at least 4k in maintenance to do on the car given the age.
I think so. 98-02 with 1zzfe almost all burn 1 quart every 1k miles. Mine did 1 quart every 1k km. So consider oil in price if you drive a lot. Besides that I couldn’t get =<02 insured easily and at affordable rate because it’s “old”. I was looking at 05-08 with 1zzfe (Corolla, matrix, vibe) when I was looking. Gl
Way too high. $500-1000 is the most I’d pay for a car that old.
Not with 40k original miles. You’re not paying $500 for any working car, and in good condition anymore. Those days are long gone.
Those days have a few years left. Once economy rises back up, old shitboxes will go back to being what they are on paper.
It only has 40k miles.
When you are talking about cars that are 20+ years old miles is far from the most important factor. Sitting unused often means corrosive fluids were left in place for years because who changes the oil on a car they havent driven? Oil becomes more corrosive with time even if its not being driven. And where it isnt becoming corrosive its drying out potentially gumming up the works. And rubber seals get brittle and shrivel up so once you put the vehicle back into daily driving all sorts of little things end up cracking, compared to if a vehicle had been in active usage they would have hopefully* been doing maintenance and repairs over time instead of you paying a premium for the car and then within 6 months its sprung 3 different kinds of leaks and blown a shock absorber.
I always have a strong preference for a car that has obviously been used regularly and repaired as needed over a car that was sitting unused for any significant length of time.
And also, its a just a late 90’s corolla. There are 60 of them right now on craigslist for cheaper than that within 100 miles of the city I live. Plenty of them are at least 2005 or newer, which gets you better fuel economy and more power and more reliable engines with the same budget.
Id say go for it, I drive a 2000 Rav4 and got it at 65k miles and have literally done just a timing belt, radiator, and fluids/tires within the last 6 years of ownership. I had to replace an oil filter seal and also should replace my valve cover gasket at this point but it runs perfectly fine. Im about 1000-1300 USD invested as I have done all the work myself. These older toyotas are really easy to work on.
Where are you looking? If the market is really that bad where you are its probably worth a road trip to a better area to try and pick something up more reasonably. I live in the desert southwest and there are hundreds of toyotas for sale right now on craigslist that would be a better deal than what you are talking about.