carlover_07

Update on my first car hunt: I inspected a couple of familias but they didn't say 'buy me' from the first look, and honestly were not in a great shape overall. I came across a lot of vehicles which are highly overpriced and I seriously doubt whether I should spend close 3.5mn on a cars that are very old. But one of my friends is selling this Ford Laser 2001 beaut and she fits to my requirements perfectly I guess (other than being a sedan which is okay ig). I read everything I can find on the car here but most of the posts are a decade old. What I want to know is the spare parts availability (I read it's almost the same as the 323 except for the body parts), but will it be difficult to source spares easily and the reliability of the car. And the quoted price is 2.5mn which I think I can negotiate a bit. Hoping for some expert advice and any other cars that you can suggest that fall within the same class. (And I was able to convince my parents to stretch the budget to 3.5mn). Thanks in advance and apologies for the late reply (online exams and lectures are killing me).

Thank you so much for the kind replies, but before I finalize my decision, what's your take on the Chevrolet Cruze 2004ish and the Perodua Kelisa 2004-2007. I found a few Kelisa's for around 2.4mn and a few Cruze's for around 2.8mn. Thanks in advance!

Thanks everyone for your kind replies, I too am a little biased towards the Elite as it is newer compared to the other two. However, I sorta ran into a Mazda Familia 323 2003 on a classifieds website, it is within my budget but I don't know much about that car. Can someone please tell me how it compares to an Elite in terms of fuel consumption? Also your thoughts on the Starlet EP91 & NP90, say '97ish?

Hey Guys, First of all, apologies for asking a such a repeated question here on AL, but since this is going to be my first car, I want to be absolutely sure before I make my decision. My budget is around 2.5m and the most I can stretch to is 2.8m. The daily commute will be around 40km (so yes I do consider fuel consumption to be a factor). Don't and won't care if it's toyota (but I do like the look of the starlet ep91) and the maintenance should be hassle-free (as I'm still a student). I've done some research myself and shortlisted potential vehicles that suit my requirement, Viva elite 2011ish manual transmission Suzuki Swift 2009ish Nissan March AK12 I do prefer hatchbacks over sedans but do suggest me some vehicles that fall within my budget range and what you think of my first choices. I'm not the biggest car guy, so tips and pointers to buying the first car will also be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance!