Diesel Cars

[TheClutch]

Guys, 

I'm planning to buy a diesel car for daily travel since my employer is more accessible to diesel than petrol. That's the sole reason.

Concern is my limited budget which is 3Mn so I have to settle for cars older than 20 yrs. What are reliable option among the below cars. I want a car with less trouble,  If I need to waste time frequently at garages I would rather stay in petrol queues.

1.Starlet NP90 - I'm a fan of starlet since the day I got in to cars though I've never owned one. But heard the smaller diesel engines are not that reliable compared to the 2000 cc ones.

2.CE110 - A you won't go wrong car in SL context. 

3.SB14 guess this the diesel version of FB14. Would be the last choice

4. Carina Diesel - bit rare. Would consider buying over CE110

I have been a Honda user since the 1st car. So have zero knowledge in toyota or Nissan variants and I want the members advice on the cons of buying a 20yr old diesel cars. 

[iRage]

7 hours ago, TheClutch said:

Guys, 

I'm planning to buy a diesel car for daily travel since my employer is more accessible to diesel than petrol. That's the sole reason.

Concern is my limited budget which is 3Mn so I have to settle for cars older than 20 yrs. What are reliable option among the below cars. I want a car with less trouble,  If I need to waste time frequently at garages I would rather stay in petrol queues.

1.Starlet NP90 - I'm a fan of starlet since the day I got in to cars though I've never owned one. But heard the smaller diesel engines are not that reliable compared to the 2000 cc ones.

2.CE110 - A you won't go wrong car in SL context. 

3.SB14 guess this the diesel version of FB14. Would be the last choice

4. Carina Diesel - bit rare. Would consider buying over CE110

I have been a Honda user since the 1st car. So have zero knowledge in toyota or Nissan variants and I want the members advice on the cons of buying a 20yr old diesel cars. 

The problem is past maintenance of these cars. Most of these were owned by people who did not want to spend that much in maintenance. Then they prep it up for sale by rolling back mileages, spraying on bad paint, etc...Having said that...the diesels seem to be a bit more honest than their petrol variants. I would not say that the small diesel engine is bad...it is just that it is ery low on power. FOr example, the Starlet came with a 1.5L 1N engine and the Sunny SB13 came with a CD17 engine...they both had somewhere around 52hp and a usual amount of torque. That is really really low on power for these cars so they were not very good performers. On the ther hand...the later Corollas and Sunnies came ith 1.8L or even 2.0L diesel engines which had anything from 80hp to a tons of torque so performed a lot better. Actually the 1N engine out of the Sarlet wasput in the Corolla II/Corsa/Tercel with a turbo charger bumping power up to about 72hp which made it a whole lot different.

The Starlet diesel is not my cup of tea. It doesn't have the usual zippyness of the petrol variant.

Stay away from the B14 Sunny....Petrol or diesel they simply are not reliable as the previous generation Sunnies. The engine will keep running but everything from the electronics to cooling systems to steering and suspension components seem to just deteriorate and requires a lot of effort to keep running. Granted, when these do break, it is simple enough that even a monkey with a wrench can fix it.

Corolla...the most hardest to find an honest example of. People think they are gold because they are robust cars (sadly made unrobust by their dishonest and poor use of the car). 

Carina..the nicest of the above diesels....again..issue is maintenance.

Some other suggestions:

a. Nissan Bluebord

b. Toyota Camry/Vista

c. Toyota Corolla CE96 van, CE90 wagon

d. Lancer CK? diesel

e. Nissan WIngroad/AD-van Y10/Y11 series

Having said that...there are honest cars out there as well. There were diesel Lancers, Sunny, Corolla brought down by the agents for permit holders so there are a few out there that have proper agent maintenance histories and stuff. The issue is, because of the current situation of the country those who have good cars are not willing ot part with them (unless they are leaving the country). So you will have to be VERY VERY patient looking for one. You WILL have to make compromises (e.g. if a car is in good mechanical shape and is NOT a death trap then you might have to sacrifice on luxury feaures and go for something like a Corolla van, or look over the fact that it needs some accient repair). 

 

 

[matroska]

14 hours ago, TheClutch said:

Guys, 

I'm planning to buy a diesel car for daily travel since my employer is more accessible to diesel than petrol. That's the sole reason.

Concern is my limited budget which is 3Mn so I have to settle for cars older than 20 yrs. What are reliable option among the below cars. I want a car with less trouble,  If I need to waste time frequently at garages I would rather stay in petrol queues.

1.Starlet NP90 - I'm a fan of starlet since the day I got in to cars though I've never owned one. But heard the smaller diesel engines are not that reliable compared to the 2000 cc ones.

2.CE110 - A you won't go wrong car in SL context. 

3.SB14 guess this the diesel version of FB14. Would be the last choice

4. Carina Diesel - bit rare. Would consider buying over CE110

I have been a Honda user since the 1st car. So have zero knowledge in toyota or Nissan variants and I want the members advice on the cons of buying a 20yr old diesel cars. 

I'd avoid the Starlet - it's not as charismatic as the 4EFE powered petrol variant - the only plus is you'll be having no issues with body parts and they're pretty cheap. 

CE110 - Yes won't go wrong as long as you find a decent specimen. Do a thorough inspection.

SB14 - Again a lumbering sluggard of a car but the engine will run it will just keep running but as irage said the other components might not be as durable. 

Carina Diesel - same league as the Corolla

 

Anyway  the 2C's on the toyotas will withstand a LOT of abuse. But diesels were bought by people to use as cheap long distance runners hence they haven't received the TLC of their petrol counterparts . 

Other Options : 

Toyota Camry/Vista CV30's: Great Cars. The V30 Vista hardtop is to me one of the best looking 90's Sedans we can find in SL.  I had a Toyota Camry CV30 - diesel with a 2C Turbo engine. It had done 400,000 kms before the odo got stuck probably had done 600,000kms when i got it. The pickup and torque on that was quite impressive. And it just kept running and running - the only issue was the interior was simply ruined. I bought it from a friend to restore : but sourcing parts for Camry's and Vista's are very difficult. For instance almost every CV30 out there (be it Camry or vista) will have a separate switch for the A/C as the original A/C control panel gets damaged beyond repair. Cosmetic parts are difficult to find 

Bluebirds : U12's and U13's  will have the same issues as the Vistas/Camrys and most of them are by now in a sorry state due to years of abuse. Corrosion has set in and the interiors are totally hacked. The LD20 is a reliable workhorse - not as impressive as the 2C but will grumble along. Might be wiser to get a manual given the age of the car. 

U14's on the other hand are an easier-to-live with choice : the car is relatively newer, spares are not too hard to find. These have the newer CD20 engine - many U14's were brought brand new and there are fleet cars too that probably have run several times to the moon and back. Either way an option for you to consider. 

if wagons are your cup of tea- then the Wingroad/AD  is a decent choice and you won't go wrong with an 'elephant back' Corolla Wagon either. 

Since you did think of the SB14 - take a look at it's pulsar counterpart too - almost the same car. 

Diesel cars overall are pretty honest workhorses. Yes they are raucous and a bit unrefined find a good specimen and they're keepers  - even if your garage might start smelling a bit like a railway station  

 

 

Edited June 24, 2022 by matroska

[TheClutch]

Thans @iRageand @matroska..

I'm bit inclined towards starlet since it's a hatchback. And if the performance is the only issue with this car I don't think that will make much difference since the car will be used for daily driving in city. 

I'm considering the pulsar too..likes the look.

I feel the Bluebird and vista/carry are bit big for me. 

Not in to wagons already driving a oversized wagonish CRV

Carinas are bit out of the budget seems like over 4Mn

So when narrowing down I would stick to the below 

Starlet 

CE110

Pulsar

 

[iRage]

1 hour ago, TheClutch said:

Starlet 

But pease do be weary of these. With a 50ish hp engine we are talking about less power than a Wagon R in a body that is twice its size. When we talk about performance we are not just referring to 1-100kmph speeds. Even with 5 people in the car...this can get rather lethargic and won't be able to move switky in traffic.

If thse are your 3 choices..I would stick to the C110 and Pulsar. Out of that I beleive even the C110 would be a bit out of your budget and I fear what will be available at your budget are ones that need a lot of work or are not honest. The same might apply with the Pulsar....

As for the Vista/Camry...in reality they are not that big. the Camry and Vista of the generations we are talkingabout are more or less the same size as a Carina from the 2000s or a Corolla after that.

[TheClutch]

Guys , 

I was able to check 2 vehicles,  a 1998 Ce110 and a 96 pulsar..out of that the 110 is crap, couldn't even start the car and the owner (guess he is a car seller) claiming the battery is not good and finally was able to jump start with my vehicle. Not in a very good condition,  recently painted,  engine vibrates a bit. Not interested...can't buy a junk just because it has a Toyota badge 

 

The pulsar, I noted below things

Interior is in good condition for the age of the car. The interior feels nice and simple when compared to 110.seats/upholstery are good

Toolk around 2 - 2.5 sec to start.not an immediate start.

Engine is smooth , owner claimed changed the mounts recently and did an overhaul.

However felt vibration inside the car even in the passenger seat, steering is quite vibrating ( is it normal for diesel?)

Recently pained - fishy but didn't find any accident repair.

Squeaky noise when turning  - issue with power steering belt I guess.

Oil in coolent - concern, tappet cover including housing replaced recently.

Slight white smoke when removing the engine oil cap -concern

Broken hand break cable.

AC is not that cool, should be repaired ,may be parts needed.

How bad these issues are. Please advise. 

 

[iRage]

23 hours ago, TheClutch said:

How bad these issues are. Please advise. 

I think you know the answer to your question aready...

9 out of 10 (run of the mill) Toyotas you look at are going to be crap. 1 in about 100 are going to be decent.

As for the Pulsar....mechanical issues (you have listed)  are always fixable (the beauty of mechanicals). However this is going to cost you time and money (it is up to you to decide if you can afford BOTH....lets not forget due to the current situation in the country fixing it may take longer than usual due to challenges in accessing parts, etc..). The Pulsar should have had the CD20 engine which is shared with quite a few common Nissan cars...so parts should be there if you can get to them.

No..the steering should not vibrate just because it is a diesel. The car should not vibrate because it is a diesel. Usual suspects are the mounts, so perhaps not all the mounts were replaced, either not fitted with the right parts or poorly fitted. Vibrations can also happen if the front subframe is (for some reason) loose. If the vibration came whilst you were driving then it could be that the suspension telemetry if off as well.

As for painting....you are looking at 25+ year old cars....so you are not going ot find a car with original paint work on it (VERY VERY VERY RARELY will you do). Painting is fine as long as it is a GOOD paint job and not a quick sale job where a new coat of paint was just sprayed on old paint or layers and layers of putty. You would need to go get a professional inspection done to ensure the frame has not been comprmised and then resort to old fashionedways ofpurely feeling and tapping the car.

[matroska]

In these uncertain times - the best option would be to go for the cheapest practical option. In such case overspending on a CE110 which has a reasonable probability of giving you repairs might not be the best idea - given the common-ness of mechanicals might as well get a Pulsar for much cheaper and keep aside an amount for repairs - which you will most probably get. 

[Supra_Natural]

Had the same thought, ended up buying a CE96 wagon/van for considerably south of 1.5 mill. Seemed to be in ok shape with actual honest mileage. Still ended up costing about 35% of the purchase price in basic repairs to get it upto spec, mostly because of long term deferred maintenance and also the crazy increase in parts prices. 

If you're going this route, keep repairs in mind. 

[matroska]

23 hours ago, Supra_Natural said:

Had the same thought, ended up buying a CE96 wagon/van for considerably south of 1.5 mill. Seemed to be in ok shape with actual honest mileage. Still ended up costing about 35% of the purchase price in basic repairs to get it upto spec, mostly because of long term deferred maintenance and also the crazy increase in parts prices. 

If you're going this route, keep repairs in mind. 

CE96 as a hedge - is a smart choice

Edited July 12, 2022 by matroska

[TharangaK]

I saw one Avensis Car (65-) around 3.6mn ,
Do anyone use Toyota Avensis Car ? 

[iRage]

On 8/23/2025 at 8:48 PM, TharangaK said:

I saw one Avensis Car (65-) around 3.6mn ,
Do anyone use Toyota Avensis Car ? 

The Avensis is not a popular car in SL so you might not get much responses. Sine the model uses a lot of parts including the engine and the drive train used in other Toyota cars, we might be able to help you if there is anything specific you want to know.

[matroska]

On 8/23/2025 at 5:18 PM, TharangaK said:

I saw one Avensis Car (65-) around 3.6mn ,
Do anyone use Toyota Avensis Car ? 

I doubt you will find someone in the forum who used an Avensis. It is a niche car - I was surprised when I saw the particular ad you're referring to. The Avensis diesel came equipped with the common 2C Drive Train - quite common on other contemporary Toyotas - carinas, camries, corona's but what you might need to think about is  body parts, interior and trim bits which will be a bit difficult to source. 

[john cooper]

10 hours ago, matroska said:

I doubt you will find someone in the forum who used an Avensis. It is a niche car - I was surprised when I saw the particular ad you're referring to. The Avensis diesel came equipped with the common 2C Drive Train - quite common on other contemporary Toyotas - carinas, camries, corona's but what you might need to think about is  body parts, interior and trim bits which will be a bit difficult to source. 

I saw the same Ad, the headlights from Caldina, Dash is matched to the CT190 Corona and the rest i believe the same except the tail lights. I believe these engine 3C's/ Turbo may not be the 2C's as the Euro spec has had a little higher output power plant, but I might be wrong on it.