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Shavo_B

Hello.
We are looking at buying a car but because money is tight we are limited in our choices and we need a manual because automatics suck the life out of driving.
We were hoping to find an mid 2000's Suzuki swift for $5k because we have read that they are quite reliable and not bad looking.
But we have been given the possibility of getting a 2004 Toyota Corolla 1.8P GL Hatch 5speed manual for $5k but it has 165k kms, i believe it has been well serviced but need an experts opinion about the high kms, Do we wait and hope for a swift or start the AA pre purchase inspection for the Corolla.
Reliability is the main issue because cash is tight.
Thanks for any advice.

Anon

Hi there,
Both car choices are great options, and we know Toyotas can do high mileage and I would think this one would do the same.
However as with any vehicle at high km's, resale would not be good. But on the other hand if km's don't worry you, you have a modern car for cheap but be prepared to keep up the maintenance as parts wear out.

Shavo_B

Thanks for the answer. Resale value doesn't worry us, Just wanted to know if there is any common problems with this model car when they reach higher kms and is 165k Kms actually high for this type of car.

Anon

I've not heard of common problems with these cars, I would expect the car to have done between 120-160km by now at an average of 10-14k a year. So it has had a normal usage, and you would want to make sure it has been regularly serviced or things may start to go wrong.