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    What car should I buy to replace my 2006 Toyota Corolla?

    Toyota Toyota Advice Toyota Corolla Toyota Corolla Advice Suzuki Suzuki Advice Suzuki Swift Suzuki Swift Advice Kia Kia Advice Kia Rio Kia Rio Advice Kia Picanto Kia Picanto Advice Volkswagen Volkswagen Advice Volkswagen Polo Volkswagen Polo Advice Toyota Yaris Toyota Yaris Advice Mazda Mazda Advice Mazda 2 Mazda 2 Advice

    Our car, a 2006 Toyota Corolla, was written off when my husband had an accident; he has since given up driving. We are both in our seventies and we would like to purchase a new car which is safe, reliable and around $20,000. I will be the sole driver. What would your suggestions be please?

    Answered by CarsGuide
    2 December 2020
    David Morley

    There are still plenty of great small cars around within your budget, Agnes, and they all have good safety packages (or we wouldn’t recommend them). Look at offerings such as the Suzuki Swift Navigator (with the optional autonomous emergency braking) for around $17,000 (plus on-road costs) or the Kia Rio S at around $19,000 or Kia Picanto S (one size smaller than the Rio) at closer to $16,000. Both the Kias also feature the brand’s excellent seven-year warranty, capped-price servicing and free roadside assistance which is great peace of mind.

    The Volkswagen Polo is a classy drive but a little more expensive at closer to $21,000 for the 85TSi Comfortline. Actually, to be honest, you’ve missed the boat on bargain small cars by a couple of years. Firm favourites such as the Toyota Yaris and Mazda 2 have both been updated relatively recently and have recorded big price jumps in the process. The cheapest Yaris with an automatic transmission is now around $23,000 (it was less than $17,000 back in 2018) while the Mazda 2 Maxx went from being a sub-$17,000 proposition in 2018 to a $23,000 car by the time you add an automatic transmission in 2020.

    Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the answers.
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