Best first cars in New Zealand
A first-car guide built from documented faults: which cheap cars are cheap to fix, and which one repair would end the car.
A first car has one job beyond getting you around: it must not produce a repair bill bigger than the car. That is a different requirement from being a good car, and it points at a shorter list than most first-car guides give you.
The trap is the cheapest listing. A car that costs $3,000 and needs a $4,000 gearbox is more expensive than one that costs $6,000 and needs nothing. Every model below is picked on how survivable its documented faults are.
The shortlist
Suzuki Swift
Small, light, cheap to insure for a new driver and genuinely enjoyable. The documented faults are mostly cheap: front lower ball joint wear on 2010 to 2017 cars at $300 to $650, CVT judder on cold take-off from 2010 at $400 to $6,500. The one to check is rear torsion beam rust perforation on 2005 to 2010 ZC31S cars, $1,200 to $3,500. Suzuki Swift inspection guide.
Toyota Vitz
Probably the most forgiving first car in the country. Mechanically simple, cheap parts, any workshop can service it. Watch the K110 CVT on 2005 to 2020 cars, documented for belt slip and overheating under load at $3,500 to $7,500, and check the VIN for outstanding Takata airbag recall work, which is common on JDM imports and free to fix. Toyota Vitz inspection guide.
Mazda Demio
Better to drive than the Vitz with a similarly modest fault list. Timing chain stretch on 2002 to 2014 engines at $900 to $1,800, brake caliper guide pin seizure at $140 to $850. The decider is rust: 2007 to 2014 DE cars are documented for rear sill and wheel arch perforation at $600 to $3,500. Mazda Demio inspection guide.
Toyota Corolla
Bigger and safer than the hatchbacks above, and still cheap to keep. On a first-car budget you are in 2001 to 2012 territory, where the fault to know about is 1ZZ-FE oil sludge on 2001 to 2007 cars, $500 to $5,000, which is preventable with oil changes. Toyota Corolla inspection guide.
Honda Fit
Astonishing space and very cheap to run, with one serious caveat for a first car. The 2014 to 2020 CVT is documented for drive pulley shaft fracture causing sudden loss of drive at $4,000 to $9,000. On a first-car budget that is the end of the car. A manual Fit sidesteps it completely and is worth seeking out. Honda Fit inspection guide.
Toyota Passo and Nissan Note
Both are sensible if the price is right. The Passo has a short documented fault list with a typical repair of $250 to $1,500, which is about as low-risk as this market gets. The Note is more comfortable but carries four documented CVT faults across 2005 to 2020, so test the gearbox hard. Toyota Passo inspection guide and Nissan Note inspection guide.
What matters more than the model
- Safety rating. A new driver benefits more from a car with electronic stability control and curtain airbags than from any of the differences between the models above. This generally rules out the very oldest and cheapest cars.
- Insurance. Get a quote before you commit. For a young driver the premium difference between two similar cars can exceed the price difference.
- Whether it is an automatic. Most of the expensive documented faults on this page are CVT faults. A manual version of the same car removes that risk entirely and is usually cheaper to buy.
- Rust. On a Swift, a Demio or an older Corolla, rust is what ends the car, and it is the one thing a new buyer almost never looks for.
Before you hand over money
- 1.Look up the documented faults for the exact year and engine, not just the model.
- 2.Drive it from cold, and hold a light steady throttle up a hill to load the gearbox.
- 3.Get underneath it, or take someone who will. Rear beams and sills on small cars are where it rots.
- 4.Check the VIN for outstanding recalls on any Japanese import. That work is free.
- 5.Check the plate for money owing before you pay. If there is finance registered against the car, it can be repossessed from you even though you paid the seller in full.
Check a first car before you buy
Get a guided pre-purchase inspection, a market valuation, and the documented faults for that exact engine, turned into a negotiation figure. From $24.90.
Check the model before you view
Every documented fault for these models, with the years and engines each one applies to.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best first car in New Zealand?
On documented fault cost, a Toyota Vitz or a Suzuki Swift is hard to beat: both are cheap to insure, cheap to service, and their known faults are mostly in the hundreds rather than the thousands. A Toyota Corolla is the better choice if you want the extra size and safety equipment.
Should a first car be a manual or an automatic?
If you can drive a manual, it removes most of the expensive risk on this page. Nearly every four-figure documented fault on these models is a CVT automatic fault, and manual versions of the same cars are usually cheaper to buy as well.
How old is too old for a first car?
It is less about age than about safety equipment and rust. Cars old enough to lack electronic stability control and curtain airbags are a meaningful step down in safety for a new driver, and cars old enough to have structural rust are a false economy whatever the price.
Do I need a pre-purchase inspection on a cheap first car?
Especially on a cheap car, because the repair costs are the same as on an expensive one while the car is worth far less. Knowing the documented faults for that exact model before you view means you can test for them yourself, and knowing whether money is owed against the plate protects you from losing the car entirely.