Recommend me a Toyota

[ianderson]

Looking for an old car for the wife. It will be her first car.

The requirements are: old model, economic, small, cheap and automatic transmition.

Recommend me some models and years to look at.

[Roy124]

Budget?

How old?

Depending on your location models and specs may differ

[DerekHa]

Old, small, cheap would mean the Aygo (C1/107) or a tad bigger the Yaris. Not so sure on the automatic though.

[APS]

You could get her  a mk1 MR2 automatic - great fun, small, and economicalish 😜

Or you could get her a E120 Corolla auto 2002-2006, or a similar vintage Yaris.

Or an early iQ (2009-)

Just pick anything from Toyota's back catalogue.

[flash22]

Is the OP in the states ?? Echo or Yaris from around 1999 onwards, Scion IQ or xB

[FROSTYBALLS]

Bulgaria I think ..

[ianderson]

14 hours ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

Bulgaria I think

Moved to Bulgaria a couple of years ago. Wonderful place - tidy, green and cheap with lots of economic opportunities.

Budget - as cheap as possible

How old - no limit.

It will be her first car so I expect her to trash it. I prefer a Toyota for reliability. It's hard to trash a Toyota.

[Mojo1010]

Aygo is probably the one to get

[Yugguy1970]

I know this is a Toyota forum 🤣 but another good, reliable option would be a Honda Jazz. 

[Puglet]

Only problem with an Aygo is you state automatic, a big problem with Mk1s was the MMT, it not a traditional automatic, but so called robotised manual and when they went wrong in UK only main dealers or specialists could fix them cos back street garages wouldn't touch them, so cheap car can become expensive. The Mk2s are better but then they are more expensive car to start with.

Other than that our similar 107 with Toyota engine been great little car, reliable, cheap to run and maintain, but ours is a manual!

 

[Cyker]

Yeah, I was going to say Aygo or Mk1 Yaris until the dreaded word Automatic was used!  

There aren't many old Toyotas that are automatic I would go near as they were really pushing that MMT gearbox on their smaller cars and it sucked. Only thing I can think of is an early 1999 Mk1 Yaris when it still used a torque converter instead of the single-clutch MMT. (But one that old will likely have rusted to death...!).

After seeing how many people had MMT trouble in its heyday on this forum alone, I wouldn't go near one as it will go wrong and is expensive to fix.

I think if I was in that boat, I'd look for a Mk2 Nissan Micra that had a torque converter (Although even the CVT on that wasn't too bad because the engine wasn't powerful enough to break it  ).

Or get the missus to learn how to drive a manual! (She'll be a better driver for it!)

[Eddie G]

MK 3 Yaris, if it's old enough so to speak. 

[Cyker]

That would be a better option, but may be too expensive for the OP as it sounds like they're after an old banger!

 

[Rhymes with Paris]

Definitely an old Yaris, except I don't know the market in Bulgaria, and the auto thing of course.

Older yarisiss do appear on eBay from time to time, that look alright for around a grand, but all manuals.

Unless the MOT requirements are less in Bulgaria and you can get a legal banger as others have said within budget, then yes , but you have to compromise somewhere, I doubt an ancient auto will fit the bill even if you can find one.

Toyota engineering does last a long time however if you get lucky enough to find an old un that has been looked after.