The average age of cars in the country is 14 years and most motorists drive such cars. This means there’s a lot of choice here – 10-15 years ago, new car sales were very good (sales peaked in 2008 and 2012, with a decline in 2009 and 2010). At the same time, the probability of finding a car in good condition is high enough to go hunting.
Driving expert Sergei Zinoviev I mentioned several models from those years of production, which are worth a closer look – they cost like used Ladas from about the same years, but they are noticeably different in comfort and reliability. It remains only to pick up a well-preserved copy.
Fiat Albea: simple means reliable
If the brand is not so important to you, and you value simplicity and reliability, then you should remember Fiat Albea. Cases of 2011-2012 year of release today have a mileage of about 60-150 thousand kilometers. Given an engine power of more than 300 thousand kilometers, this can be considered a prolonged “break-in”. And such miracles of reliability are demonstrated by a 1.4-liter engine with 77 horsepower. A manual gearbox is rather inferior and should be repaired only with a clutch replacement at a drive of about 250 thousand kilometers. Well done and keep the body. Of course, it can not do without minor problems, but they are eliminated quickly and cheaply.
Mitsubishi Lancer 9 – Japanese Assembly Only
This “prey” will have a mileage of about 200 thousand kilometers. But its interior is more spacious and the choice of engines and gearboxes is richer: there are engines of 1.3 (82 hp), 1.6 (98 hp) and 2.0 (135 hp) liters, as well as mechanics and automatic transmission. At the same time, there is practically no difference in the price of these versions. As for the resource, the engines go half a million kilometers (an exception is a 1.6-liter engine, but it will pass 300 thousand). The mechanics have to be repaired about once every 150 thousand kilometers, and the machine goes without repair for 200-250 thousand. The only drawback is the low resistance to corrosion.
Skoda Octavia 1 with perpetuum mobile
The mileage of this car will also be in the neighborhood of 200 thousand kilometers, but who cares if you need a copy with a 1.6-liter 8-valve engine with 102 horsepower. It has already been called “perpetuum mobile”. The 1.4-liter engine (75 hp) provides 250 thousand kilometers, and the turbocharged 1.8-liter unit (150 hp) – more than 300 thousand (but not the accessories, such as a turbocharger, oil pump and other small things) . The excellent, if rare, Aisin automatic (O9G) is good, and the manuals last more than 250,000 kilometers without intervention. What else do you need? Strong suspension (available) and corrosion-resistant body (available).
These are not all cars from Sergei Zinoviev’s collection of tips. Learn about four reliable age models in the April issue of “Behind the Rulem” magazine – on sale soon.
The material was prepared on the basis of Sergei Zinoviev’s article “Midlife Crises”, published in the 04.2022 issue of the magazine “Za Rulem”.
These cars can be bought for 300-400 thousand, and they will last more than a hundred thousand kilometers.
3 foreign cars with mileage and perpetual (well, almost) engine