The six most reliable cars for under $10,000 in Australia (2024)

EXCLUSIVE

The cost-of-living crunch has hammered Australia's drivers, with massive upfront costs for new vehicles, ever-increasing car loan interest rates, plus skyrocketing insurance premiums, car registration and fuel costs.

But one of the new hosts of the latest series of the Top GearAustralia, Blair Joscelyne, said you can still get a reliable car for under $10,000.

He shared his top picks with Daily Mail Australia, which include the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Hilux, Subaru Forester, Suzuki Swift, VW Up and Honda Civic.

2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8L - under $5,000

'The Toyota Corolla is probably one of the most famous, affordable and reliable cars you can buy in Australia,' Blair said.

'Not only are there heaps of Toyota Corollas around but you can also pick them up for around $5,000 and because they are so popular, parts are cheap.'

Blair said he recently needed a new bumper bar for a Corolla, and it only cost him $100.

'Compare this to a more modern European car where bumpers alone can cost thousands,' he said.

'This car is ideal for day-to-day city driving and affordable maintenance.'

Toyota Hilux (various years)

'If you search for 'Toyota Hilux under $10,000' in Australia, you'll find there are almost 200 of them for sale and the reason is, they just keep going,' Blair said.

Blair believes they are incredibly popular for both weekend warriors and tradies and the 4x4 option means you can also use it for off-roading.

'There are so many variants including petrol, diesel, dual cab, space cab and steel trays, so it really comes down to what features you're looking for,' he said.

'But if you need a car that can work and play, then you can't go wrong with a Hilux.'

Subaru Forester (2002 - 2008)

Whether you're into snowboarding, mountain biking, or just carrying around kids and pets, the Forester is an excellent option.

'Subarus are known for their sure-footed driving and AWD traction. Add this to a car with a massive boot, loads of utility and aftermarket support and you've got a ripper of a deal,' Blair said.

The Forester also makes a decent tow car if you need to tow a motorbike trailer or box trailer.

'For those looking for a bit more performance, there are multiple turbo variants available to,' he said.

'Just make sure you keep an eye on the oil, Subarus are known for using it.'

Blair said Foresters range in price, mostly due to the JDM STI variant which can cost upwards of $40,000, but advised you can find good, honest examples of the standard models for under $10,000.

He said the Forester is ideal for road trips, interstate travel, weekend adventures and even some light off-road work.

Honda Civic EK (1996-2000)

Blair said in recent years the hatch version of the Civic has become much more expensive because of enthusiasts modifying them, including engine swaps and turbo charging.

'These are massively popular due to their decent looks and reliability,' Blair said.

'But the base models are still available and if you're after a sedan, then you can pick them up for cheap.'

He said there's a huge aftermarket scene for these cars, so those looking for something they can drive every day but also take to the track would be impressed.

'You can also swap in more powerful engines (like the B16B from the Civic Type R with V-TEC) and swap in adjustable suspension for track use. Overall, a reliable car that can also be a lot of fun.'

Blair said the Honda Civic is ideal for every day driving and some performance track days with light modifications.

2005 Suzuki Swift

Blair said with the smaller capacity engine, Suzuki Swift's are good on fuel and surprisingly comfortable for a light car.

'These cars are loads of fun, plus they're small and cheap which makes them perfect for city driving,' he said.

Blair said they're good on fuel thanks to the smaller capacity engine and surprisingly comfortable for a light car.

He said they also make amazing little track cars for weekend fun with loads of modifications available fairly cheaply.

'I own one of these myself that I picked up for $6,000 and then spent another $20,000 adding high quality Japanese modifications to it. Yes, I added a lot of stuff.'

Blair said the Suzuki Swift is ideal for daily driving with decent boot size once the seats are folded down.

VW up! (2012)

'So, I had to include at least one European car on this list, and while I was initially going to add the iconic VW Golf, when I mentioned this to a group of mechanic friends, they each formed battle lines to argue about whether they were reliable or not,' Blair said.

'It ended up with a 50:50 split, and I needed something that would be unanimous. That's when I mentioned the tiny little VW up! with multiple nods of approval.'

'In my experience, the Golf is a great car and I even built one of the fastest street trimmed Golf R's in the country (0-100 in 2.8 seconds).'

Blair said he has owned almost every year model of Golf from MK1, MK3, MK4, MK5, MK6, MK7, MK7.5 and the newest MK8.

'But for this list of most reliable cars, I needed something that would be cheap and unanimous, and this is where the VW up! comes in,' he said.

'It's a strange little microcar built by VW with a 3-cylinder, 1-litre petrol engine.

'You can get them in 3 door, and 5 door and overseas they even made a turbo GTI version. We never got this version in Australia, but I recently built my own GTI by converting a local version with a crashed car that I imported from the UK.

'I'm now the owner of the first (and only) GTI converted 1L turbo UP in the world.'

Blair said the cars are fun, light, reliable and a little bit different to the normal hatchback.

'You can grab them for under $10,000 and I've even driven mine right across NSW into the desert.'

Blair said the VW up! is also perfect for stylish inner-city driving where tiny cars are ideal.