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Dear Sir,

I am an international student at UOA and looking for a car (max $7000) in Auckland. I found 2004-5 toyota wish, fielder/corolla for this price on trademe website. I have read on your website that CVT transmission is not reliable.

1). Are toyota wish 2004-5 models are CVT or conventional automatic?
2). Are they as reliable as toyota fielder/corolla with conventional automatic?
3). I also heard about the "tiptronic". Is it also as reliable as conventional automatic?
3). Can you advice which one I should choose for a long-term perspective (transmission problem, maintenance cost, fuel consumption, spare parts availability, etc)? I don't mind it's 5/7 seater or station wagon/sedan, as long as it's reliable. Actually I love manual but it's hard to find.

Sorry for a few queries but I found out that your AA website is quite reliable in answering and suggesting regarding a used car.

Regards,
Zay

Hi there,
The fielder can be cvt or conventional AT.
These cars are a good option, better if you can find an Automatic or manual.
Tiptronic is an electronic control of the shifting, can be used in cvt or AT transmissions.
The D4 FSE engines are also known to give a little bit of trouble. So just make sure
you check the vehicle out before buying.
Maybe look at the Mazda 3 is a great option.
You can find the right car, with a little bit of searching.

Hi Cade,

Thanks for your reply and helpful information. It helps a lot.

Just want to know if there is any easy way (other than test driving) to find out if the car has conventional auto or CVT transmission?

I find it a little bit difficult to ask the dealer each and every car I want to check on 'trade me' website; or is this the only option?

Regards,
Zay

Hi there,
You can use wikipedia and look for the engine/ transmission combinations.
Or car jam may tell you some more information if the car is currently registered.
Japanese imports can vary quite a bit, so it pays to check just to be sure.