First car in Spain (Málaga) – Automatic, €13k–18k budget. Which would you choose?
I’m buying my first car (I just got my license) and have narrowed it down to a few options.
Requirements:
Automatic transmission only
Budget upto 17-18k euros, I don’t know what’s the right budget either
Mostly city driving + weekend trips
Reliability is very important
Would like to keep it 2–5 years
Good resale value matters
Parking in Málaga can be tight
New driver, so insurance costs are a consideration
Option 1 – Toyota Corolla 1.8 Hybrid Active Tech eCVT (2021)
€16,999
80,540 km
Hybrid
122 hp
Automatic
Option 2 – Toyota Corolla 1.8 Hybrid Active Tech eCVT (2022)
€17,790
85,000 km
Hybrid
122 hp
Automatic
Option 3 – Volkswagen Polo Life 1.0 TSI DSG (2022)
€17,800
25,000 km
Petrol
95 hp
Automatic DSG
Option 4 – Hyundai IONIQ 1.6 GDI HEV (2021)
€14,890
105,848 km
Hybrid
141 hp
Automatic DCT
Option 5 – Mazda2 Hybrid CVT (2024)
€16,300
73,221 km
Hybrid
116 hp
Automatic
Option 6 – Skoda Fabia 1.0 TSI DSG (2021)
€12,627
119,933 km
Petrol
110 hp
Automatic DSG
I am open to suggestions as I don’t know much about cars and any advice would be great.
Questions
Which would you choose and why?
Which is likely to have the lowest total cost of ownership over the next 3–5 years?
Would you pay ~€3–5k more for a Corolla over the Fabia?
Is the Polo’s very low mileage enough to make it a better buy than the Corolla?
Any known reliability concerns with the IONIQ hybrid or DSG-equipped VW/Skoda models?