Newbie needing advice on CVT buying...

[Merkulon]

Hi everyone,

I've perused the forum for a while as I've been considering a K11 for a while.

My office is relocating to the city centre and I'll be getting a bus pass for commuting so it's a perfect time to get rid of my Civic diesel as it's about ready to give up (lots of time spent in limp mode recently) and is beyond economical repair.

so I'm considering a K11 for a weekend runabout and to teach Mrs Merkulon to drive in.

I'm appealing to anyone who's had dealings with the K11 CVT Auto, specifically the 1.0 to give me a bit of advice!

I've never driven an auto before, but I am fairly confident it'll be a piece of pie to drive and therefore would be a good car to teach Mrs Merkulon in as she's very nervous having been in a severe car accident a few years ago (in which she was a passenger) that put her off her driving lessons. I'm thinking that not having to change gear will be one less thing for her to worry about while she builds her confidence and learns the road.

A good friend is selling his Grandmothers K11 auto and has offered it to me at what I think is a steal.

It's a 2002 1.0 cvt with 24k on the clock, FSH and has been garaged it's whole life - he's saying I can have it for £600...

The main thing I want to ask is...

What sort of checks beyond the usual should I do when test driving it next week? I'm talking about the auto gearbox more than anything - is there anything to listen or look for and is there anything I can do to test it physically while driving it?

I appreciate any advice given and apologies if I'm asking something that's common knowledge but i can't yet find the answers on the forum - feel free to link to any threads that may help!

thanks again!

 

[sleeper_ss]

You should be safe with 24k miles. They can suffer with notchy gears & slipping later on in life. Treat her gently....

 

[davyboy]

Had one of them and they're fine. Sounds like a steal and more to me, can't go wrong in my opinion....you'll love it, and so will your boss.
No noticeable gear change as constant drive, which can seem a bit strange at first but you get used to it, and away you go. Good mpg, but not a lot of grunt, you get used to that too. All in all a very easy car to own and drive, buy with confidence and be prepared for the easiest car you will ever own. A car 20+ years ahead of its time.
You will talk about her all your life, and never forget her......that's the car by the way !

 

[Muji]

We've had a K11 1.3 CVT since 2003. Lovely little car, the 1.3 is surprisingly brisk. I drove a 1.0 once & whilst not a ball of fire it should be ok for what you need it for.
24k with FSH for £600.00, that's cheaper than walking - providing it seems ok & drives ok, buy it.
I agree with davyboy's sentiments regarding these cars. I do not know what i'll do when ours finally gives up the ghost. I'll probably end up trying to get another, they are just excellent cars. A Mate of mine has a very nice big C Class Mercedes that's about 3 years old & I can honestly say (& it sounds crazy) but I really do prefer our old Micra !

 

[pollyp]

corrosion repair is what usually kills a car economically over mechanical wear.
being a very low milage, low cost 11yr car is a good start point but still check it over like any used car.
cos it's been mostly sitting around, check for any deteriation/seizing of the mechanicals like handbrakes, idle control valve, cracked tyre walls, flat spotted tyres, how often and recently has the oil/coolant/fuel/washer been replaced, battery state, etc

here's a useful video guide talking bout cars that sit around


and for what to look for in buying micras here's a checklist (some bits are for manual gears)
https://www.micra.org.uk/threads/what-should-you-watch-for-when-buying.53060/#post-543294