What car for MIL?

[DiseasalDriver]

Her birthday is coming up and her car is goosed. Have £1,200 budget for replacement for her.

Want to spend as little as possible really. Must run, be in decent condition and have a small engine / good efficiency.

Not fixer uppers.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221022908417?ssPageName=...

This is fairly local to me, no bids. This is the sort of thing we're after but I'd rather get her a 206, what do you think?

[Vantagefan]

Why are the rear seat belts different colours?

[ohtari]

My 206 was in a constant state of being a "fixer upper", not the most reliable cars. I imagine a saxo or 106 could be worse mechanically due to the age, but slightly more reliable electronics (or lack of)

I'd buy jap for a small car if I had to again

[EDLT]

Vantagefan said:

Why are the rear seat belts different colours?

Some Saxos had multi coloured seat belts, the front ones are different too.

[DiseasalDriver]

Cheers guys, food for thought. Should I be looking at something like a Nissan Micra for reliability?

[Alfanatic]

Micra or Yaris would be my suggestions, or a Civic if there's one in budget. Fiesta is probably a good bet too, I expect a decent rust free one should be in budget

[dave stew]

Reminds me of that seventies joke:
"The definition of Mixed Blessings...
Watching your mother in law drive your new car off a cliff!"

[Superhoop]

DiseasalDriver said:

Cheers guys, food for thought. Should I be looking at something like a Nissan Micra for reliability?

That depends.. If it's a Nissan Micra, they're bomb proof, if it's a Renault Nissan Micra, it's a Renault underneath, then maybe not so

[PH lurker]

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3869478.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3912023.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3898511.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3864245.htm

[Rich A]

Mother in law eh... I'm thinking anything without brakes should do just fine.

[lescombes]

K11 Micra bud.... all the way... picked a 3 door one up on a Y plate 80k on the clock for £900... full test on it...for my lads GF last week.... engine albeit 1.0L is as smooth as silk....quiet and no cam belts to mess with...

[F1GTRUeno]

MX-5
E39 M5
S2000
Caterham
etc

[poing]

Something with faulty brakes and a sticking throttle would be ideal surely?

[jvr]

A TVR with the throttle stuck open,dodgy brakes on a rainy night on the M25,that should do it,or in my case with my MIL a broomstick going down the wrong way of the chunnel tunnel..
P

[AdeTuono]

[DiseasalDriver]

A few witty replies. This MIL is not too bad and we don't see much of her.

Micra in black looked good as per a link above. Not sure I could bring myself to buy a Yaris though...

We've got a couple in mind for viewing this weekend, a Micra from a small at-home trader and a Fiesta that is FS privately.

[F1GTRUeno]

DiseasalDriver said:

A few witty replies. This MIL is not too bad and we don't see much of her.

Micra in black looked good as per a link above. Not sure I could bring myself to buy a Yaris though...

We've got a couple in mind for viewing this weekend, a Micra from a small at-home trader and a Fiesta that is FS privately.

Not sure you could bring yourself to buy a Yaris yet you'd happily buy a Micra?

They're synonymous with fking awful driving and are a stain on the roads of today and yet you'd buy one over a Yaris?

[DiseasalDriver]

F1GTRUeno said:

Not sure you could bring yourself to buy a Yaris yet you'd happily buy a Micra?

They're synonymous with fking awful driving and are a stain on the roads of today and yet you'd buy one over a Yaris?

Yep, the Yaris is one of the ugliest cars ever made.

At least with a Micra she'll a) be driving a little caution sign or b) helping buck the trend... I.e the driver will drive like that no matter what the car is.

Micra is known as one of the most reliable cars on the road is it not? Which is vey important.

[jay140285]

What about a Ka, my sister had one. it was my mothers then sisters. 2001 owned from new and sold it in dec 2010, it was the most reliable and cheapest to own car as a family we ever owned.

[DiseasalDriver]

Guys, I know you all wanted closure on this issue...

We just picked up a 2001 VW Lupo 1.4S in bright red for £1,200. 67k miles.

Electric windows, CD player, power steering etc.

No A/C though, the test drive was painfully sweaty but OK once the windows were down.

They gave us £100 for her old snotter that was never going to pass it's MOT and was all but dead.