Not another 'what car' thread? Yep...

[Zebrs]

Hi all, after a bit of input from the PH collective.

My mother, since retiring, wants a small car for a max of £7k. It must be as new as possible, reliable (possibly still with some warranty), and cheap to run - low insurance group, frugal etc. She only does local journeys so doesn't matter how good it is on the motorway. Neither does she care about make, fuel type, colour, number of doors, trasmission etc.

Over to you for your suggestions if you please.

[Kiltox]

Kia Picanto.

£6050 OTR.

Job done.

[The Nur]

As above really. /thread

[SlimRick]

Kiltox said:

Kia Picanto.

£6050 OTR.

Job done.

If you can live with the rattles.

[Kiltox]

SlimRick said:

If you can live with the rattles.

[Zebrs]

SlimRick said:

If you can live with the rattles.

This was my first thought, especially after a couple of years.

Anything else worth looking at second hand?

[robsco]

Citroen C1... £5995.

[va1o]

VW Fox? Very dull, basic and boring but it has the Volkswagen badge and I've seen pre-reg base models on sale around the £6k mark.

[Kiltox]

Zebrs said:

This was my first thought, especially after a couple of years.

Anything else worth looking at second hand?

Might add that although mine with 500 miles on the clock has developed a rattle, I've driven a 2 year old 20k mile example that was silent. I am obviously hoping that the dealer will resolve my current issue.

In any other way it's a fantastic little car for the money. Don't see the point in buying an out of warranty Fiesta/Corsa/etc for the kind of driving you describe.

[mondayo]

How much Honda Jazz does that get you? They're supposed to be great, for what they are

[W00DY]

http://www.fiatsupasaver.com/default.aspx

I actually think they're really decent little cars.

[Baffled Spoon]

Hyundai i10 seems well regarded amongst the motoring mags.

[The Nur]

Is it a 5 or 7 year warranty on the Picanto?

[Kiltox]

W00DY said:

http://www.fiatsupasaver.com/default.aspx

I actually think they're really decent little cars.

That website has had that price on it for a while but when you click for more details it's gone. Cheapest I know of for brand new is £6295 for the 1.1 and £6395 for the 1.2 with pre-reg 1.1s for £5995 at the likes of Arnold Clark.

[Kiltox]

The Nur said:

Is it a 5 or 7 year warranty on the Picanto?

7 years. Unlimited mileage in the first 3 years and 100k miles thereafter.

[The Nur]

Kiltox said:

The Nur said:

Is it a 5 or 7 year warranty on the Picanto?

7 years. Unlimited mileage in the first 3 years and 100k miles thereafter.

Seems like the obvious choice to me. Fits the criteria perfectly

[LukeSi]

Don't worry they are actually quite well built (for a cheapie Korean car that probably cost £1000 or less to build) My mum's is 6 years old and has only got a few rattles and nothing broken. Really good value. Oh and the new model is coming out sometime so they will go cheaper.

[va1o]

Although personally I'd go for a 2 year old mainstream supermini from a well known manufacturer and get something with a good engine and decent equipment level. 1 year original warranty to run, can be extended if required. Will be much nicer to own and live with plus worth more when you sell on

[Jayho]

Can a Suzuki Swift be picked up for the same price? Or Fiat Panda?

Other than that there must be a few KIA's or Hyundai's which fit the bill? Hyundai i30's look very smart IMO.