Mazda Demio ('96-'02), Yay or Nay?

[JDMSnowMonkey]

So, I'm contemplating getting a small but boxy car for around £1000 or just over, that can do the occasional tip run, folding e-bike transporting and small item of furniture moving, but mostly short urban journeys. The Mk1 Honda Jazz is the obvious choice, but I've seen one or two original Mazda Demios come up for sale near to me, and my love for the older Gran Turismo games gives the Demio a soft spot in my heart. That, and my parents bought one new at the turn of the millennium when I was about 4, so I have some very vague but happy memories in one. Thing is, there's so few left that I can find almost no UK-based owners' experiences of these cars online, so does anyone here currently own, or has owned, an original Demio, and if so, what did you think of them? The only ones I've seen for sale are the top-spec 1.5 GSi.

[cheesesliceking]

I’d say you may struggle to find a rust free one, sadly.