Best bomb proof learner

[jackh707]

Need to get someone driving and through the test.

What's the best cheap, fix it with a hammer, £40 a corner tyres simple learner car that's cheap to insure and drive under £1000.

Challenging cosmetics and undesirableness required. Small.

Micra? Or are aygos starting to creep into this price bracket?

Cheers

[rohrl]

Nissan Micra or a first gen Toyota Yaris.

[anonymous-user]

The nasty little Mk1 Mercedes A-Class is very cheap to insure and run in A140 guise, and the facelift (2002 onwards) cars are fairly tough. They are naff and have a terrible reputation so you can pick up a half decent one for a couple of hundred quid. A much more flexible and practical proposition than your usual little hatchback but no bigger on the road.

Good in a crash too.

If you buy one PM me, I have the special tools for taking the cover off when you change the spark plugs and don't need them anymore!

Edited by dme123 on Sunday 5th February 15:04

[hornetrider]

rohrl said:

Nissan Micra or a first gen Toyota Yaris.

Yep.

[Mr E]

Bought a Yaris for £300.
Brakes were another £150 ish.
Tyres are £28 a corner.

[alfie2244]

We bought an 04 VW Polo for £550 for our 17yr old to learn in (now passed)..bit tatty but been 100% reliable so far........fingers X'd

[curlie467]

hornetrider said:

rohrl said:

Nissan Micra or a first gen Toyota Yaris.

Yep.

Yep. Particularly the bubble shape Micra, practically indestructible.

[Krikkit]

I know this will be met with derision from the staunch anti-frenchists, but a Mk.2 Clio is a very reliable thing, and the DCi is a good unit if economy is important over the petrols.

[em177]

As stated, K11 Micra would be where my money would go.

[caelite]

Another vote for K11 Micra, it was my first car a few years back. The only thing you need to look out for is rust.

[Slow]

Mk1 Ford Focus 1.8 TDDI - was the cheapest car for me to insure at 17 and I had 4 real doors! Ran on veg oil, was a ex hire car, had been sitting for 3 years too. 90bhp made it really slow but it would handle brilliantly.

Mine split a intercooler pipe in 3 years of me and my brother both learning to drive and use as a first car.

It did however get a new rad, new wheel, new wing, new steering rack, new spring, new washer bottle/expansiion bottle (cant remember which melted) new wishbone after my brother crashed it 3 times. Twice into a ditch and once through a rotten fence then caught fire.

Edit: Got sold 2 years ago for £250 with 4 months Mot. Its still on the road with a new Mot and was recently up for a sale again with the words "faultless" in the ad haha.

Edited by Slow on Sunday 5th February 15:20

[Megaflow]

Micra.

There is a reason they are the vehicle of choice for take away deliveries.

[ambuletz]

Nissan Micra (k11)
Toyota Yaris
Suzuki Alto

All perfectly good choices of reliable cheap small cars. I would say go for the alto cos it's just different and is very basic.

[p4cks]

I read the title and came here to recommend a Micra K11, as I see others have done.

Great little cars.

[Blaster72]

hornetrider said:

rohrl said:

Nissan Micra or a first gen Toyota Yaris.

Yep.

Yep, there's your answer.

[hornetrider]

curlie467 said:

Yep. Particularly the bubble shape Micra, practically indestructible.

Sadly

[jackh707]

Bubble micra with some different colour door panels would be ace.

Cheers, good suggestions.

[Thanoj]

+1 for the K11 Micra.

[itcaptainslow]

Left field choice-look at a Perodua Nippa-they're a Daihatsu underneath and because they are properly unfashionable a late/low miles one can be picked up for peanuts.

I was going to buy one until my bargain 106 diesel appeared.

[Countdown]

For a Learner the Micra is good but the Yaris better.

The reasons being - you sit higher in the Yaris, all the controls are lighter, PAS is standard and the earlier Yarises aren't going to get much cheaper. It's a much easier drive.

The Micra is better in snow though.....