Most reliable small older car
Discussion
Hello guys
I need some help here..
So basically I bought a Mercedes that was a lemon of car to the point it’s actually traumatised me in to selling it and taking a hit on the money lost (cba to talk about that car it upsets me too much I was totally scammed but I’m just glad to see the back of it at this point)
I’m left with around £2000 to get something else..
I was thinking of spending about £1000 maybe so I have another 1k left incase I need to spend money on it in repairs ect..
I’m a female with no car knowledge at all, but I was just hoping someone could tell me in general what is a good make of car that is generally reliable and cheap to fix on parts ect
I honestly couldn’t care less about having a nice looking car anymore. I work in a doctors surgery and old people are always smashing in to peoples cars in the car park it’s like a daily occurrence so an older car would cause me less anxiety as I have to park there, there’s no where else unless I want to pay £15 a day in a multi story
I’m thinking a VW polo may be good. I know older cars will come with more issues but at least if I spend a grand and it’s a lemon I can scrap it and lose hundreds rather than the thousands I lost on the Mercedes.
Please no sarcastic comments I’m already an emotional mess aha!!
I need some help here..
So basically I bought a Mercedes that was a lemon of car to the point it’s actually traumatised me in to selling it and taking a hit on the money lost (cba to talk about that car it upsets me too much I was totally scammed but I’m just glad to see the back of it at this point)
I’m left with around £2000 to get something else..
I was thinking of spending about £1000 maybe so I have another 1k left incase I need to spend money on it in repairs ect..
I’m a female with no car knowledge at all, but I was just hoping someone could tell me in general what is a good make of car that is generally reliable and cheap to fix on parts ect
I honestly couldn’t care less about having a nice looking car anymore. I work in a doctors surgery and old people are always smashing in to peoples cars in the car park it’s like a daily occurrence so an older car would cause me less anxiety as I have to park there, there’s no where else unless I want to pay £15 a day in a multi story
I’m thinking a VW polo may be good. I know older cars will come with more issues but at least if I spend a grand and it’s a lemon I can scrap it and lose hundreds rather than the thousands I lost on the Mercedes.
Please no sarcastic comments I’m already an emotional mess aha!!
Alickadoo said:
Toyota Aygo or Yaris.
This. If size isn't important (no jokes please!) you won't find a tougher or more dependable small car. They're cheap to run, any garage can fix them as they're simple, parts are easily obtained and they're either free or £20 to tax. Only weaknesses are clutches are vulnerable to wear and water pumps sometimes leak. Both are easy to change, with no special tools required, so again any garage can do the work if you can't DIY.Great little cars, and I miss my C1 (same as an Aygo underneath) for the simplicity and parsimonious nature of it.
I’d agree with above, in that Japanese cars are generally considered to be the most reliable.
Therefore as the others have said, if you can find a good one, a Toyota or a Honda would be a good shout, especially if you have £1k for maintainence bills to keep you going as contingency.
Good luck with the search!
Therefore as the others have said, if you can find a good one, a Toyota or a Honda would be a good shout, especially if you have £1k for maintainence bills to keep you going as contingency.
Good luck with the search!
Agree with all of the above Toyota Yaris or Corolla with small petrol engine.
It won't set the world alight, but will be dependable and easy to live with.
Good luck and let us know what you end up with.
Also feel free to post links to ones you might want to look at, people might spot issues and save you some time and trouble.
It won't set the world alight, but will be dependable and easy to live with.
Good luck and let us know what you end up with.
Also feel free to post links to ones you might want to look at, people might spot issues and save you some time and trouble.
Back up all of the above, Aygo or its clones, Yaris or Corolla.
Daihatsu Sirion is a Yaris in a different frock, often bought by older folk so tend to be lower mileage.
Whatever you look at take someone mechanically minded with you who isn't afraid to slide underneath, the age of car in that budget could mean serious corrosion issues whatever it is, ignore those who say cars don't rust any more the only people who say that never go underneath older cars, cars that have lived in Scotland and the North where the road salt fetish is rife rust really badly .
Avoid autos at this budget, unless you chose a Yaris mk1 (Sirion Auto might also be ok, unlikely to be MMT) it would almost certainly have the MMT automated manul box, even Toyota can't get these things to work reliably long term.
Daihatsu Sirion is a Yaris in a different frock, often bought by older folk so tend to be lower mileage.
Whatever you look at take someone mechanically minded with you who isn't afraid to slide underneath, the age of car in that budget could mean serious corrosion issues whatever it is, ignore those who say cars don't rust any more the only people who say that never go underneath older cars, cars that have lived in Scotland and the North where the road salt fetish is rife rust really badly .
Avoid autos at this budget, unless you chose a Yaris mk1 (Sirion Auto might also be ok, unlikely to be MMT) it would almost certainly have the MMT automated manul box, even Toyota can't get these things to work reliably long term.
Edited by Smint on Monday 28th October 15:53
Petrol manual Yaris, Aygo or Suzuki Swift.
Pretty much bulletproof, my MIL's Yaris is now 12 years old, has done 120k miles and hasn't even needed a bulb.
Even Yaris need servicing and consumables like brakes and tyres replaced though so as above, take someone knowledgeable with you to make sure it hasn't got a big backlog of deferred maintenence.
Pretty much bulletproof, my MIL's Yaris is now 12 years old, has done 120k miles and hasn't even needed a bulb.
Even Yaris need servicing and consumables like brakes and tyres replaced though so as above, take someone knowledgeable with you to make sure it hasn't got a big backlog of deferred maintenence.
My 80 year old next door neighbour has a 9 year old Yaris, and to quote the local garage he takes it to 'if everyone had one of these (Yaris), we'd be out of business'...
As others have said, either the Yaris or Aygo/107/C1 or a Honda Jazz. We used to live in Milford-on-Sea (Hampshire) and pretty much every other car was a Honda Jazz, all driven by retirees, maybe you'll find one of your 'customers' who'll have recently given up driving and will need to sell one...
As others have said, either the Yaris or Aygo/107/C1 or a Honda Jazz. We used to live in Milford-on-Sea (Hampshire) and pretty much every other car was a Honda Jazz, all driven by retirees, maybe you'll find one of your 'customers' who'll have recently given up driving and will need to sell one...
The wife has a 2010 1.2 3 cylinder fabia. Chain driven engine.
Apart from general maintenance, the only fault with it is a interlock switch within in the lock mechanism in the driver's door. I just haven't got around to sorting it.
I think we paid 2k for it 6 years ago, and it's done 40k miles in that time.
Other than being horrendously slow, it's been a cheap car to run. We will probably keep it until it ends up in the scrap yard.
Apart from general maintenance, the only fault with it is a interlock switch within in the lock mechanism in the driver's door. I just haven't got around to sorting it.
I think we paid 2k for it 6 years ago, and it's done 40k miles in that time.
Other than being horrendously slow, it's been a cheap car to run. We will probably keep it until it ends up in the scrap yard.
Škoda Fabia. It will comfortably seat four large adults.
Ours has been very robust, comfortable and very reliable. We have had the 1.2 TSi 4 cylinder petrol from new since April 2013, at 80k+ miles. We are thinking of replacing with a new one, but all the modern ‘driver-assist’ shenanigans put us off. New versions still have a full-size spare, which makes it preferable to the Honda Jazz, albeit the Jazz is also a nice car in its modern hybrid form.
Ours has been very robust, comfortable and very reliable. We have had the 1.2 TSi 4 cylinder petrol from new since April 2013, at 80k+ miles. We are thinking of replacing with a new one, but all the modern ‘driver-assist’ shenanigans put us off. New versions still have a full-size spare, which makes it preferable to the Honda Jazz, albeit the Jazz is also a nice car in its modern hybrid form.
For the sort of money you’re talking you’ll be scraping the bottom of the barrel for most of the options mentioned. We’ve just spent a couple of months looking for something for my daughter to learn to drive in and eventually found a nice ‘09 plate Peugeot 107 for £1500, but there is a LOT of rubbish out there in that price bracket.
Please don’t take this the wrong way but if you’re fishing in this end of the pool I’d be careful - do you have someone to take with you to look over a car? A second pair of eyes is handy if you’re not sure what you’re looking at! Where in the country are you? You’ll have more choice near a big city, but be careful with Facebook Marketplace as it’s absolutely infested with scammers.
Anyway, the answer is an Aygo/107/C1 at this price. Simple, easy to fix, cheap parts and tyres, reliable and actually rather fun to drive.
Please don’t take this the wrong way but if you’re fishing in this end of the pool I’d be careful - do you have someone to take with you to look over a car? A second pair of eyes is handy if you’re not sure what you’re looking at! Where in the country are you? You’ll have more choice near a big city, but be careful with Facebook Marketplace as it’s absolutely infested with scammers.
Anyway, the answer is an Aygo/107/C1 at this price. Simple, easy to fix, cheap parts and tyres, reliable and actually rather fun to drive.
The older Honda jazz is a good reliable car, I've driven loads of them. Unfortunately the pre-2018 ones are subject to catalytic converter theft and high insurance.
The Yaris is a good car, I was overtaken by a 10-15 year old standard model on the motorway yesterday. Looks a bit frumpy but goes well when wound up.
The Yaris is a good car, I was overtaken by a 10-15 year old standard model on the motorway yesterday. Looks a bit frumpy but goes well when wound up.
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