cheap, practical, small

[verssus]

Looking for a car for my girlfriend.
Inexperienced driver, she likes things like Fiat 500, Smart, Mini Cooper but we need something more practical - extra doors, more space for luggage. Anything practical and small on the outside that still looks bit more special? And it can't be manual

As cheap as possible please, around 3k. More if it is really nice

Edited by verssus on Wednesday 28th June 10:48

[MorganP104]

You mention Smart, how about looking at the ForFour. In budget, more doors, more seats, some kind of boot (still not massive, though).

[Zetec-S]

£3k doesn't give you a lot of options, depending on how you define 'special'.

How about a Fiat Panda? Or if you can forgo 5 doors then Citroen DS3?

[hyphen]

Most 5 door hatches with fold down seats tend to be practical.

A used VW Golf is often a default choice, although won't look special.

[TheVole]

Honda Jazz. Doesn't look special but does everything else you require.

[ZX10R NIN]

I'm not sure you're going to get something that looks special & is an auto without upping the budget but you will get practical & lots of kit:

Clio Initiale

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

Mazda3 Takara

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

Focus Titanium (leather interior)

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

Civic Executive

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

Civic Sport

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

[CivBrum]

Cheap, practical, small but spacious, automatic, and special. Tall ask.

My suggestions:

Fiat Grande Punto
Honda Jazz
Mazda 3

[verssus]

thx for all the suggestions.

budget could be higher.

found a nice Mini Clubman for quite a low price. But she does not like it very much

[hyphen]

Countryman are more attractive than clubman, but more cash.

[CivBrum]

Also Minis are notoriously unreliable.

[EnthusiastOwned]

I was in the same boat recently.

£3k got me this:

34330351164_7bd857aae8_o by Rich Perkins, on Flickr

22k from new, excellent first car (cheap insurance, cheap to run, good MPG, very easy to drive and park) and I don't mind driving it (I actually bloody love it!). Fits 4 adults comfortably and the boots fine for the size and very good with the seats down.

[nadger]

Mitsubishi colt cat/ralliart (depending on budget!) or smart for 4 brabus (which is the same car, but with a few more bhp squeezed out). 7 seconds 0-60, 40 mpg and in the czt/smart, sliding rear bench seat which also folds flat and then forward, giving a flat loading area big enough for a tumble dryer!
Also tremendous fun to drive.

[CivBrum]

EnthusiastOwned said:

I was in the same boat recently.

£3k got me this:


22k from new, excellent first car (cheap insurance, cheap to run, good MPG, very easy to drive and park) and I don't mind driving it (I actually bloody love it!). Fits 4 adults comfortably and the boots fine for the size and very good with the seats down.

A Fiat Panda 100hp was not 22k new. Maybe 11k.

[S10GTA]

CivBrum said:

EnthusiastOwned said:

I was in the same boat recently.

£3k got me this:


22k from new, excellent first car (cheap insurance, cheap to run, good MPG, very easy to drive and park) and I don't mind driving it (I actually bloody love it!). Fits 4 adults comfortably and the boots fine for the size and very good with the seats down.

A Fiat Panda 100hp was not 22k new. Maybe 11k.

22k miles you 'tard

[CivBrum]

S10GTA said:

CivBrum said:

EnthusiastOwned said:

I was in the same boat recently.

£3k got me this:


22k from new, excellent first car (cheap insurance, cheap to run, good MPG, very easy to drive and park) and I don't mind driving it (I actually bloody love it!). Fits 4 adults comfortably and the boots fine for the size and very good with the seats down.

A Fiat Panda 100hp was not 22k new. Maybe 11k.

22k miles you 'tard

Now I feel stupid...

[GreatGranny]

EnthusiastOwned said:

I was in the same boat recently.

£3k got me this:

22k from new, excellent first car (cheap insurance, cheap to run, good MPG, very easy to drive and park) and I don't mind driving it (I actually bloody love it!). Fits 4 adults comfortably and the boots fine for the size and very good with the seats down.

Must admit they do look good in red with those coloured alloys.

Are those standard colour?

[Dazed and Confused]

Skoda Roomster?

[S10GTA]

GreatGranny said:

EnthusiastOwned said:

I was in the same boat recently.

£3k got me this:

22k from new, excellent first car (cheap insurance, cheap to run, good MPG, very easy to drive and park) and I don't mind driving it (I actually bloody love it!). Fits 4 adults comfortably and the boots fine for the size and very good with the seats down.

Must admit they do look good in red with those coloured alloys.

Are those standard colour?

I can answer on his behalf. No, they are not, well actually they are. Fiat did the pandemonium pack, which included different shade of wheels, the stripe and red calipers.

[FredClogs]

Nissan Cube CVT. I love them.

That Mitsubishi Colt is supposed to be quite a hoot too, I don't know if they do an auto but the Ralliart 1.5 Turbo version is quite the car by all accounts, though about one myself.

[RizzoTheRat]

Another vote for the Jazz. I'd have thought 3K should get you an early Mk2. My mrs has had a 2009 one for several years, very reliable, cheap servicing, frugal fuel consumption (although small tank so range isn't huge), and it's like a bloody tardis inside. Space for a 6' passenger behind a 6' driver, and the rear seats can fold completely flat for a big load, or fold up to give loads of space behind the front seats.