Reliable car with £1000 budget?

[Yorkshirerover]

Just recently sold my 19 plate corsa as I couldn’t help but feel pcp finance was a waste of money. Got a £1000 budget and looking for something reliable for at least 6 months whilst I can save up for something better. I do a 200 mile round trip every 2/3 weeks (all on the motorway) so something that could handle that would be ideal. Don’t know a great deal about cars to be honest, I’ve been looking at a jazz and some hyundai. Under 1.8 engine for insurance as I’m only 22. Know I might be asking for a lot here with current car prices! Any advice and help is much appreciated.

[blue_haddock]

Something like an older 1.4 or 1.6 corolla should be pretty reliable if not slightly dull.

[Raymond Reddington]

Some sort of petrol jap car will do you alright. Or a Ford Focus.

[Pastor Of Muppets]

Jap car might be reliable but will very likely be seriously corroded underneath, Early mini up to 2006 would be a good contender, high miler should
be around a grand.

[ZX10R NIN]

Take a look at the Hyundai coupe although they're 2.0 insurance is very sensible & you have a smart car to run around in for a few years:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202203133...

Or the best Astra you can find locally:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202203183...

[Lincsls1]

My mk5 2005 Astra diesel cost me a grand nearly 5 years ago.
Its a fantastic workhorse of a car with nearly 170k on it now.
And it is far from rotten.

[aaron_2000]

I've run countless sheds (Car under £1000/£1500) and can say with certainty that the best of them all was the MK1 1.6 Focus. The engine is bulletproof, they're dirt cheap to run and maintain and they're dirt cheap to buy. They're also brilliant fun to drive, as long as it's not rotten you really can't go wrong and the good thing is that when they are rotten, they rot in obvious places like the sills so you can spot it immediately. £600-£800 will buy you a good example with 12 months MOT, the 1.6 is the engine to have. They're great on the motorway despite being a 5 speed, for the money and for your requirements I really can't think of a better all rounder. All the Jap stuff is expensive for what they are and in my experience are usually no better anyway, certainly nowhere near as good to drive. I'm 22 and insurance for me on them has always been no more than a Polo or Fiesta.

[anonymous-user]

Pastor Of Muppets said:

Jap car might be reliable but will very likely be seriously corroded underneath

Exactly my experience of Japanese sheds, the underneath tends to look like they have been parked in the sea. The calipers tend to seize due to the piston corroding and then you end up swearing a lot as all the bolts are corroded on and snap as you try and undo them.

I would probably go for something like a petrol Clio, there will not be a spot of rust on it and they are dirt cheap as French cars still have the unreliable stigma.

[georgeyboy12345]

Try one of these three-figure cars

Skoda Fabia 1.2 HTP £995
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202203173...


Ford C-Max 1.6 16v Zetec £985
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202203183...


Ford Focus 1.6i 16v £490
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202203093...


Citroen C1 1.0i £995
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201241...


Vauxhall Astra 1.6i 16v £750
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202203143...

[aaron_2000]

georgeyboy12345 said:

Try one of these three-figure cars

Ford Focus 1.6i 16v £490
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202203093...

Don't think that would be the best example for a reliable buy

[Walter Sobchak]

Pastor Of Muppets said:

Jap car might be reliable but will very likely be seriously corroded underneath, Early mini up to 2006 would be a good contender, high miler should
be around a grand.

Don’t the early ones have potential gearbox issues?, other than that I like them though.

If you can find one a Volvo S60 or V70 is a good shout, manual over auto with them though.

[A500leroy]

jazz/yaris/rio.

[OutInTheShed]

Reliable £1000 car is quite a big ask.
There is a big element of luck.
Many £1000 cars which are running fine today could throw you a £1000 bill tomorrow.

Personally if I was trying to spend the absolute minimum I would look for something where any likely issue was probably going to be cheap to fix.
Best £1000 car I bought was a Mondeo. No issues, and IMHO low risk because Fords can be fixed anywhere.

Mate of mine was trolling around in a Citroen C5 for two years, I think he paid £700 for it, but that would be scrap the first time it coughed.
I've known people buy old Polos for small change and have no issues, others have had end to end grief with this, that, and the other.

You have to ask, why are these cars for sale?
Sometimes it's because the current/previous owner has been tipped over the edge by one too many problems.

Then a gain some quite nice cars are only worth £1000 or so because the insurance is dear..

I would suggest not looking for a particular model, look for anything sensible that fits the bill and buy the tidiest one with a long MOT which you feel confident about.

There is IMHO, no magic, guaranteed method of losing less than £1k a year on cars.
Even if you are a reasonable DIY mechanic.

[nobrakes]

OutInTheShed said:

Reliable £1000 car is quite a big ask.
There is a big element of luck.
Many £1000 cars which are running fine today could throw you a £1000 bill tomorrow.

Personally if I was trying to spend the absolute minimum I would look for something where any likely issue was probably going to be cheap to fix.
Best £1000 car I bought was a Mondeo. No issues, and IMHO low risk because Fords can be fixed anywhere.

Mate of mine was trolling around in a Citroen C5 for two years, I think he paid £700 for it, but that would be scrap the first time it coughed.
I've known people buy old Polos for small change and have no issues, others have had end to end grief with this, that, and the other.

You have to ask, why are these cars for sale?
Sometimes it's because the current/previous owner has been tipped over the edge by one too many problems.

Then a gain some quite nice cars are only worth £1000 or so because the insurance is dear..

I would suggest not looking for a particular model, look for anything sensible that fits the bill and buy the tidiest one with a long MOT which you feel confident about.

There is IMHO, no magic, guaranteed method of losing less than £1k a year on cars.
Even if you are a reasonable DIY mechanic.

^ this

“ I would suggest not looking for a particular model, look for anything sensible that fits the bill and buy the tidiest one with a long MOT which you feel confident about”

You will get better value looking at basic models, too. Less desirable = cheaper.
Less options = less to go wrong
Crap colours = less desirable = better value for you

Don’t be afraid to travel for the right car.

[rob0r]

406 2.0 HDI

[bearman68]

There's a whole thread about running sheds here:- https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Many of us on this thread run French or Volvo, though it's by no means limited to that.
Most of us have accepted that if you are running a car that's £1000 purchase price, it will have some issues that require work, and many of the contributors will do this work themselves.

I don't think there would be too may arguments over a Focus (petrol), a 2002 - 2008 Fiesta, Yaris, Aygo/C1/107. Volvo S60 / V70 will require constant suspension parts, should be bought in manual.
Older engine Peugeots in petrol will be fine, as will the Clio, esp Mk2, Diesel Renault is risky with the Delphi systems, but the 106 engine is fine. Laguna 3 2.0 dci is excellent all round, and you may find one <£1000.
Astra H 1.7 is OK, and I'm coming round to thinking the 1.9 might be alright.
I keep hearing the Hondas are OK, but I've never run one. I would tend to stay away from the Toyota diesel engines.

[steveo3002]

trouble is these days youre getting a £400 car for £1000 how prices are

just a matter of keep looking no point in saying focus or civic as at that age there will be a huge variance in condition

get looking - you want private seller ,long mot , least rust and if the engine sounds sweet and the gears work okay its all you can ask for , id not be worrying too much if it missed a pollen filter change in 2003 etc ....if it runs okay now it should keep running a bit longer if you keep on top of the oil level etc

trouble is any clean bargains will have a dozen driveway traders sniffing after it before you

[Scootersp]

Arguable you should go older, it'll be less fashionable/desirable, the car made it that far which is a good start! and then with age it should be easier to spot a truely 'last legs' car.

[blue_haddock]

Walter Sobchak said:

Pastor Of Muppets said:

Jap car might be reliable but will very likely be seriously corroded underneath, Early mini up to 2006 would be a good contender, high miler should
be around a grand.

Don’t the early ones have potential gearbox issues?, other than that I like them though.

If you can find one a Volvo S60 or V70 is a good shout, manual over auto with them though.

yes they do, they also have lots of other niggly faults, Just look at ebay at how many are sold as spares or repair.

I certainly wouldnt go with one if i was looking for reliability.

[blue_haddock]

And this has just popped up on my Facebook feed.

Way too many minis being sold like this as spares or repair.