Small runabout for less than £2k

[HT281]

Hi all,

Been given the task of replacing my sisters S reg 1.25 Ghia Fiesta that's been living on borrowed time for the last 5 years now. It's been totally reliable, but is falling apart body-wise.

I'm looking for an equivalent car, but biased towards getting her another Fiesta, but the newer shape.

What else is out there that will be as or more reliable than her Fiesta for less than £2k?

[mazdavdk]

Ford Puma? if you can find one with good rear arches and recent cambelt

[ajb85]

You'll not go far wrong with a Hyundai Getz at this money. A touch drab, but the criteria is reliability.

[300bhp/ton]

HT281 said:

Hi all,

Been given the task of replacing my sisters S reg 1.25 Ghia Fiesta that's been living on borrowed time for the last 5 years now. It's been totally reliable, but is falling apart body-wise.

I'm looking for an equivalent car, but biased towards getting her another Fiesta, but the newer shape.

What else is out there that will be as or more reliable than her Fiesta for less than £2k?

Almost all small hatchbacks will be perfectly fine for daily use. Of course you might buy a bad example or be unlucky and on a few rare occasions some makes or models are more prone to 'x' or 'y' issue.

But on the whole any will be perfectly fine.

[billzeebub]

Nissan Micra or Toyota Yaris

[jambo103]

Ignis Sport or Yaris Sport

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/toyo...

[rallycross]

these little cars have a premium so £2k only gets you a tied old Corsa, Polo, Yaris, Fiesta etc so better off to chose something a bit different that is not the default choice.

[MGgeordie]

Don't buy anything French, or a CityRover.....everything else should be ok!

[anonymous-user]

Micra.

[bicycleshorts]

SportKA.

[bobbo89]

Lupo/Arosa? Amazingly well put together cars!

[sparkythecat]

I posted this thread a week or two ago and bought a K11 Nissan Micra.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[excel monkey]

HT281 said:

I'm looking for an equivalent car, but biased towards getting her another Fiesta, but the newer shape.

Do this. Easiest option. The controls will be familiar to her, and she can get the same excellent 1.25 engine that she has in her current car.

Plenty of other small cars out there that will do just as good a job, but they're all much of a muchness. Might as well keep things simple and stick with what she knows.

[SirSamuelBuca]

get her an mx5!

[blugnu]

bicycleshorts said:

SportKA.

Not ideal - mine only did 29mpg combined, and parts are a bit of a pain as they didn't sell many of them.

What about a Fusion? Fiesta based, but more practical, and seemingly not that popular on the secondhand market so keenly priced. Seemed to be a lot around with quite low mileage for not much money last time I looked.

[HT281]

Thanks very much.

Some food for thought there.

There's an 03 Fiesta Zetec just up the road that's a private sale. Will have a look at it over the weekend, as well as looking into some of your other suggestions

[bicycleshorts]

blugnu said:

Not ideal - mine only did 29mpg combined, and parts are a bit of a pain as they didn't sell many of them.

What about a Fusion? Fiesta based, but more practical, and seemingly not that popular on the secondhand market so keenly priced. Seemed to be a lot around with quite low mileage for not much money last time I looked.

Which parts are difficult? They share a lot with the normal ka and streeka.

[Loose Chippings]

MGgeordie said:

Don't buy anything French, or a CityRover.....everything else should be ok!

if you can get a good Clio they are OK. Had mine 4 years with no problems. My sister is on her second, again no issues.

Another Fiesta would be a good shout, plenty of them about so no need to buy a rough one.

[sjabrown]

Yaris. Reliable, very cheap to run. £2k will give you some choice amongst ones a few years old.

[blugnu]

bicycleshorts said:

Which parts are difficult? They share a lot with the normal ka and streeka.

The engine is only in the Sport and Street - it's in no other Ford. It's only in them because the Zetec was too tall to be acceptable for crashworthiness I believe, although it does fit.

Anyway, I seem to recall that a few websites I went on didn't even list the Sport as a model - probably easy to get parts if you know what you want by part number!

MPG was genuinely bad though.