Low running costs

[oliverbmw]

My dear Mom (76) is looking for a 7-8 year old ,used car and we want some low running . Problem is she like the mini .however its too big and.The KA I understand is unreliable ? . Any suggestions

[TooMany2cvs]

<standard pensioner-transport answer>
Honda Jazz.

[dannyDC2]

TooMany2cvs said:

<standard pensioner-transport answer>
Honda Jazz.

/thread.

You really don't need to overthink this one.

[wemorgan]

Isn't the Jazz longer than the Mini?

Smart car?

[TooMany2cvs]

wemorgan said:

Isn't the Jazz longer than the Mini?

About 150mm.

But if something <4m length is "too big", then perhaps the root problem is not actually the size?

[V10 SPM]

oliverbmw said:

she like the mini .however its too big

The Honda Jazz will be too big as well. Try the Hyundai i10 instead.

[kambites]

Last generation (from 2012ish) Kia Picanto? My parents have one and they love it. It'll still have a year or two of warranty left, too.

ETA: Or the Hyundai i10 - same car underneath.

[captain_cynic]

TooMany2cvs said:

<standard pensioner-transport answer>
Honda Jazz.

Thread over. The Honda Jizz is the correct answer. You could look at the small Citroens/Pugs that I sometimes see old people potting about in... but would recommend going for the Honda.

[Toyoda]

Suzuki Swift.

[kambites]

Toyoda said:

Suzuki Swift.

Surely that's also bigger than an early BMW Mini?

[rossub]

Jazz or Yaris

[wemorgan]

captain_cynic said:

Thread over. The Honda Jizz is the correct answer. You could look at the small Citroens/Pugs that I sometimes see old people potting about in... but would recommend going for the Honda.

other than it being bigger than the Mini...........

[kambites]

wemorgan said:

captain_cynic said:

Thread over. The Honda Jizz is the correct answer. You could look at the small Citroens/Pugs that I sometimes see old people potting about in... but would recommend going for the Honda.

other than it being bigger than the Mini...........

This is Pistonheads. You can't expect more than one in ten people to read past the first sentence.

[MiataMini]

Toyota Aygo, don't knock it till you try it

[LuS1fer]

Fiat Panda is also a good little car and is a lot shorter than a Jazz, whether in 2004-2011 guise or in later plumper Mk 3 guise. It also has 5 doors so it's easy to get into and it's easy to drive. My daughter has a 2007 that can do 60mpg.

[Integroo]

Honda Jazz, or a Micra.

[Willy Nilly]

oliverbmw said:

My dear Mom (76) is looking for a 7-8 year old ,used car and we want some low running . Problem is she like the mini .however its too big and.The KA I understand is unreliable ? . Any suggestions

Too big for what?

[murphyaj]

Which Mini does she day is too big, the current one or the previous model? At between 3821 - 3982 long, even the current the Mini is pretty small, so cars like the Toyota Yaris are only shorter by a tiny amount; about the length of a new £5 note. The Honda Jazz people keep mentioning is actually between the two models of Mini in terms of length.

What makes the Mini too big? Is it parking and visibility that is the issue? Having driven both a Jazz and recent Mini I can report that the Jazz actually feels smaller to drive to me, because the bonnet is shorter and the rear visibility is better. The numbers don't tell you how big a car feels from the drivers seat.

If the mini really is simply too large then buying a car that is a few cm shorter probably won't help, which limits you to genuinely tiny cars like the Volkswagen UP and Toyoa Aygo. Both of which should be pretty reliable.


Lengths in mm:
Mini (2014 on) 3821 to 3982
Mini (pre 2014) 3699
Hyundai i10 (2014 on) 3665
Hyundai i10 (pre 2014) 3565
Toyota Yaris (2011 on) 3855
Toyota Aygo (2014 on) 3455
Honda Jazz (2015 on) 3995
Honda Jazz (pre 2015) 3900
VW UP (2012 on) 3540

[murphyaj]

P.S.
If she really does want something absolutely tiny then there is always the Toyota IQ, which at just 2985mm in length makes even the Mini look like a jumbo jet in comparison. It also just so happens to be the most reliable car money can buy according to Britain's largest private used car warranty provider (http://www.reliabilityindex.com/top-100), so that could be your answer right there.

[TooMany2cvs]

murphyaj said:

P.S.
If she really does want something absolutely tiny then there is always the Toyota IQ, which at just 2985mm in length makes even the Mini look like a jumbo jet in comparison. It also just so happens to be the most reliable car money can buy according to Britain's largest private used car warranty provider (http://www.reliabilityindex.com/top-100), so that could be your answer right there.

Aston Cygnet. Job jobbed.