Best small car for around £5k?
Discussion
Thinking of replacing my 2006 Panda diesel with something newer.
I use it for local business deliveries and collections, so it needs to be low emissions (less than 130gm CO2 for the increased tax writedown) and cheap to run (fuel, insurance, depreciation, etc.)
5 doors so that I can easily put stuff on the back seats.
Low boot lip and seats that fold reasonably flat so that I can load a grandfather clock without struggling.
Small for getting down narrow lanes and into tiny parking spaces. Narrow is important.
Reasonably comfy so that I can drive it for a couple of hours at a time.
I'll only be doing 4 or 5k miles a year, so something with higher than average miles for the year isn't a problem.
Aircon is essential, handsfree and USB input on the stereo desirable.
Not bothered about rear legroom, as the rear seats will only be used for carrying stuff.
Is there anything out there that suits better than a newer Panda? Thinking of a 2014/15 1.2 Lounge.
I use it for local business deliveries and collections, so it needs to be low emissions (less than 130gm CO2 for the increased tax writedown) and cheap to run (fuel, insurance, depreciation, etc.)
5 doors so that I can easily put stuff on the back seats.
Low boot lip and seats that fold reasonably flat so that I can load a grandfather clock without struggling.
Small for getting down narrow lanes and into tiny parking spaces. Narrow is important.
Reasonably comfy so that I can drive it for a couple of hours at a time.
I'll only be doing 4 or 5k miles a year, so something with higher than average miles for the year isn't a problem.
Aircon is essential, handsfree and USB input on the stereo desirable.
Not bothered about rear legroom, as the rear seats will only be used for carrying stuff.
Is there anything out there that suits better than a newer Panda? Thinking of a 2014/15 1.2 Lounge.
I noticed that the current-generation Renault Twingo has a nearly level boot floor on account of its engine being underneath the boot floor (fluids and battery under the bonnet). I didn't check how flat the rear seats fold.
'Smart Forfour' is closely related to the Twingo.
They're small-ish (3.6m long x 1.65m wide excl mirrors) and probably available with Aircon, USB, Bluetooth etc.
Our household's small car of choice is Vauxhall's Viva but I don't think the rear seat and boot arrangements will be flat enough for your needs. However, at 1.60m wide it's one of the narrowest small cars currently in production.
'Smart Forfour' is closely related to the Twingo.
They're small-ish (3.6m long x 1.65m wide excl mirrors) and probably available with Aircon, USB, Bluetooth etc.
Our household's small car of choice is Vauxhall's Viva but I don't think the rear seat and boot arrangements will be flat enough for your needs. However, at 1.60m wide it's one of the narrowest small cars currently in production.
Edited by Ron99 on Saturday 2nd February 20:31
Not sure I'd trust anything that's related to a Smart. maybe the newer models are more reliable?
I've never seen a Vauxhall Viva, well, not the current one. Presumably it's the replacement for the Suzuki Splash based Agila? Is it a Suzuki or a Peugeot?
I've never seen a Vauxhall Viva, well, not the current one. Presumably it's the replacement for the Suzuki Splash based Agila? Is it a Suzuki or a Peugeot?
Edited by clockworks on Sunday 3rd February 10:33
clockworks said:
Not sure I'd trust anything that's related to a Smart. maybe the newer models are more reliable?
I've never seen a Vauxhall Viva, well, not the current one. Presumably it's the replacement for the Suzuki Splash based Agila? Is it a Suzuki or a Peugeot?
Viva replaced Agila.I've never seen a Vauxhall Viva, well, not the current one. Presumably it's the replacement for the Suzuki Splash based Agila? Is it a Suzuki or a Peugeot?
Viva is GM's own design, not shared with anyone else, although rebadged for some of GM's other sub-brands.
PSA will phase them out this year and replace with their own A-segment car (which is too small for me).
Entry level Vivas (SE or Ecoflex) don't have aircon.
SE A/C is the lowest model with aircon and is the one we opted for (my wife also spec'd heated seats, heated steering wheel). SL has climate control, alloy wheels and tinted rear windows.
There are hundreds of Vivas on Autotrader. Cheapest SE A/C is here:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Oh - Vivas need good clutch control when setting off and can give clumsy gear changes if redlined or if following the upshift indicator. Gear changes are smooth if done at ~3000rpm, which is about right for keeping up with the flow of traffic with a relatively weedy engine.
But on the other hand they manoeuvre easily on ice/snow or when squeezing into parking spaces due to a heavy flywheel which means the car can be accelerated gently up to about 4mph with good clutch control and without any accelerator input.
Edited by Ron99 on Sunday 3rd February 19:07
I've just noticed that the higher spec VW Up! models come with a more powerful engine (74 against 60 in the low spec models). This, and decent residuals , means that an Up! could be a contender. Downside is a high loading lip for the boot, but apparently the back seat folds flat.
I was given a Citigo as a courtesy car when I took my Boxster in for a service, and it seemed like a decent car. I had no idea it had a 1 litre 3 cylinder engine.
The fact that there's a VW dealer 10 minutes away is a bonus. The local Vauxhall dealer went bust a couple of years ago, and the Fiat dealer is an hour away.
I've ruled out a Panda Twinair, as the real life fuel economy is apparently nowhere near the manufacturer's figures (low 40's if driven gently), and the 1.2 is ancient. A couple of long term roadtests say that the older model Panda (which I already have) is a better car to drive.
Aygo boot is just too small.
Up! with the more powerful engine is looking like the best bet. I'll visit the dealer for a test drive, and check that by stuff fits in the boot. Probably a bit over budget, but might be worth spending the extra.
I was given a Citigo as a courtesy car when I took my Boxster in for a service, and it seemed like a decent car. I had no idea it had a 1 litre 3 cylinder engine.
The fact that there's a VW dealer 10 minutes away is a bonus. The local Vauxhall dealer went bust a couple of years ago, and the Fiat dealer is an hour away.
I've ruled out a Panda Twinair, as the real life fuel economy is apparently nowhere near the manufacturer's figures (low 40's if driven gently), and the 1.2 is ancient. A couple of long term roadtests say that the older model Panda (which I already have) is a better car to drive.
Aygo boot is just too small.
Up! with the more powerful engine is looking like the best bet. I'll visit the dealer for a test drive, and check that by stuff fits in the boot. Probably a bit over budget, but might be worth spending the extra.
My wife rejected the VW Up and its Skoda/Seat cousins due to the raised instrument panel affecting her visibility (she's short) along with not offering heated steering wheel, nor USB port, nor steering wheel controls, nor proper wind-down rear windows at the time she was buying.
She also disliked the painted metal on the inner door tops and inside the boot, saying it looked cheap for a VW and would easily get visibly scratched.
Finally, our local VX dealer are a much nicer bunch to deal with than the local VW dealer (we used to be die-hard VW buyers but got fed up with poor attitude).
For us, the Viva offered more everyday useful stuff for less money, backed up by a dealer who was more interested in helping their customers.
She also disliked the painted metal on the inner door tops and inside the boot, saying it looked cheap for a VW and would easily get visibly scratched.
Finally, our local VX dealer are a much nicer bunch to deal with than the local VW dealer (we used to be die-hard VW buyers but got fed up with poor attitude).
For us, the Viva offered more everyday useful stuff for less money, backed up by a dealer who was more interested in helping their customers.
Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff