£1000 car for work

[anonymous-user]

Having VT my car earlier this week I have decided that I am looking to buy a cheap run around for work. As spending thousands on a car for me is not viable and I would rather save for a house.

It would need to be petrol as I don't do the mileage for a diesel.
Small to Medium in size
Decent Boot
Manual or Auto

[CubanPete]

Golf 4

Though for a grand, by on condition and don't be too choosy.

[Eyersey1234]

Mk2 Focus 1.6.

[Jonny_]

Eyersey1234 said:

Mk2 Focus 1.6.

This is what I'd be looking at for a grand. Generally reliable cars, perhaps not quite Toyota levels of durability, but the trade-off is that both the cars and spare parts are cheaper and more plentiful.

Estate or hatch, 1.6 (100 or 115bhp variants thereof) or 2.0 or even a 1.4 petrol (the latter presumably for masochists), plenty of trim levels to choose from.

Watch out for rust, especially around the arches, and there were problems with water ingress into the boot, so check the boot floor for rot too.

[anonymous-user]

Focus does seem a good buy. I’ve seen a few MK1 and MK2 mainly with the 1.6 which would be fine for me.

What about this:

https://www.firstcarshop.co.uk/used-cars/renault-m...

I’ve no experience on French cars so I can’t comment on them.

[loskie]

buy privately at that price you will sorry should get a lot more for your money.

[anonymous-user]

A few I’ve seen:

Golf GTI 2.0

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Ford Focus

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

Ford Focus

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

[P4Pistonhead]

Honda Accord
Toyota Corolla

[JJ55]

Something Japanese maybe & hope it’s as reliable as they often are.

[anonymous-user]

P4Pistonhead said:

Honda Accord
Toyota Corolla

I will have a look at them.

[DailyHack]

SAAB petrol, much nicer than anything japanese in this price range in my opinion, and usually come's fully loaded with commuter friendly things, just for the seats aswell.

You can probably grab a newer year/plate car aswell as they don't hold their value, so good for shedding.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

I had a Toyota Avensis (55) 2005 so probably around this money, it was awfully bland, and so dull, seats were ste, and not particularly reliable, belts/tensioners were noisy, having been replaced time and again, to name one annoying thing, but, it did the job until the gearbox st itself at 135k doing 70mph on the M5 wouldn't have a Jap car again tbh, engineering is good but it stops there.

Edited by DailyHack on Tuesday 2nd June 14:57

[JJ55]

Mr.Nobody said:

P4Pistonhead said:

Honda Accord
Toyota Corolla

I will have a look at them.

Along with these check out the Nissan almera hatchback. Traditional oldies car so many are well maintained & low miles for around your budget. Father in law sold his last year & someone got a right bargain for the price. A boring but good shed.

[anonymous-user]

JJ55 said:

Along with these check out the Nissan almera hatchback. Traditional oldies car so many are well maintained & low miles for around your budget. Father in law sold his last year & someone got a right bargain for the price. A boring but good shed.

My Dad used to have one an 03 plate had it for a few years. Wasn’t a bad car, boring to drive, but other than servicing and consumables it didn’t throw up any big bills. It was part exchanged a couple of years ago.

[anonymous-user]

DailyHack said:

SAAB petrol, much nicer than anything japanese in this price range in my opinion, and usually come's fully loaded with commuter friendly things, just for the seats aswell.

You can probably grab a newer year/plate car aswell as they don't hold their value, so good for shedding.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

I had a Toyota Avensis (55) 2005 so probably around this money, it was awfully bland, and so dull, seats were ste, and not particularly reliable, belts/tensioners were noisy, having been replaced time and again, to name one annoying thing, but, it did the job until the gearbox st itself at 135k doing 70mph on the M5 wouldn't have a Jap car again tbh, engineering is good but it stops there.

Edited by DailyHack on Tuesday 2nd June 14:57

I will have a look at them. I don’t know much about them.

[loskie]

Mr.Nobody said:

JJ55 said:

Along with these check out the Nissan almera hatchback. Traditional oldies car so many are well maintained & low miles for around your budget. Father in law sold his last year & someone got a right bargain for the price. A boring but good shed.

My Dad used to have one an 03 plate had it for a few years. Wasn’t a bad car, boring to drive, but other than servicing and consumables it didn’t throw up any big bills. It was part exchanged a couple of years ago.

A colleague has a Almera Tino? No matter how hard she tries to kill it it just keeps on going, her job is pretty tough on cars too. She hates it but is wise to keep it and claim the 45ppm

[Baldchap]

Eyersey1234 said:

Mk2 Focus 1.6.

I have a £300 one that I bought for a rally that doesn't look like happening, it needed a coil at £25ish and two bulbs to pass an MOT.

Drives remarkably well.

[Baldchap]

Saabs are often quite fixable with bits from B&Q, but not sure I'd dare start with a grand's worth....

[anonymous-user]

Baldchap said:

I have a £300 one that I bought for a rally that doesn't look like happening, it needed a coil at £25ish and two bulbs to pass an MOT.

Drives remarkably well.

Sounds quite good.

[anonymous-user]

Baldchap said:

Saabs are often quite fixable with bits from B&Q, but not sure I'd dare start with a grand's worth....

That’s my worry it could turn into an expensive car.

[P4Pistonhead]

Didn't have much time earlier when I gave those two suggestions; but a lot of people ask me what car should they buy (used to work as a mechanical/technician) when they want something cheap/reliable , I always recommend those two cars, a Corolla and an Accord, and sometimes a Civic, but they tend to be a bit more expensive than a Corolla.

An Accord is one of my all time favourite cars, get a top level trim, and you've got a real comfortable car with all the basic gadgets you'll ever need and a peace of mind that you don't need to baby it and it won't cost you much. Although if you don't care about leather seats etc, then any trim level will do.

Corolla is pretty much a solid car, my own family has pretty much owned these historically, and I've never done any work on them except normal service maintenance.

Of course, always buy on condition etc, as no matter what marque, your're gonna find some dogs, although a stty Accord/Corolla will pretty much continue to take a beating.

Oh and, they're also pretty easy/simple to work on, so that'll defo be some money savings when you need to service etc.