question on cheap cars

[evilmunkey]

Hello all hope your all good
having not had a car for 3 years due to medical stuff and now looking at a cheap run around , taking getting wheels again slow so just something fairly cheap reliable etc . im not made of money and just got a hmrc cheque for over paid tax for 2 and a half grand . so thats my budget without dipping into savings. just want something smallish but would love suggestions , thinking something like a 1.4 clio or similar , nothing big or flashy im not bothered about that , just a get from a to b type thing . after a few years taking it easy to get back into driving . if helps im 55 never had a claim or anything insurance wise

[Krikkit]

Toyota, petrol, NA, the older the better.

It won't break.

[James_N]

Krikkit said:

Toyota, petrol, NA, the older the better.

It won't break.

Agreed. can't go wrong with a Yaris or Aygo, Citroen C1 etc

[steveo3002]

James_N said:

Agreed. can't go wrong with a Yaris or Aygo, Citroen C1 etc

apart from the rotten ones that wont pass an mot and the ones that use oil like a mofo

my thoughts...take someone that knows about cars to look it over vs buying what a man on the internet says is no trouble , while old well maintained cars do exist , theres going to be 10/1 festering end of life dogs to ignore until you find a cracker

[boyse7en]

I bought a 2005 1.3 Yaris for my daughter about a month ago, and I'm really impressed with it. 40k miles and £900, it flew through the MOT with only a new tyre required. Everything seems very simple, there's not much to go wrong, and it feels very 'solid' and doesn't rattle or clonk.

I read about corrosion issues, so i am cleaning the underneath and giving everything a coat of Hammerite/Shcutz/waxoil.

[Baldchap]

Toyota all the way. There's a reason they basically have a ten year warranty.

[Pieman68]

Get in the Shed thread and ask advice, possibly from Bearman68 as that's his forte. Not only will they discuss models, but specific engine variants within those models, and known issues to look out for

Bearman has a fleet of budget cars that he maintains and leases out, so is your ideal resource for this!

[Filibuster]

Very difficult pointing you to a specific model. Every car can break.
Yes, there are one around that are more reliable, but you can end up with a rotten lemon of a very reliable model, or a really good example of what most people tell you not to even look at.

As has been suggested, if possible take someone with you who knows something about cars. But beware of wannabe experts!
And as has been suggested as well, NA petrol and not much that can go wrong is preferable.

And I'm a fan of buying privately, especially at this price point. Don't be fooled by warranties and consumer rights act! More often than not, it's near worthless at this end of the market. Also I like to buy the seller.

[Lester H]

I agree with whoever mentioned buying privately at this end of the market . Trades source from small ads , word of mouth ,bereavement etc and then mark them up, to earn a living. Also the Toyota post is useful advice and, generally, the more basic the car is in this situation, means it is probably the safest bet. You need to be patient, and look on websites, and local ads. There are some decent cars out there in your price range. Try to avoid preconceived notions as to which is the best make, bur take the car on its merits. Even so, the Aygo , Peugeot 108 and the C1 all attract good reviews. Also the Yaris, and dare I say Jazz, is half a class bigger but fits your criteria.

Edited by Lester H on Monday 2nd October 18:59

[ZX10R NIN]

I normally go for these 3 as a rule at this price point, I tend not to go for Honda's/Toyota's as although they're reliable I find they're not as well maintained (because some owners take the reliability as a reason not to service them) compared to the cars below.

1.6 Astra SRI:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202309252...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202309162...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308221...

1.6 Mazda3 TS2:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202310012...

1.8 Focus Titanium:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202309302...

[7 5 7]

Ask a few questions on the "joy of running a shed thread" on here - lots of other options for cheap, happy motoring from the most care free thread on this site

Quite a few options, from many of us, running many different types of cars.