Metro or Micra for winter banger

[The Lukas]

I am looking into heading back into bangernomics, selling my tidy low mileage e36 and buying something to put some winter tyres on, FWD, that can handle the cold weather and crappy roads without me worrying about it too much. And thus freeing up some cash to put into a big engined RWD 2 seater convertable summer car. It must:

Be FWD
Be lightweight
Have a small put chirpy engine
Low tax bracket
Be good on the MPG front
Cheap to keep together
Under £500

Over to you

[ludicrous speed]

mondeo, might not be not that light but a much nicer place to be than some p.o.s metro or micra

[OMNIO]

+1 for Mondeo

Added bonus is heated front screen!

Edited by OMNIO on Friday 26th November 09:45

[Compo_Simmonite]

I personally perfer prefer the Metro (had a D reg City from 6 month old) . HOWEVER having driven Micra's I'd say they are the better car ! What about Peugeot 106 / Saxo - expecially the 1.4 or 1.5 diesels ?
Our old R reg Mondeo was good winter car - decent heater, heated screen not bad in snow. Pity economy for local running around not so good (far better when warm and on a run) We currently have a Smart Fortwo and Skoda Fabia diesel. The Smart hasn't a cut off sweitch for traction control so terrible in snow. Skoda is brilliant - plus amazing economy from 1.4 diesel lump. What about a Felica if Fabia too modern ?

Paul H

[G0ldfysh]

of the two from op the micra, will have more reliability, and an engine that just spins and spins.

Metro will handle better but if your running a shed scratching the limits is not really planned and just rolling along within the limits is enough.

yaris is old person gold, here ideal and on snow tyres in the cold weather epic fun on the corners once you condition yourself to the lean....

[300bhp/ton]

ludicrous speed said:

mondeo, might not be not that light but a much nicer place to be than some p.o.s metro or micra

Although with hydragas suspension the Metro might still ride better

[Munter]

Some ford with a heated screen. You can get them in Fiestas and Foci as well as Mondys.

Don't think you'll get a Puma for £500 will you?...

[EDLT]

How about a Volvo 960 instead, they were reliable iirc and just look at how much car you get for less than £400:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

[Petrolhead_Rich]

BL/Rover Metro, Cold Weather, erm, no, just really no!

Micra, well less likley to break down but still a no from me.

Big Old Volvo's are a good call!

Think about what you would want to be in when the lorry jack-knifes and hits you head on at 30mph???

Think what you want to be in when you find the black ice on a bend and are heading for a lamppost!

The ford heated screens seem to be a good idea too!

[Mr2Mike]

Petrolhead_Rich said:

BL/Rover Metro, Cold Weather, erm, no, just really no!

Explain please?

[HellDiver]

Another Mondeo vote. Ours is used for everything, the newer car is rarely used. Heated front screen, ability to get 8 rolls of loft insulation in the back, swallows up the weekly shop, and not too fussed if someone rams it.

[300bhp/ton]

Mr2Mike said:

Petrolhead_Rich said:

BL/Rover Metro, Cold Weather, erm, no, just really no!

Explain please?

It'll reek of BS no matter what it is...

[davepoth]

Depends really. If you can find a Metro with the Hydragas still pumped, go for that as it'll be a great ride. If not, the Micra is virtually indestructible. Both will have the skinny tyres you want, and both should warm up quite quickly.

[Baked_bean]

I'm gonna say get a metro. I'm biased but i used my old one all through the winter last year, i even got stuck in that snow near Basingstoke just before christmas that left hundreds stranded and kept going. I want it back at the moment, as my only car is currently an E30 bmw....... could be fun in the snow.

[Fire99]

300bhp/ton said:

Mr2Mike said:

Petrolhead_Rich said:

BL/Rover Metro, Cold Weather, erm, no, just really no!

Explain please?

It'll reek of BS no matter what it is...

True,

I'd go with the Micra (though the Metro isn't awful, just a bit long in the tooth). Bizarrely i've driven all the different body styles and they do the job.

The latest 'london taxi' version was a bit horrid to look at but it was supplied by a car body shop.

They're tough little fellows.

[BOR]

I have really good memories of my Metro Turbo and susequent MG Metro. Very enjoyable for what they were.

[vit4]

For what it's worth my mum had a Metro when I was younger. A Rover 100 1.1. It was pretty reliable, certainly nothing ever cold-related stopped it. I suspect a lot of people who slate them have no experience of them. Never got stuck, even when we were living in the arse end and got ice pretty badly.

[anonymous-user]

To be fair to my old Metro it never once failed to start first time, no matter how cold, and was the best car I've had in the snow by far. The electric windows got pretty lethargic below 1c though.

[Fire99]

BOR said:

I have really good memories of my Metro Turbo and susequent MG Metro. Very enjoyable for what they were.

Ditto, unfortunately they are kinda into 'classic' territory now and some of the parts aren't as dirt cheap and freely available as they once were.

[y2blade]

Ka? £350
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Edited by y2blade on Friday 26th November 10:39