car under £1000/1500 - Thought I would give you a laugh..

[smallzoo]

Thought I would give you a laugh..

My current old estate is on its last legs so will be off the road in 2 weeks( Bought for £300 2 years ago, never let me down so cant complain )

I am a carer so need a reliable cheap car but have a VERY limited budget ideally less than £1000 but if I have to could push to £1500 ( have a very good local mechanic )

I will only do £3k miles a year with car so probably not need a diesel and dont need a big car anymore , not worried about tax really or insurance at my age

I wanted something that just was a bit different thats all and really at least a 1.2 engine...

Got this as my shortlist is no particular order

Hatches/Saloons

---

Mazda3 1.6
Peugeot 206
Mercedes C CLASS
Vauxhall Astra
Renault Clio
Vauxhall Tigra
Lexus IS 200

Sports

---

BMW Z3
MX-5

Small 4x4's

---

Toyota RAV4
Suzuki Jimny

Please not too many hilarious digs...although I do understand I'm going to get a lot of negatives

Thanks

[smallzoo]

I'll try answer some of the great replies at once..

A2/altea - will take a look

Corolla-u mean classic car corolla?

V70-I Once bought an 840..my wife said if I bought another volvo estate she'd throw me out hahaha

206, Tigra- I did wonder what their reliability was like

Puma-Had one but when the rust hits those double skin wings you are talking lots of money...

Thanks so far

[smallzoo]

Thanks again.. got a good list to work with so far


Cheapies

---

Focus 1.6
Astra 1.6
Toyota Yaris
Suzuki Jimny

Oldies

---

Nissan Almera
Honda Civic
Honda Accord
Toyota Corolla
Volvo S40
Ford Puma
Avensis

Not cheap

---

MX5
Z3

Rusties/Unreliable ?

---

Merc
Tigra
206
Rav 4 ?


Expensive to run but Reliable

---

Lexus

[smallzoo]

I've seen a nice Yaris 1.3 VVT-I only 90k miles , FSH, 12months MOT £1000

Is this a fairly reliable car for a year or so ?

cheers

[smallzoo]

05(55) private sale...

[smallzoo]

Also found a 2000 Ford Puma 1.7 3dr, 100k miles, new clutch £900 only very slight bubbling on one arch ( which I know is common ) 9months mot..

[smallzoo]

Quick updte

Yaris - full history
Puma-no history but current owner put new clutch in so would have to work out cambelt repalcement into price

[smallzoo]

egor110 said:

Absolute rubbish .

They rust but you can look underneath and under the wheelarches .

I got mine for 500 with a year's mot , I've put it thru 2 more .

If you want a morning Yaris or jazz then go for it , if you want something that's actually a decent drive look out for a cheap puma .

We did have a 1. 6 Puma many years ago, small but loved it. The arches rust were just too expensive to repair but I sold it to some guys who wanted the engine..

This one he's says has a bit of surface bubbling over one arch so should last at least 2 years. At 100k I would have thought it's had its cambelt done but for peace of mind I'll have to pay to get that done.. Not sure how much that is

True....my head would probably say the Yaris, my heart would say the puma as I love driving

Just been sent a 1.5 suzuki swift 2006, 81k but that's £1400 so a lot more money

Decisions.. Decisions... I will have to at least decide on the puma or Yaris by tomorrow but they are not near me so it will be a buy unseen purchase ( I have done that before OK)

[smallzoo]

Ok Sounds like the score at the moment

Puma 2 Yaris 2

Still considering all the others you have all mentioned, all depends now on whether the Puma or Yaris turn out to be good or bad cars and what else I can find including the Swift I mentioned

[smallzoo]

Thanks..no EP2's anywhere for my money unless they are knackered, and all the GTi's are very high mileage at my budget

[smallzoo]

HustleRussell said:

How do you still have such a ridiculous short list

Buy a Mazda 2

Sorry...my list isn't any shorter lol

in fact its getting longer

BUT one thing I think I really need to do is ONLY look locally within say 20miles unless someone on here or a friend contacts ,e further away !

[smallzoo]

HustleRussell said:

The Jazz is a good car with an image problem (in the West at least...)

The Puma is a good car whose day has long gone for all but the enthusiasts

We live in a country with the greatest wealth and choice of good cheap cars in the world, you have so many options.

Your right...it would be better in a way that I had only had 2 choices ! lol

[smallzoo]

Morry10 said:

Something like this:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Paint peeling off and MOT says corrosion on brake lines....

[smallzoo]

Throw one more into the ring... purely for reliability rather than driving

what about the hyundai coupe 2.0 ?

cheers

[smallzoo]

Morry10 said:

Methinks you have rather unrealistic expectations of sub £1000 cars

And I would think plenty of vehicles of a similar age / mileage that are subjected to UK road conditions would have slightly crusty brake lines etc.

Probably true about the break lines... but dont really want peeling paint

I take your point but my current car is ( soon was ) a 54 plate Fpcus diesel estate, £300 and has been no trouble at all..a bit scratched but vgc so know there are some out there

[smallzoo]

I have taken all on board from what people have said and realised there really is a massive choice so I guess it depends now on reducing the list below to sensible ones, ones that are not too far away and with my budget

...well thats the rest of the evening catered for !!


Fiat 500

Ford Focus
Ford Fiesta

Honda Accord
Honda Civic

Hyundai I10 / I20
Hyundai Coupe 2.0 SIII

KIA Ceed 1.6 LS 5dr

Lexus IS 200 2.0 SE 4dr

Mazda 323
Mazda 2
Mazda 3
Mazda 6
Mazda MX-3

Mini Cooper

Mitsubishi Colt

Nissan X-Trail

Peugeot 308

Renault Clio 172/182

Seat Altea

Suzuki Jimny
Suzuki SX4

Toyota Corolla
Toyota Rav4
Toyota Yaris

Vauxhall Astra

Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Touran

Volvo S40
Volvo S60
Volvo V70

[smallzoo]

egor110 said:

This is a just a random list of cars .

Go onto your local facebook marketplace / gumtree and then compile a list of what's available 30 miles from where you live ( if your happy travelling 30 miles to view a car )

Then decide how high a mileage car your willing to accept then whittle the list down even more.

I'd be very careful with a clio 1*2 or a mini cooper for a grand , they will have hidden issues , 1500-2k is a safer price for them.

How come your not just sorting your focus ?

You've said it's vgc and you know exactly what's been done to it rather than taking a lucky dip and starting all over again .

Edited by egor110 on Monday 18th November 16:43

Thanks for that

re the focus... it needs at least £500 to get it through the MOT and also the engine is now having problems so id be wasting my money...as I said only cost me £300 so its done me proud

[smallzoo]

Dont mind

I am based near Sandbach

Nearest Post office to me is

CW1 5QZ

Thanks

[smallzoo]

I really appreciate you spending so much time looking for vehicles.... I am on autotrader all the time looking for the right one

cheers

[smallzoo]

Ok... there are reasons for my final list... if nothing else but to be less complicated

I know its still a bit of a list ... but I'm getting there



Ford C-Max ( e.g. 1.8 )

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Ford Focus ( e.g. 1.6 )

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...


Hyundai Coupe 2.0 SE

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...


Lexus IS 200 2.0 SE

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...


Suzuki Jimny

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...


Suzuki SX4 ( e.g. 1.6 )

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...


Toyota RAV4 ( e.g. 2.0 VVT )

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...


Vauxhall Astra ( e.g. 1.6 i 16v )

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...


Volkswagen Golf ( e.g. 1.6 FSI )

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...