ok, so far the recommendations are as follows: + means someone said something positive, - means someone said something negative about it. I've put the What Car rating before each one too. 4/5 Civic ++++++ 3/5 206 +++++-- 3/5 Almera +++ 4/5 Golf +++- 3/5 Polo ++ 3/5 106 ++- 2/5 Saxo ++- 4/5 Fabia + 4/5 Ibiza + 4/5 Accord + 2/5 Rover 25 + 4/5 Punto +++---- 4/5 fiesta ++--- 4/5 Clio -- 3/5 Corsa --
I would suggest avoiding Fords of the '97-2000 era... My housemate has a '98 Fiesta and every panel edge and wheel arch has started to rust in the past 6 months, it's bloody awful. It's not for lack of care either, he looks after it very well. Another fine example is my Mrs' '01 Focus - great car, except both the front doors are rusting along the top edge and the bootlid has gone rusty too. Both are rusting in the same places, the area at the panel edge where there's a kind of... Well, it looks like the place where they folded the panel over, although it's not. Anyone with a Ford will know the spot I mean. Not good. A car 10 years old shouldn't have to be repainted for rust. My Fiat, otoh, hasn't got a single spot of rust anywhere yet, despite being both older and cheaper than the two Fords...
Civic + 206 - Almera boring Golf + Polo + 106 - Saxo ruined by too many chavs Fabia Big + Ibiza - Accord old man's car Rover 25 old man's car Punto - fiesta + but as others have said, pre 2001 have paint issues Clio - Corsa -
140k is high but the engines go on forever plus with its chain driven theres no issues with timing belts. Mines done the nurburgring with lots of hard revving and its spot on, but everywhere you look the SR20DE is a very solid engine so long as its been looked after correctly and serviced. Recently I'd say Fiats getting alot better some of the older Puntos though do pick up issues far too easy for my liking, but you are right all makes have issues some more than others and if you get a duff one it'll put you off for life. Ugly yes to a certain extent, maybe the smaller engined ones are boring but never driven them although I've heard different, as for the GTi I've got mates who own mk2 Seat Ibiza Cupras, mk3/mk4 VW Golfs, 106 GTi's and Saxo VTS who've driven mine and have been very surprised, at the handling and performance. Certainly not boring.
Quite. A well-serviced modern engine can often do hundreds of thousands of miles. Keep changing those cambelts, regular oil changes and a careful eye on the fluids and they'll go forever. QFT. As with almost anything the bad press is heard more than the good. Just look at how many people still won't touch an IBM/Hitatchi HDD after the Deathstars...
Thats why I like the SR20, runs on a nice timing chain, so just have to look after the fluids and oil. Very true I mean older Puntos after my experiences I wouldn't get again but newer ones I'd have no issues with.
I always thought cam chains were a bit of a hit and miss idea because although they last longer, they still break like a belt can, with the usual disastrous result (for most engines anyway, small capacity engines are increasingly non-interfering it seems).
I've been driving a 1999 Mk2 since I passed my test about 18 months ago - it's a decent enough car (bought off a guy at work who was looking to upgrade) and after a bit of initial debugging has done sterling service ever since. Bought it with 60k on the clock, currently has 76k - the only out-of-the-ordinary repairs that have been required are a new cambelt (paranoia on my part - just as well, too!), a replacement crankshaft sensor (common problem on all Renaults but actually cheap to fix) and a new speedo sensor. Other than that, just 'consumables' like oil, wiper blades etc. and a couple of new tyres prior to the last MOT. By far the biggest problem with older Clios, particularly Mk1s and Mk2Ph1 cars, is the crappy electrics. Can't say I've had any problems myself though. Having said that, if you're planning to transport stuff and/or more than one other person then you're better off looking at something else! I'm 6'2" and whilst there's plenty of room up front, space in the back is at a definite premium. Definitely cheap to insure - I'm paying £320p/a fully comp (but then I am 38), and fairly cheap to run - I can usually get 40-45mpg out of mine, dropping to 35mpg if I do lots of stop-start driving. Not too shabby for a 10yo engine. FWIW, I learned to drive in a 1.4 Corsa CDTi - fantastic little car, went like s**t off the proverbial. Trouble is, the ones that do crop up second hand tend to be ex-driving school, and knowing the flogging that I gave the engine in the car I learned in I'd tend to avoid The gf has a 1.2 Corsa petrol which is, frankly, gutless (even compared to the Clio ) When I was thinking about cars I picked up a copy of Parker's Guide (about £4 from your friendly neighbourhood newsagent) and used the info to draw myself up a 'shortlist' of potential cars in terms of price, insurance group etc. and then narrow it down from there. The Parkers website is very good too - http://www.parkers.co.uk/
If all you want is something cheap and reliable, have a look at a Citroen AX Diesel. I had a car I cared about completely written off (Some fool hit it when it was parked!), and I just wanted some "no hassle" wheels for a while. In the end I sold it on ebay! LOL. I now drive a new VW camper (See pic), a bit beyond your budget but a lovely "car"
You may be lucky and find a good european box but from experience of working on motors in the trade i'd steer toward German or Japanese. Seat and Skoda-VW underneath but cheaper to buy I have a Mk2 Golf,best car i've ever had and i wont be changing it. Try Autotrader site and have good search,you'll be surprised with waht you can find.
I think I'm giving advice... Before you get overexcited on getting a new car, make sure you do some insurance quotes before finalising your car deal. Many young drivers find that the cost of insurance is more than the cost of the actual car (the joys of being ripped off in our country ). It's usually when you hit 25, have more than 3 years experience and start collecting no claims do you see those premiums drop. The area you leave your car parked will also affect this (in my case, I pay twice as much if I choose to register my car at my Central London address as oppose to my Surrey address). Some things to address usually relates to what you use your car for. If you go on the motorway often, you might want to consider a slightly more powerful engine as oppose to revving the nuts off the engine (else attempting to hold a conversation at 70mph usually means screaming at each other ). If you intend on carrying passengers (more than 1), some cars are worth avoiding as they simply aren't suitable (will get to this soon). As you search for used cars, you may notice that some larger cars tend to cost similar to smaller cars (especially as age increases...), this is due to demand for small cars and hence there is always a premium attached to them. Test drive and car status When purchasing any used car, make sure you test drive it. Walk away if refused (if it is insurance issues, you should consider day insurance or speaking to your current insurer to cover you temporarily). You don't have to be a car mechanic to test whether the car is acting weird. Some common checks could include: Is the engine power delivery smooth? (could indicate poorly looked after engine) When accelerating, does the rev rise with no increase at speed? (indicates a clutch problem) When braking, does the car pull to one side? (could be various issues, ranging from simple alignment or camber issues to defective brakes or poorly repaired damage) When idling, does the revs stay at a constant rate? (if not, it could be various issues such as sensor problems, poorly looked after engine, etc...) When going over speed bumps, are there any knocking noise? (could be bearing issues, suspension, etc...) etc... In a used car, you can't expect everything to be perfect but cars with a full service history would give you a rough idea of whether it has been looked after. Car history checks If it is a private sale, do a HPI check. If it is a private dealer who insists that one has been done (but the dealer looks like a druglord or somewhat similar), check the documents and verify the HPI check by contacting HPI. Check that the vehicle registration is either registered to the seller or to the dealer. Check the V5 document to see if the Vehicle VIN matches the one on the car's chassis (either on the car's dashboard or somewhere around the engine bay, this varies on different cars). If any of these fails, walk away. Price of car Never pay the list price of a car at a dealer. Haggle and hesitate and they will be sure to accept an offer lower than the list price. Don't give in to the "we won't give you this deal if you don't buy now" nor should you give in to the car simply because it's love at first sight. Some private sellers may allow you to negotiate the price but don't expect too much. Payment Try to avoid paying by cheque (fraud issues and usually frowned upon). If paying by cash, you may be able to haggle more at the dealer. Also, unless the dealer is a reputable one, don't get them to renew the road tax if it is near its end, do it yourself (there have been a few fraudulent cases). Warranty If buying from a dealer, see if they can offer at least a 3 months warranty... for free. This should cover you should any unforeseen issues arise. Safety Something that has slowly been on the increase with modern cars are its safety features. You may be a safe driver but you can never predict what might happen tomorrow. You might want to pop over to www.euroncap.com to have a look at a car's safety rating before buying it. I think that should cover the basics of used car buying... onto the cars: Ford Fiesta Pros + Cheap to maintain + Low insurance + Good ride, especially on the 2002+ models + Reliable + Ghia and Titanium models are far better equipped Cons - Not great for boot space - Not great for rear passengers, this has been improved on 2002+ models - Avoid the 1.3l engine, it is the worst of the bunch - Avoid the automatic CVT gearbox on the older range of Fiestas Vauxhall Corsa Pros + Easy to drive (the reason why it's commonly used as a Learners car) + Cheap to maintain + Low insurance + Reliable + Easy to mod, chav style (someone has to mention it ) + 1.2l models on the revised Corsa C (2003+) are chain driven, cheaper to maintain in the long run + The revised Corsa C engines in 2005 (introduction of Twinport) have given more economy and power (not sure if you can get one in your price range though) + Rear seats can fold down flat (Corsa C only) + SXi, SRi, Exclusiv models have a brilliant, short-shift gearbox and supportive sport seats for long journeys Cons - Anything 2003 and earlier aren't that great to drive (you can tell from the placement of the rear fog lights, 2003 and earlier have them in middle, 2003 and after have it at the bottom of rear bumper) - Gear linkage is a common problem - Rubbish handbrake (both Corsa C and D) - Speed dependent steering might seem like a good idea, where steering at low speeds is very light, but this doesn't always work VW Polo Pros + It's much better built than the competitors, inside and out + Cheap to maintain (you aren't going to take a £2000 car to a dealer for servicing now, are you?) + Very reliable + Very safe (2002+) + It's a VW Cons - They aren't cheap - Engines are fairly slow - Don't expect much features Fiat Punto Pros + Cheapest to buy + City steering (Mk2 Punto onwards) is handy (better than the automated system in the Corsa) + Large boot for a small car Cons - Mk1 Punto hugely unreliable, Mk2 Punto improved - Awful interior - Avoid those 8v engines - Poor refinement, not ideal for motorways at all (Mk1 - Mk3) - Tiny wheels against a tall body means lots of body roll - Misfiring engine a common problem across entire Punto range (Mk1 - Mk3) Nissan Micra Pros + It's a Nissan so it will last longer than you + Latest model has a ridiculous amount of equipment provided for a low price Cons - I had enough of driving it after 20 minutes, the car feels detached from itself Can't really comment much on Renault, Peugeot or Citroen... not really a fan of French cars but I can say that a Peugeot 206 has pedals a bit too close to each other... those with wide feet should avoid This covers what I know about the small cars range... you might want to dig into the larger car range, one particular one worth considering is the Ford Focus. The old Astra (before 2004) is a reasonable car and can be had for a good price. Mileage shouldn't be too much of a problem, any car with a good history will run on and on and on...
Mankz how tall are you?, my mate is 6'7 and has a Ford KA!!, though Fords are well known to be spacious relative to their exterior dimensions, probably to do with be designed with Yanks in mind. @OP I can't believe that nobody has proffered the recommendation of a Toyota Yaris, when it comes to actual engineering integrity, Toyotas are supreme, IIRC in the 90's or early Y2K a report highlighted that a Toyota would spend less time in total production, than a Mercedes would rectifying post-productions problems, amazing efficiency. Fiat has had another torrid time with JD POWER's customer survey, coming last, however this is often a result of outlying retail issues, specifically their generally crappy dealer network, the Fiat CEO is aware of the issue, but seems to be initially concentrating on sorting out Alfa Romeo, and utilising it as a beacon for rest of the Fiat group. Fiat engines are famed for their durability, ever seen how Italians drive their cars?! Because of their lower and often undeserved rep you can pick some excellent deals, and as you're paying less, the issue of their lower retained value becomes unimportant. After a few years any significant engineering flaws would have surfaced, meaning the biggest hurdle to finding a reliable steed will be how well maintained a car has been. This a complicated area, the first positive sign will be a well stamped service book, beyond that you really need the eye of somebody with a good knowledge of car's oily bits. If buying from a private buyer, have a look at their house/garage, is it neat, ordered and clean or is it a mess?, the way people treat one is indicative of the love & care with which they treat the other. Be aware of shiny engine bays in used cars, they have probably been steam-cleaned, which is trick to hide the signs of previous oil & fluid leaks, never good signs. Make sure that the car is cold when you start it up, another trick peeps use is to warm the vehicle before you arrive, in order to hide cold-start issues. Rev the engine and look for signs of bluish/black smoke from the exhaust, if present, smile then run away as fast as you can, even diesels should not produce huge amounts of smoke. Have a look hear to see if your potential purchase has had any major problems, that should been sorted. http://www.theaa.com/allaboutcars/recalls/index.jsp Don't be afraid of high mileage cars, especially if the miles have been mainly accumulated on motorways, the stop start nature of town driving really heaps a lot of stress on the engine & drivetrain, so a seemingly low-mileage motor may actually be more worn-out than a high miler of the same age. According to oil baron Paul Getty, “If it appreciates, buy it. If it depreciates, lease it.” So in that vain, have a look at personal leasing deals, for not a tremendous amount of money each month you get a new car, without the having to pay a large amount upfront.
I forget to mention the Ford KA, reliable, fun to drive and cheap to buy and own. The SportKA is also just about in your price range, not powerful but great fun in the corners.
I'm 6'3 but my legs are rediculously long, and in most cars I find my shins and knees don't fit properly.
A mate of mine has a fairly old Punto (maybe n reg) that has done a bit over 100k miles and is still going strong. The first time he drove me somewhere in it I was absolutely terrified as I am used to slow revving diesels and he was having to absolutely thrash it to keep it going, but it seems to be OK and hauls a lot of stuff happily. It is also easy to break in to if you lock the keys in, though apparently very hard to start without the key. I speak from experience locking the keys in... he wasn't very happy!
All true there Cupboard - poor door locks, but hard to steal. And yes, you do need to rev the shite out of them to get any movement, but that's what a small Fiat's all about. Mine's done 112k miles now, and although it's getting a little tappety it's still great fun.
