My son is 18 in a few months and we want to buy him a car - we have a budget of around £800 max so its not going to be anything flash or special. Obviously i realise the car wont be great for that amount of money but im after something that would at least be reliable - any suggestions. I guess for that amount of money Puntos, fiestas, polo's, saxos and clios are probably looking favorite as it will need to be a small engined car.
Recomend a cheap car
- Thread starter teulk
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My mates £1000 fiesta broke down today 
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Its really just the luck of the draw but I do have a soft spot for puntos.
, Its really just the luck of the draw but I do have a soft spot for puntos.
Fiesta is always a good shout.
I had a Mk2 Punto for my first car (was sold to me by parents who had owned from new). I sold it six months ago for £1250 and it was a W plate with 60k on the clock and a full Fiat service history. I'd imagine you might just be able to pick up a good one for £800, maybe £1000.
One thing I did notice was that the Punto was a good few hundred pounds cheaper to insure than Fiesta's/Polo's/Clio's/Corsa's etc.... so maybe take that into account?
Nothing went wrong in the 9 years in total the car was in our family, the only work we had done was it serviced every year and the cam belt changed after 5 years.
I had a Mk2 Punto for my first car (was sold to me by parents who had owned from new). I sold it six months ago for £1250 and it was a W plate with 60k on the clock and a full Fiat service history. I'd imagine you might just be able to pick up a good one for £800, maybe £1000.
One thing I did notice was that the Punto was a good few hundred pounds cheaper to insure than Fiesta's/Polo's/Clio's/Corsa's etc.... so maybe take that into account?
Nothing went wrong in the 9 years in total the car was in our family, the only work we had done was it serviced every year and the cam belt changed after 5 years.
Soldato
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If your buying one of these it's important to understand that the 1.3 and the 1.25 are different engines. The 1.25 was brand new at the time, the 1.3 was used by Noah.
It might also be worth looking at Nissan Micras, the big problem with these are most of them are only 1 litre. They are however very robust, when I was looking for a car for my G/F I test drove one with almost 160k on the clock. The engine wasn't showing any signs of major wear. Oh and your son will hate it.
Personally, I'd go for a Peugeot 306 diesel. Bit more street cred that a old bubble shaped Fiesta and in China Blue they look good.
The diesel engines are pretty much bullet proof, its a nice car to drive and the diesel economy will help him save his pennies (since he's going to be hammered on insurance as a new / young driver).
Obviously a few minor bits and bobs may need replacing over the next 12 months, but that's going to apply to any (non-Japanese) car at that age and price point.
A Peugeot 106/Saxo is also do-able at that price point, but you get more car for the money with a 306. A Citroen Xsara is also possible but it looks a bit uglier and 18 year old lads are probably a bit into their image!
The diesel engines are pretty much bullet proof, its a nice car to drive and the diesel economy will help him save his pennies (since he's going to be hammered on insurance as a new / young driver).
Obviously a few minor bits and bobs may need replacing over the next 12 months, but that's going to apply to any (non-Japanese) car at that age and price point.
A Peugeot 106/Saxo is also do-able at that price point, but you get more car for the money with a 306. A Citroen Xsara is also possible but it looks a bit uglier and 18 year old lads are probably a bit into their image!
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Soldato
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