Cheap (~£500) car - what do you recommend?

[haaammit]

I need a cheap run about. I'd prefer something I can repair myself (fairly handy spanner monkey). Reliable would be nice, but a long ticket would be preferable. Mileage will be about 2k per year. Small engine and low tax/running costs will be an added extra (cheap). ~1000cc engine and ~£500 would be great. Did I mention cheap?

What would you recommend? This is for winter driving Many thanks

 

[Pinkribbonscars]

You can't really be picky! Whatever's available in the local newspaper that's not going to be obviously expensive to run.

 

[haaammit]

I'm thinking Toyota Starlet, Skodia Felicia, Rover 25. Something that 19 year old Barry McSpeedPants would never bee seen dead in. What else should I be looking at?

Ta

 

[breadturbo]

peugeot 306?

 

[Fuzz]

Chinky chento

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-Chin...9159403?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2eb837c96b

 

[ash_scotland88]

peugeot 306?

was going to suggest thi.

 

[paddy]

I drove a Skoda Felicia (one of the older, pre-VW styles - P reg for ~3 years )

Not a comfortable car (by modern standards) in anyway but very cheap to run, bombproof and idiot proof to maintain.

It is the best car I've ever driven in the snow (compared to a Clio, a V70, 2 Astras and a Meriva).

Autotrader has them for ~£500 (old style) and £500 - £1000 (vw style).

 

[ganesh]

The bubble shaped micra, they go on forever.

 

[Frozennova]

At this price range look at anything at <500 and buy on condition and mileage.

 

[Sho]

Nissan Micra?

 

[Clarkson]

You can have my old S reg fiesta zetec if you like. Good in the snow as the front wings and bonnet seem to be made of the heaviest element in the universe so a lot of weight over the front axle.

Only niggle is drivers side electric window not working well with the door panel on.

 

[Tesla]

Keep an eye out for corrosion on the Micra subframe.

 

[Saytan]

anything in good order with long tax and MOT

 

[Maccapacca]

Have a look at unwanted Jap stuff, Mazda 323 & 626, Primera etc etc, you'll pay a premium for a small car for £500

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif.../postcode/nr338bl/page/1/radius/100?logcode=p

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif.../radius/100/page/1/postcode/nr338bl?logcode=p

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif.../page/1/radius/100/postcode/nr338bl?logcode=p

Also S40s are cheap and very well built, my S80 was in for a couple of days last month and they let me have old £500 S40s as a courtesy cars and I was quite impressed, everything worked and still went very well.

 

[g_tripwood]

Anything with a Diesel engine in and relatively low miles.

Skoda Fabia/Octavia's with 1.9TDI engines last well into 300K......

 

[mathwat]

This looks ok.. It's cheap

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...postcode/ml126ht/radius/1500/page/1?logcode=p

 

[Maccapacca]

This looks ok.. It's cheap

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...postcode/ml126ht/radius/1500/page/1?logcode=p

As much as my wife's Punto lasted 5 years and did well that's a nasty little car, wrecked bodywork and an 1.2 auto eurgh also the front kerbside wheel cap is knackered, the only reason it's still there is the cap bolts on with the wheel, that means it's taken a fair bit of female punishment on kerbs.

 

[233]

Anything with a Diesel engine in and relatively low miles.

Skoda Fabia/Octavia's with 1.9TDI engines last well into 300K......

Try well north of 500k if you look after it

 

[Gaygle]

Get an old V70. They go forever and have generally been owned by the older generation and have been properly looked after.

 

[Crowze]

1000cc V70? Doesn't bear thinking about really.