Best small car for £1000

Maximum Triceratops · 5 Apr 2015 at 09:43

Hi all,

Looking for a cheapo car for the Wife to go to shops in etc.
I know nothing about cars of this type, all my knowledge is in performance cars so spec me please.
I was thinking Fiesta?
Needs to be cheap tax, and reliable as possible.
Cheers.

Zefan · 5 Apr 2015 at 09:53

shroomz · 5 Apr 2015 at 10:04

Zefan said:
RX8.

Weak, X6 or go home.

I'd think at your budget OP, anything that's small and not too rusty would be ok?

Pants · 5 Apr 2015 at 11:19

At that budget you're better off buying on condition than narrowing yourself to one model. Look on auto trader for anything Fiesta sized and if you click on the specs it usually shows you the VED cost. The Fiesta 1.4 Diesel looks low but might be out of budget.

paradigm · 5 Apr 2015 at 11:29

Exactly, buy anything (that she's willing to drive) which has a lengthy MOT, decent history/receipts, is in nice condition, and appears to have been well treated.

That's how we ended up with the fiancé's 316Ti

skaif · 5 Apr 2015 at 12:05

K11 micra

MooMoo444 · 5 Apr 2015 at 12:25

Wife to go to the shops in? Gotta be a top of the range Land Rover, Shirley.

For that budget, just for a shop barge, I would go for anything with a recent mot and in one piece

Maximum Triceratops · 5 Apr 2015 at 12:35

Pants said:
At that budget you're better off buying on condition than narrowing yourself to one model. Look on auto trader for anything Fiesta sized and if you click on the specs it usually shows you the VED cost. The Fiesta 1.4 Diesel looks low but might be out of budget.

paradigm said:
Exactly, buy anything (that she's willing to drive) which has a lengthy MOT, decent history/receipts, is in nice condition, and appears to have been well treated.

That's how we ended up with the fiancé's 316Ti

Cheers all just as I thought really, might go Jap - nice slammed civic vti with 200000 miles on it

ADT · 5 Apr 2015 at 12:40

Micra

sid · 5 Apr 2015 at 12:46

Serious Answer,

Mk5 Honda civic from 96 to 2000 have excellent reliability and should give no trouble.

Mines just past 168k

dessimpson · 5 Apr 2015 at 13:10

sid said:
Serious Answer,

Mk5 Honda civic from 96 to 2000 have excellent reliability and should give no trouble.

Mines just past 168k

Don't they rust a bit at the rear arches?

OP - As has already been said. Anything small and in good condition. Badge snobbery does not apply to £1000 cars

teenwolf · 5 Apr 2015 at 19:14

jellybeard999 · 5 Apr 2015 at 19:49

Mk1 Focus?

Something like http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...s/maximum-mileage/up_to_80000_miles?logcode=p maybe?

Make sure to check the bottom of the doors inside and out, wheelarches and around the boot handle for rust! Cheap as chips to run and repair.

sid · 5 Apr 2015 at 20:22

dessimpson said:
Don't they rust a bit at the rear arches?

OP - As has already been said. Anything small and in good condition. Badge snobbery does not apply to £1000 cars

Yes they do definitely but its only cosmetic

unrealrocks · 5 Apr 2015 at 20:26

Honda Civic is a good shout, or Corolla, or my personal choice would be a Toyota Yaris. I would look for physical quality, service history and definitely petrol!

Defy Belief · 5 Apr 2015 at 20:34

I had a Lupo 1.0 for abit for that kind of thing, did the job, insurance was DIRT cheap and it never failed me, was good on fuel too.

Maximum Triceratops · 5 Apr 2015 at 20:41

Thankyou for the input fellas, I had Civic in my head before I even made this thread so I will probably hunt one down, cheers.

Evo8 · 6 Apr 2015 at 14:15

I'd vote Yaris too. I drove mine like I stole it and it just refused to break.

Zeed · 6 Apr 2015 at 15:33

Vote as always Seat Ibiza most car for the money and low insurance

danza · 7 Apr 2015 at 07:58

http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/177339/peugeot-106-gti-lincolnshire-coast