What small car for £1,500?

pinkowl

pinkowl

pinkowl

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Location
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I am finally thinking about getting a car within the next 6 months or so. I have been putting it off since moving to the UK about 3 years ago.

What I would like is a small car that is ideally automatic due to the fact that I am nervous about using my left hand to change the gears but I would get a manual if there just isnt option of getting the same car with automatic. The budget will be around £1,500.
It will need to be a reliable and I dont care how fast it goes as long as it takes me from place A to B.

I like the Toyota yaris but just need opinions from others to see if any other cars are good as I really dont know anything about them.
 
Also interested in this, sis in law wants a run around for London. 1500 max budget. 1.2 engine size. 5 door
Currently looking at
Yaris
Clio
Fiesta
Corsa
Punto
Astra
Micra
Any others?
 
Yaris Mk1 in a 1.3 CDX trim Auto should be alright and can be had for the budget . I used to have one and nothing went wrong with it , the auto was a 4 speed with kick down.
 
My wife moved to England from a country next to yours this year and is learning to drive in a Yaris, she really likes it, better than her instructor's nissan note.
 
Yeah I have always liked Yaris, my parents had one few years ago and it was a nice car, had no problems at all. I was looking to get one when I last thought about buying a car but I chickened out in the end. Now I will actually need a car so can't avoid getting one.

Micra I dont actually like at all so that will be a no go.
 
Tinders said:
Far too expensive, £1500 should get you into a facelift 2004 model. Avoid the MMT semi auto yaris at all costs, very unreliable and when they break even toyota struggle to fix them!
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Examples ? Really doubt you can get a Mk1 facelift with the 4 speed auto box in good condition for £1500.
 
Our 03 Yaris bought last month cost £1995 packing a cassette player :cool: apparently reduced from £2500.

(I got £220 back threatening them with trading standards for telling some porkie pies in the advert)
 
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Tosno said:
Our 03 Yaris bought last month cost £1995 packing a cassette player :cool: apparently reduced from £2500.

(I got £220 back threatening them with trading standards for telling some porkie pies in the advert)
Click to expand...

What Trim level was it / Doors / Engine / Mileage was it ?
 
Get a Yaris especially if your going for an Auto, as the autoboxes on those are actually decent for a small engine, pretty much 95% of other cars have rubbish auto boxes in these small engined cars and go bust quickly.
 
I take it back, the Auto's do seem to fetch bloody good money. Hadnt realised they were such a premium over the Manuals. None the less spending £2k on a 1999/2000 car is way too much, i'd be inclined to look at the next size up cars, 2k gets a better focus/corolla/astra for your money imo.

But if you are looking at Yaris's, make sure you check the engine for any rattly noises, they are chain driven but do need the guides looked at around 70-80k miles. Otherwise they are most reliable car ive ever come across, apart from the horrid MMT!

And make sure you get the T3, the T2 has no redeeming features what so ever, just one airbag and thats it, no cd, no electric windows, no central locking and they even have smaller wheels!
 
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Its not that bad,it does what a small car should do, very well. They are reliable, roomy and easy to drive. Its not a bad place to sit and facelift motors dont look ugly. Ive never found them noisy or 'slow'.
 
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