Car for my wife, recomendations or avoidance ...?

iMacMart

iMacMart

iMacMart

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Joined
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Hertfordshire
Hi All

We currently have a Fiat 500 which we are selling as its costing too much to repair at times. So I'm looking to see if there are any well rated cars in the £3,500 - £4,000 price range we should be looking at "OR" steering well clear of?

  • 1000 cc is ample (keep insurance down)
  • 2 door pref as the children are able to get in and out on their own now
  • Dealer or private? I know you pay slightly more with a dealer but can have peace of mind due to that fact
I'm thinking Ford, Vauxhall or VW

Any advice would be great!

Thanks!
 
do you mean 5 door ?
with 3 door hatchbacks the doors are longer, so better to get a 5 door so they don't go further away from the car and hit the car next to you
 
I'd be inclined to keep the Fiat. Another £4k hatch is just as likely to throw up problems (or, at least, generate bills through consumables that need replacing – tyres, brakes, etc. – but that's part and parcel of owning any car). It's not like 500s are hugely unreliable or complex, either, although the TwinAir ones can sometimes be a pain, admittedly.

You could aim to buy something like an immaculate low-mileage Toyota Aygo or similar, though, if reliability and running costs are really essential.
 
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Lashout_UK said:
I'd be inclined to keep the Fiat. Another £4k hatch is just as likely to throw up problems (or, at least, generate bills through consumables that need replacing – tyres, brakes, etc. – but that's part and parcel of owning any car). It's not like 500s are hugely unreliable or complex, either, although the TwinAir ones can sometimes be a pain, admittedly.

You could aim to buy something like an immaculate low-mileage Toyota Aygo or similar, though, if reliability and running costs are really essential.
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We have a TwinAir :( - Aim I right in the dealer V private?
 
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If you must change then I'd definitely be looking at Japanese cars only. A Honda Jazz would be my preference.
Buying private is always a risk. If you buy a lemon then you're pretty much stuffed. At least from a dealer you have some comeback beyond the toilet-paper warranties they give with their cars.
 
Lashout_UK said:
I'd be inclined to keep the Fiat. Another £4k hatch is just as likely to throw up problems (or, at least, generate bills through consumables that need replacing – tyres, brakes, etc. – but that's part and parcel of owning any car).
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Indeed a £3k car from a dealer is what used to be a £1k pre-covid. It's very easy to buy into someone else's problems. 3k buys an awful lot of repairs to your existing car
 
Morning All

Wife has seen the below, she isn’t a fan of the fiesta style (what ever that means?) Any advice on this, 52k on the clock - she just needs a local runaround, this is from a local garage that my family have been buying cars from for years so I’m happy from that perspective

CITROEN C1​

1.0 VTR PLUS 3d 67 BHP​

 
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iMacMart said:
Morning All

Wife has seen the below, she isn’t a fan of the fiesta style (what ever that means?) Any advice on this, 52k on the clock - she just needs a local runaround, this is from a local garage that my family have been buying cars from for years so I’m happy from that perspective

CITROEN C1​

1.0 VTR PLUS 3d 67 BHP​

Click to expand...
Same as a Toyota Aygo and Peugeot 108 I think? Might be worth looking around at those as well.
 
I’d certainly avoid anything Citroen / French in general, I’m in Corfu Greece at the moment and have a practically brand new C3 rental car, whilst I appreciate hire cars have a tough life and the roads here are poor at best this thing is a wreck given it’s a 2022 registered car with 2500Km on the clock, creaking sounds from the suspension, both front headlights misted up, the passenger window (electric) won’t open by more than half, it’s got a horrible transmission whine and is completely gutless (3cyl petrol), the rear wiper is stuck half way and the air conditioning barely cools the car.

On the plus side, erm, I can’t think of one! :D

I could forgive most of the above if it was a few years old with say 50K on the clock but for a nearly new low Km car it’s pretty shocking!
 
Your price range is pretty much the bottom of the market (sadly). So you will be getting cars that people have sold for similar reasons you want rid of yours. So you will be several K down and still need to splash out on repairs.

If you must roll the dice then look for brands from Japan or Kia.

Buy from a dealer, so you can return it when you eventually find out what the issues are. Or if you know a mechanic with some hours to spare going over it before you buy then consider private.
 
Being in the motor trade (unfortunately) most cars are all as bad as each other now days. Ford Fiesta would be a good shout though just stay clear of the eco boost especially the early models
 
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