Run-around for less than £2000

tonyyeb

tonyyeb

tonyyeb

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Hi all

I've decided to sell my Corsa SXi and get a little run-around. Hope to make about £3,500 (Parkers and Autotrader have it around £3,700 but im not daft enough to expect too much!) for the Corsa leaving me with UPTO £2000 on a run around. I do less than 3000 miles a year so high milage not a huge problem but I don't want a big car. I was looking at a Ford Ka. For £2000 in my area I can get a 2000W with 50k on the clock in reasonable nick.

Any suggestions? What has been a reliable run-around for people at this milage/age/price bracket? Cheers!
 
This is going to be painful...

The Ka is quite cute and funky. If that's what you want from a car, it's a pretty good choice IMO :). It's also reputed to handle quite nicely for what it is.

Obvious alternative is a Fiesta or perhaps a 106 or a Saxo?
 
Fiesta 1.25 ghia... absolutely perfect. do not get a ka. should pick up a mk4 fiesta ghia with 50k on the clock and all the toys for around 2k, depending on where you live of course.
 
yeah my mk4 fiesta 1.25 zetec cost £1900 with 35k on the clock last year, so im pretty sure you could get something decent for that price!
Highly recommend the car, never had problems with it, nice lil run around.
 
pinkaardvark said:
isn't the corsa a little run a round?
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It is for some people but it is 51reg done only 37k and looks in v.good condition. The diff is about £1500 which i could do with to be honest! The choice of car doesn't matter too much but the £1500 does!!!
 
tsinc80697 said:
yeah my mk4 fiesta 1.25 zetec cost £1900 with 35k on the clock last year, so im pretty sure you could get something decent for that price!
Highly recommend the car, never had problems with it, nice lil run around.
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Yeah that is a good choice, my gf had the mk5 which looks better on the outside, the mk4 looks a little 'sad' to be honest!!
 
tonyyeb said:
Yeah that is a good choice, my gf had the mk5 which looks better on the outside, the mk4 looks a little 'sad' to be honest!!
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Yeh, my friend has a bright red mk4 fiesta 1.3 (shocking engine - the 1.25 is much better). As its the encore edition (read EXTREMELY low spec) it always looks very drepressed with its flat headlamps. Looks even worse in such a bright colour with black bumpers.

The mk5 in contrast is quite a handsome car, looks much better imo, a lot better than any Pug 106 or Citroen Saxo.
 
fonzee said:
all the toys for around 2k, depending on where you live of course.
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I wish people would stop saying this, a Fiesta with electric windows, power steering and aircon is NOT a car with 'all the toys'.

Fiesta is probably the way I would go here, that or a tidy Phase 2 106 or a Saxo.
 
well when i said 'all the toys' i assumed everyone would realise that was all the toys for a small hatchback of that gender and age i.e. pwr steering, CL, EW and AC!!

its not excactly going to have cruise control is it.
 
fonzee said:
well when i said 'all the toys' i assumed everyone would realise that was all the toys for a small hatchback of that gender and age i.e. pwr steering, CL, EW and AC!!

its not excactly going to have cruise control is it.
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I want my Ka to have electric seats, mini fridge and DVD player... get it from some chav and it might!!
 
tonyyeb said:
I want my Ka to have electric seats, mini fridge and DVD player... get it from some chav and it might!!
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:confused: They're hardly chav items.

Most large exec cars have electric seats. Limo's have mini fridges' and any car with a decent ICE install with have a DVD player.

If you're looking for a small, cheap car, get a Rover. Especially if you only do 3,000 miles a year... the headgasket will last 10 years :p
 
agw_01 said:
:confused: They're hardly chav items.

Most large exec cars have electric seats. Limo's have mini fridges' and any car with a decent ICE install with have a DVD player.

If you're looking for a small, cheap car, get a Rover. Especially if you only do 3,000 miles a year... the headgasket will last 10 years :p
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Yeah they are! They love to add 'bling' items! lol!

On a serious note i was looking at a Rover 25 (or 200 equivilent). What model should i look at? Im a noob on the old Rover range.
 
Well, yeah I guess if they're fitted to a 1.1 Fiesta or something ;)

The Rover 25's and 200's use the later K-series engine, which I'm afraid to say are much more prone to head gasket failure than the earlier versions.

However, if you get an 8v 1.4 engine in a Rover 200 (the 25's all use the 16v) they're pretty much bullet proof. My mum has had one for 18 months, and never checks any of her levels. Touch wood, everything has been ok with her car.

If you don't mind a slightly bigger car, check out the Mk2 214's (M reg is a good age to get). I've had two on an M plate and they've been absolutely fantastic. They use the 16v engine, but use a slightly different block so don't suffer from head gasket failure as much (I've never had a failure fwiw).

I'm not saying if you buy a 25 you will suffer head gasket failure, as I know many people with 50,000 mile cars and have had no problems.

Performance wise, they're prety good for a 1.4. I clocked 10.5 seconds to 60 in my old 214, the bubble shape 200's and 25's are a little faster, doing it in about 9.8 seconds. They love to be revved and you can really feel the POWAH once you hit 4,000rpm. Mine used to pull quite nicely until about 85, when it would slow down considerably.

Still, I went to Wales once with 3 friends in the car, and it held 90mph all the way back without any problems!

Interior wise, they're pretty nice places to be. The older Mk2 versions are far better than the competition at the time... Astra's and Escorts. The Rover 200 was a major market leader! I mean, both of my 214's have had electric windows/sunroof, leather seats and power steering.
 
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[TW]Fox said:
I wish people would stop saying this, a Fiesta with electric windows, power steering and aircon is NOT a car with 'all the toys'.

Fiesta is probably the way I would go here, that or a tidy Phase 2 106 or a Saxo.
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My Mum's (Mk5) 1.6 Fiesta Ghia has pretty much everything my Mondeo Ghia X did except for Cruise Control and heated seats...

Electric Windows
Electric Mirrors
Electric Seats (I think)
Air Con
Front & Rear Heated Screen
6 Disc CD Changer
PAS
Front & Rear Fogs
Colour Coded Mouldings
Leather Interior
Alloys
Visor Lights
Map Lights

Probably a few more things I have missed, have only ever driven it about the driveway when suffling the cars about.
 
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