up to £1000 2nd hand-car

[davidas]

Im looking for a cheap and reliable 2nd hand car for the missus. she's just passed her test so something with power steering would be preferable.

anyone ideas as to good makes/models in this price range at all?

thanks

dave

[Hintza]

For that sort of money you pays your money and take a chance, but probably a Toyota or Honda will give you the most peace of mind.

[Pobby]

Have to agree.Toyota ,Nissan and Hondas always seem to be reliable.

[Nuclear_Tom]

I'd be looking for a Nissan Micra for that budget - totally bullet proof, peanuts to run, totally reliable, and even fun to drive!!! :)

[KrisPringle]

Vauxhall Corsa or VW Polo would be my choices.

[FJSRiDER]

Look for a nice Mercedes 190. Good ones are tough as old nails.

[tomstickland]

Micra, Fiesta, Corsa, Polo, Punto etc. My choice would be Micra. Well, actually, my personal choice would be old BMW, but it's not for me.

[highguyuk]

Peugeot 306! :)

[DavidHM]

306s are great (I own one) but they're not necessarily the most reliable cars on the planet... since I've had mine (8 months) I've had to replace glow plugs, front wishbones, and an alternator, in addition to routine servicing. None of these things is surprising for a 125k mile car but it's not cheap either.

To be honest any advice as to what car to buy at this money is likely to be tempered by one overriding piece of advice: buy purely on condition from a long shortlist of acceptable cars, rather than searching for one car of which all £1k examples are good... for instance is a 1993 Honda Accord likely to be more reliable than a 1998 Mondeo? A 1998 Accord is probably more reliable than a 1998 Mondeo but might also be twice as expensive...

[Throbbe]

I've had 2 years of very cheap motoring out of a mid 90's Honda Civic saloon and can't fault it at all.

Just to give an indication of price you understand ;) but if I were to sell it I'd be looking for around £800.

(OK, I wont complain if the second bit gets deleted)

[mia79gbr]

Don't know how helpful this is going to be!

I'm selling my Porsche 924 to raise stamp duty on a house i'm buying. Was planning on putting on e-bay but happy to accept £500 if you like! Insurance for me is £260 through Lancaster Insurance (third party fire and theft)

[Jazzyjeff]

Don't know how helpful this is going to be!

I'm selling my Porsche 924 to raise stamp duty on a house i'm buying. Was planning on putting on e-bay but happy to accept £500 if you like! Insurance for me is £260 through Lancaster Insurance (third party fire and theft)

Probably not that helpful for a first car! :rotfl: :rotfl: But you did make me laugh!

[ArsenalFC]

The consensus here is to go japansese. We have a micra for our work and it's a great little car to have, nothing more to spend on it apart from normal maintenance. Get one with power steering, they dont need to have the cambelt change @60k miles either as they use a chain from yr 1995 i think.

Also a first car, your missus should ideally have a small car so its easier to get around and parking etc. If you have some knowledge about cars then ebay is a very good option as there are bargains to be had. I got our current micra from ebay 18 months ago for £1500 W2000 1.0 inspiration. Goodluck with finding your car.

[superfly]

I would agree with the Pug 306, I have a '99 diesel with 104000 on the clock but they last forever and I have had no probs. Just went through MOT with only a tyre and a bulb needed. Curently selling it cos i needed a van but whoever buys it will get a bargain. The engines are solid and the bodywork is rust free. look for a 306 locally and get yourself a good deal

[CFC]

Here's another vote for a Micra. Plus the engines are easy to work on and parts are cheap - always important when you're buying a runabout. Insurance is cheap too, also important.

PS if you get a choice, go for one with a service history, because they've often done lowish milage and it's all been in town - really important to get one that's had its oil changed regularly rather then once every three years on the basis of milage - OUCH!

[Johnocyprus]

Yet another endorsement for the Nissan Micra K11 ( 1992- 2002). Last year I sold our 1996 1.0 Shape. It was the best car I've ever had and I still miss it. In four years nothing went wrong, almost as cheap as a bike to run and good fun to drive. Because they are so good they get abused and neglected, make sure you get one from a good home. When I buy a car I always check the owner as much as the car, dodgy seller equals a dodgy car. I always try to buy from wealthy people even if it means travelling, my current car an MX5 bought through the autotrader,lived in a million pound house and the car was perfect. When you see a car on ebay/ autotrader look for the photos of cars in palatial surroundings! You need to buy a cheapie that a wealthy guy is selling because his daughters are off to uni etc!

[Hintza]

My only concern about Micras is they are always at the front of a queue of traffic!! :mad:

[iolanthe07]

I loved my Micra and was sorry to get rid of it - chain cam is a big plus.