I want a car for £500-£1000!

[pstones578]

Need a runabout for the misses to get her to and from work. Can anyone recommend one? cheap as chips on fuel insurance etc.

[BenL]

I had a Peugeot 106 1.5 Diesel for a while.

N Reg - 1996.

No probs at all, sipped fuel and low insurance group.

Between your price range. They revised the looks at 1997 - P reg and these should be under £1000 as well.

Ben

[Pink-winged]

Hi Peter,

You should get more replies on the Motoring board so I've moved your thread over there.

Pink

[Wig]

I'll agree with the 106 1.5 diesel

register for autotrader.co.uk and do a search for cars near you, there will be loads to choose from.

If you want to know a cars insurance grp/fuel consumtion etc look on parkers.co.uk (or buy the monthly magazine (it will be quicker looking them up with the magazine).


I think you should look also at anything with a VW badge. Or a Toyota Corolla.

[piggeh]

how far is work? If it's low mileage then petrol cars are generally cheaper overall.

[anewman]

I would personally avoid VW, Toyota etc if value for money is what counts. These cars tend to fetch a premium in sale price.

I would recommend a Skoda Felicia. There are 4 engine options, 1.3 spi (single point injection), 1.3 mpi (multi point injection, generally a bit more power and fuel efficiency as one injector for each cylinder) [both 1.3's are based on the well tried and tested Skoda 1.3 pushrod engine which is actually quite reliable], 1.6 (the VW 1.6 AEE engine is bullet proof I am told). The SLXi is the top of the range model. If you do do high mileage there is a 1.9 diesel version available which is a VW engine (not turbo so not amazing power, but relatively good fuel efficiency). They're also at the point of their lives where they tend to crop up in scrappies so there's spares available through that route. Skoda dealers still sells parts however.

All should be relatively cheap to run, insure and buy. Low mileage examples should be possible to get hold of in your price range assuming the seller isn't holding out for too much, or on ebay cancelling the auction repeatedly, then restarting the auction until they get the sale price they want.

Along with the usual things, a few specific things to look out for on these cars include rusting on the suspension components, particularly bottom spring cups, top cups and the area around top cup (rust on the strut components itself can be sorted but will need to be taken into account). Watch out for rear wheel arch rust, and check the inside of the font of the rear arches. Check the spare wheel well for any signs of water/dampness (if there is a water leak it goes into here). Check watertightness of sunroof if fitted. Check tailgate for signs of rust (particularly on the inside just below glass). It's also a good idea to have a look to check the fusebox looks relatively clean and dry (windscreen leaks can sometimes occur) and to check the operation of all electronic components. I'm sure there's things I've missed out, but otherwise they're generally good cars.

[hartcjhart]

agree totally with BenL and Anewman,but would also include the peugeot 306 and citroen saxo(basically the same as 106)
I did advise another member on here to go for the PUG and they seem happy

[wazza]

I have a 96 mondeo 1.8 TD for sale at £400. MOT till June 07. Tax till end of this year. What you save from buying this car compared to smaller cars that hold their value better will pay for difference in insurance and fuel etc. A probable MSE?

[romario]

As anewman says don't pay for the badge. With so many second hand cars for sale in the UK something unpopular could get you the newest/best condition car for the budget. Something like a Daewoo, Skoda or Hyundai would fall in to this bracket and should be reliable too.
Just had a quick glance in the Autotrader and saw a 2001 Hyundai Accent with 40000 miles for £999.

[Spinner]

I'd also agree with the Peugeot 306 idea. I drove one for about a year and it was excellent. You should definitely consider a diesel, maybe P reg or thereabouts; their 1.9 diesel/turbo diesel engine its probably only about 1/2 way through its life at 100,000 miles. It's also economical and fun to drive.

[mjr600]

Micra

Won't break, economical, cheap to insure.

[cheghead]

Renault Clio. Popular and loads about. Parts cheapish and easy to service yourself. Keep their price well. Bought a T reg in June last year for £1900 (45k miles) and apart from a few minor problems still going strong.

Check out www.parkers.co.uk (http://www.parkers.co.uk) or www.wisebuyers.co.uk (http://www.wisebuyers.co.uk).

[vyvyan]

Another vote for a peugeot 106 here!

[hartcjhart]

main trouble with micras and Ive sold a few(they look very clean) is rust on the crossmember that runs under the radiator(ive always renewed part before sale)

If you are thinking of buying one always look at that bit

[tommie1shunt]

Perudua Nippa, (Dahatsui) cheap as chips, had one of these did 20000 miles commuting in it ran like a watch, traded it in on a whim still see it now and kick my self for doing it. Also agree with the comments about the Skoda, wife had one did 40000 miles in it, no problems, watch for the rust tho.

[COPPERHEADJACK]

I have a y reg 1.0 corsa which i have had since new, it goes forever on petrol and has done 160,000. Cheap insurance and cheap road tax.

I wont get rid of it.
If I drive carefully I can get about 65 to a gallon.