Best car for under £1000 - preferably much less!

chika

Hi there,

I'm after a new car. I currently drive a diesel golf on a L plate. Its not bad as far as cars go but its noisy a bit battered and a wee bit smelly. The downside is its not mine - its "perk" of my job but I have to pay half of its running costs but don't always get first choice for when I need to use it.

I'm training to be a teacher at uni and like all full time students my funds are limited. I'd like the best car possible for the lowest possible price. I've had a licence for four years. I have a school placement in September until Christmas and it would make life so much easier if I could drive there instead of having to reply on public transport.

My budget is about £500 - my first car ever a clio cost this and lasted for a couple of years! However if I saw something special I might be able to push it a bit with a loan from the bank of mum! However this is a last resort! Thank you!

Older_but_not_wiser_2

Do you know anyone who knows a bit about cars?
If so, then head along to your nearest car auction. It's possible to pick up a good car for £1000 at auction - you just have to know what you're looking for.

littonlad

My Astra sounds like just what you want...

e00c

Get down to a Car Auction! Seriously - you can pick up some decent buys!!

Just go down to check it out - get a feel for how it works - once you'r confident to bid - take a friend down and do it for real

chika

littonlad wrote: »

My Astra sounds like just what you want...

Ooh I do like astra's - pm and tell me more if you're serious!

littonlad

Done.......

Volcano

For that sort of money the condition of the car is going to be far more important than the make and model (but obviously assuming you're looking for a cheap to run car too).

Unless you can take someone with you that knows a LOT about old cars, then auctions would be the last place I'd recommend. In fact, you really need to take someone who knows about cars full stop, if you're considering anything around the £500 mark.

Inactive

Volcano wrote: »

Unless you can take someone with you that knows a LOT about old cars, then auctions would be the last place I'd recommend. In fact, you really need to take someone who knows about cars full stop, if you're considering anything around the £500 mark.

Good advice.. they are a minefield when buying cars at this price range.

dieselhead

Its so difficult I have a grandfather who was an engineer and built engines, but its so hard to check everything. My car when I bought it, I had my grandfather at the dealers with his overalls on and sure enough it was mechanically sound but it turned in the rain a week later that the sunroof leaked, I will always insist on chucking a bucket of water over a car before I buy it now :rotfl:

I think sometimes it can just be luck, make sure you give anything you look at a decent test drive and if you have any worries or doubts just say no!