£2000 to spend on a reliable runabout

Strider590

You should be look looking at motorway barges, the big rep mobiles, nobody wants big cars, so you'll get something better equipped, better built and newer.

Manufacturers only really give a damn about reliability in the cars they sell to the fleet markets.

oliverr wrote: »

What's wrong the VW Group cars? The Polo is a great little car, and the Fiesta is a good little car to drive. Thus why it sold in such big numbers.

VW can scrimp on reliability, because every man and his dog automatically assumes theyre reliable...... They made a reliable car in the 80's.

kiddy_guy

Strider590 wrote: »

You should be look looking at motorway barges, the big rep mobiles, nobody wants big cars, so you'll get something better equipped, better built and newer.

Manufacturers only really give a damn about reliability in the cars they sell to the fleet markets.




VW can scrimp on reliability, because every man and his dog automatically assumes theyre reliable...... They made a reliable car in the 80's.

True, but the OP is looking for 40mpg on a 20 miles run from a petrol. Unlikely to get that consistently from a big barge, depending on what you define this as...

Also whilst VW may not make decent cars - haven't got one, can'rt comment - their engines are in a lot of the Skodas with high miles, and in my Seat with 180k on the clock. I'd certainly not write off the VAG/Skoda/Seat group. The newer Passats seem decent if uninspiring cars.

Tilt

gord115 wrote: »

The "experts" are owners of Fiats ,Driver power survey 2012,and 2011,2010.......99th out of 100 in 2011 for reliability. They're rubbish.

As for Skodas, owned 3, fantastic cars. At the top of the survey every year.

Fiat owner here. First bought one new in 1978 and i'm now on my 14th. Only had a problem with one which was a seized turbo (can happen on any car) and that was fixed under warranty. From my experience, it's the survey's which are rubbish, not Fiat. Most people (including yourself) who spout such drivel have probably never even sat in one, let alone driven one.

P.S. My son has just bought his first Fiat, a 1993 Uno 1.0 ie which cost him £245. It has just cost him a mere £100 to get it through the MOT. Not bad for a car almost 20 years old.

OP, Panda may be a little on the small side so take a look at a Punto.

Here's one;

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201301044793067/sort/default/usedcars/price-from/2000/price-to/4000/model/punto/make/fiat/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/radius/1501/postcode/wv11ab/page/22?logcode=p

Strider590

kiddy_guy wrote: »

True, but the OP is looking for 40mpg on a 20 miles run from a petrol. Unlikely to get that consistently from a big barge, depending on what you define this as...
.

Then op needs to apply some logic, other running costs will be low enough to negate the cost of fuel. I get 34mpg from a Vectra, 40mpg is only around 10% more.

So 12k miles means 1 years fuel =
£2165 @ 34mpg
£1840 @ 40mpg

Difference is £325.......

Lets also not forget that a car quoted as doing 40mpg will probably only see 36-38mpg in real life.
My car has better actual mpg than a 1.2 Corsa.

I guarantee a small car is going to be older, less reliable, have less space and be poorer equipped.
Only disadvantage is parking a bigger car requires above average levels of driving competence.

volvodude

£2000 would get you a really nice 2003ish Volvo S40 or V40. With every conceivable extra such as heated seats, cruise control and masses of safety features! The 1.6 get 45MPG on the motorway aswell! They are A LOT of car for the money.

Strider590

volvodude wrote: »

£2000 would get you a really nice 2003ish Volvo S40 or V40. With every conceivable extra such as heated seats, cruise control and masses of safety features! The 1.6 get 45MPG on the motorway aswell! They are A LOT of car for the money.

There's a very good chance my next car will be a v40, plenty of car for the money and they age really well.

volvodude

Strider590 wrote: »

There's a very good chance my next car will be a v40, plenty of car for the money and they age really well.

Yes I have a V40 myself, and I had an S40 before that lol. For the price they go for, they are unbelievable value.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

volvodude wrote: »

Yes I have a V40 myself, and I had an S40 before that lol. For the price they go for, they are unbelievable value.

but parts are expensive and at £100 per wishbone id leave it there

fatbelly

Honda Civic (old model)?

If you don't want French/German, want to spend 2-4k and want petrol, then take a look. Lots of nice examples around 2004 vintage, great 1.4/1.6 engines and they're not that big at around 4.3 metres.

Contessa

P.S. My son has just bought his first Fiat, a 1993 Uno 1.0 ie which cost him £245. It has just cost him a mere £100 to get it through the MOT. Not bad for a car almost 20 years old.

QUOTE]

We bought a brand new Uno back in 1987 ( I went to the garage to look at a second hand Metro and a new Uno was cheaper!) It was a bit basic, and you could feel the floor flexing at speed :eek: but did a lot of motorway travel in it. We only kept it for two years as it developed a head gasket (?) leak. Traded it in for a new Golf-amazingly for just £250 less than we'd paid for it-so it certainly held it's value well!
Only kept it for two years