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Suggestions for a used car around £3k

manub
manub Posts: 138 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
Hi all,

I'm planning to get a car as I'm moving from Central London to the commuter belt.

I've been driving for more than 10 years so I'm quite experienced, although since I moved to UK (4 years) I've been driving occasionally as I never owned a car here. My GF is planning to get a licence later on this year so I'm looking for a subcompact/mini car (don't want any bigger now), and my maximum budget is £3k - ideally for a car without high insurance / running costs (it would be my first insurance in UK so I guess it'll be expensive!). I want to buy from a Trade Seller.

I'm planning to use it for commuting at least until November, potentially longer than that. Commute will be 25 miles a day. Apart from that, the car will be used for the usual grocery trip or to visit nearby cities. I wouldn't mind the long summer trip every now and then, but at the same time I'm not expecting the car to be my first car for more than 3-4 years.

I don't know what mileage/age I should look at, my gut feeling says that ideally I shouldn't get something older than 8 years and with more than 60-70k miles - but maybe with my usage pattern I could be more relaxed about this.

I was thinking about a Toyota Yaris, but for my budget I have to go to older models or with more miles. I know Honda Jazz are good, but I'm not sure that would be too big.

Any suggestions on make/models and whether my expected age/mileage are reasonable for my usage pattern would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
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Comments

  • I'd go for the Jazz. It's really not that big.
  • citykid5
    citykid5 Posts: 821 Forumite
    You should get a 08 onwards renault twingo for around 3k great little cars and very stylish. Go on stand out from the crowd a little. Low insurance and running costs too
  • manub
    manub Posts: 138 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    citykid5 wrote: »
    You should get a 08 onwards renault twingo for around 3k great little cars and very stylish. Go on stand out from the crowd a little. Low insurance and running costs too

    Twingo is a bit too small for me - I'm trying to avoid class A (Aygo, Twingo, 107) as I still need to carry stuff every now and then :)
  • citykid5
    citykid5 Posts: 821 Forumite
    the twingo is very versatile, the rear seats move forwards and backwards and on some models the front passenger seat also folds flat for longer loads
  • manub wrote: »
    Twingo is a bit too small for me - I'm trying to avoid class A (Aygo, Twingo, 107) as I still need to carry stuff every now and then :)

    Sensible; seriously, stick to the Jazz.
  • I think the Yaris would be a good move. My partner has one and it's a great car.


    A quick search of auto websites and I've seen quite a few for sale around the 3k mark - the 2006-2011 model cars as well.
  • gord115
    gord115 Posts: 1,067 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Often overlooked but very cheap to run and very reliable, Suzuki Swift.
  • jaydeeuk1
    jaydeeuk1 Posts: 7,714 Forumite
    Debt-free and Proud!
    Yaris a good option. Find one with newish branded tyres - its a good sign it hasnt been skimped on, Toyotas reputation for reliability means some people skip servicing so look for evidence of yearly oil changes at least. Get a 1.33 has a chain rather than belt, and will hold its own on motorways.
  • kxc798
    kxc798 Posts: 67 Forumite
    You can get a fairly new Kia Picanto? I got mine for 4 grand when it was 3 years old and it is still under their 7 year warranty. £30 tax each year and a full tank (£40 ish) will last about 320 miles. Customer service is next to none. Absolutely brilliant. They always drive to my work and pick the car up/drop it off as I have a young son with a car seat and when I had a car accident (young drive texting on her phone, pulled out in front of mine and wrote off my car unfortunately, which was also a Kia Picanto) they came out of hours, took the car away, delivered a courtesy car that evening and dealt with the insurers for me! I bought them a bottle of whiskey to say thank you for their kindness.
    "Ye cannae change the laws o' physics"

    Montgomery Scott

    NSD September 15/15 NSD October 1/15
    'Little Pot Of Gold' £1200
  • Murphybear
    Murphybear Posts: 7,767 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I have just been in a similar position.

    We own a Lexus RX for long trips and have been looking around for a small runaround for in town/ short trips etc.

    According to Which ( I know not everyone is a fan but I have never had bad advice from them) the 3 most reliable brands for second hand cars are Lexus, Toyota and Honda. The 2 best cars in your price range are the Honda Jazz followed by Toyota Yaris.

    I am in the middle of buying a 10 year old Yaris, only 35000 miles and in good condition. It was just over £2000. I couldn't find a Jazz in my price range that hadn't done mega miles without travelling 200 miles+, where we live can be a bit of a desert for 2nd hand cars.

    Hope this helps.
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