Used car advice please

BlueFox

Our 2001 Ka is about to die so looking at replacements and would love some advice please!

We are looking for a small city car, low tax / economical petrol engine etc

Considering Peugeot 107 / C1 / Aygo or Fiat Panda, budget up to £2500.

Are any of these any good? Anything I should be aware of with any of these?

Any others cars anyone recommends?

Thanks

mgfvvc

You can get information on them at the Honest John web site.

Babbawah

TBH, you can't go far wrong with a good example of any of those.

My missus's next runabout will either be an Aygo {my choice} or a Fiat 500 {her choice}.


P.S. ANYTHING will be better than that Ka !

gord115

Suzuki swift, ours has been very reliable and economical

Babbawah

Babbawah wrote: »

P.S. ANYTHING will be better than that Ka !

In my wildest dreams I could not have thought up anything as ridiculous as a Suzuki Swift.

If you ever see one skulking around the local shopping areas, please don't hate the occupants. Usually, senility took over from the foolish lives they led many full moons ago.

Pity them instead, and stay well away if they attempt to reverse park !

bigjl

I believe the Aygo/C1/107 has common issues with clutch problems.

Is this due to an issue other than the fact they are mostly to be seen driven round built up areas.

The C1 or 107 would be my choice as they are a bit cheaper used than the Aygo.


I think the cheaper models are insurance group 1

Another car in the running for runabout duties is the Seat Mii.

straighttalker

My sister has a Toyota Aygo. Not had any problem with it. Servicing is cheap from Toyota dealers. The one we bought it from keeps sending us letters saying they can do a minor service for £69.

I did the front pads and discs as well as air filter and spark plugs last year and it's an easy car to work on.

Car tax is cheap at £20 a year.

Her's has only done circa 25,000 miles and the clutch bite point is very high. I bought a Borg and Beck one from Ebay for around £60 and need to get it fitted by my mechanic soon.

Ectophile

I test drove a Peugeot 107 a while back when I was car-hunting. Like most Peugeots, it was a desperately dull car to drive. No fun-factor at all. I assume that the C1 is the same - since it's the same car with a different badge.

I ended up buying a Panda. It's very easy to drive, but somehow more fun as well. Apart from a leaky fuel filler pipe, it's been fine for the last 5 years.

For what it's worth, the Panda is essentially a 500 with different bodywork. It's perhaps not as pretty, but it's more practical and is cheaper.

Hintza

gord115 wrote: »

Suzuki swift, ours has been very reliable and economical

My research suggest spare parts are very expensive for Suzukis.

We are on our second Panda and it is like a small tardis inside. Engine of choice is the 1.2 Fire the great thing with this engine is it is non-interference if the cambelt snaps.

Parts are cheap and they really are fairly indestructible.

Only problem is VED is £130 but don't let that put you off.

Hintza

Although this is the 4x4 model the two wheel drive doesn't lack versatility and is great in the snow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvjSp8wk3wA

LandyAndy

My mother bought an Aygo new last summer. I have driven it. It is rather 'tinny'.


I did a couple of 50 mile trips on A roads in it and thought it was pleasant enough to drive although I found the seats a little uncomfortable over the 90 minute journeys. You do need to be watching for hills though as they can catch it out for lack of power very quickly if you are in too high a gear.


As a local runabout it would be very good.


There was plenty of room in it for me and I'm not small. It has only done 1400 miles and, unsurprisingly, there have been no faults so far.