First car

silverwhistle

A Skoda Fabia would be a good bet. I had a 2000/1 model which I only got rid of at 12 years old because I was moving countries, otherwise I would have been happy to keep it, and it kept me safe in the Alps and reliably took me backwards and forwards to the UK.

When I first got a car many years ago a friend said go for the unpopular models because they'll be cheaper and better value. My first ten months' motoring cost me £30 (buying to selling) and a few consumable spares. These days you get far more for your money.

Also cars are much more reliable these days, and as you've only got a short commute you're not completely left in the lurch by a maintenance issue. Three miles is cycle, bus, taxi, lift territory. I wouldn't walk 3 miles to work but I've been known to do so for meeting friends in a pub!

Incidentally the Hyundai i10 is a good shout. I have the slightly larger i20 and I've had no problems so far at 7 years old (bought at 4).

Talc1234

RememberMe wrote: »

Thank you for replying!

@ Rain Shadow - Apologies, I'm looking to use it to commute to/from work everyday which is around 3 miles from where I live. I would also like to use it on the weekends to go into the city (about 15 miles down the M6) and maybe a few longer journeys throughout the year but it wouldn't be too much really. Absolute 5k a year max I'd say.

Do you think a Toyota may be the way to go? I believe they do the Aygo which is a small car.

Also, what is the general consensus about Cat C and D write offs? Are they too much of a risk?

UP is fine, a damned good car tbh. Skoda Citigo Seat Mii same car

Cat C and D have been so badly damaged that they were deemed uneconomical to repair by the insurance company. That is not to say they haven't been repaired, however the repairer is likely to have cut corners, used second-hand parts etc, - I wouldn't touch one

samsung_laptop

GwylimT wrote: »

Jazz, reliable, .

What year Honda jazz would you recommend as I've been reading the bearing in the gearbox fails.

mr_accountant

I would be looking at;

1st Japanese petrol models, eg jazz, Toyota yaris, Suzuki swift

2nd Korean petrol engined model, eg Hyundai i10 or i20, kia picanto or kia rio

find a reasonable one and it should be reliable and we'll built. I would avoid diesels for your type of driving

And VW are at best average in build and reliability, and I think the Up is a very cheap looking car, but each to their own.

konark

My first car cost £100!

My current car cost £120.

The Up is poorly made compared to the old Lupo.

You really don't need to spend 5 large on a reliable shopping trolley.

Roland_Sausage

Back when I passed my test, I was driving a 12 or 13 year old Peugeot 205 worth about £200. And I could barely afford the insurance on it.

How times have changed.

Rain_Shadow

Talc1234 wrote: »

UP is fine, a damned good car tbh. Skoda Citigo Seat Mii same car

Cat C and D have been so badly damaged that they were deemed uneconomical to repair by the insurance company. That is not to say they haven't been repaired, however the repairer is likely to have cut corners, used second-hand parts etc, - I wouldn't touch one

Well, they may have been uneconomical to repair but they are by no means certain to have been badly damaged or poorly repaired and may have been recovered undamaged after settlement of a theft claim for instance.

iolanthe07

iolanthe07 - are they decent enough cars? Someone had warned me against KIA but I was always under the impression that they were good enough for the sort of thing I need.

There is nothing wrong with Kia's or Hyundai's these days, they are consistently near the top of the reliability charts. How else would they be able to offer 7 and 5 year warranties respectively. Whoever warned you against Kia didn't know what they were talking about, inho.

GwylimT

samsung_laptop wrote: »

What year Honda jazz would you recommend as I've been reading the bearing in the gearbox fails.

2003 onwards due to the suspension change, although I'm not a fan of the MK2 as the dashboard is very reflective.

Herzlos

RememberMe wrote: »

Do you think a Toyota may be the way to go? I believe they do the Aygo which is a small car.

You'd be better going for the Pugeot 107 or Citroen C1. Essentially the same car but with a cheaper badge, so you should save a bit of money.