Help - Need Cheap to Run Car for Central London

LookLikeButNotRickyHatton

Hi All,

Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to offer.

I currently have a Z3 which I am selling and looking to replace with a very functional car for Central London. I am looking to spend ideally about £3k but will go up to £5k if need be.

I live and drive outside of the congestion zone (as it is at the moment) and only really drive about 5 - miles / week and then do a longer trip of about 200 miles once or twice a month. It doesn't need to have lots of bootspace - just take 2 people safely, cheaply and reliably enough from a to b

As I rarely use it I am looking for a car that is cheap to buy, cheap to run etc. My sister bought a smart car and sings it's praises but just not sure


Any advice would be really appreciated.

Cheers

Gav

Wig

I don't know (because I can't open pdf files at the moment) what the emissions requirements are for alternative fuel vehicles.... You can find out by looking at the registration form here <<< Can someone please look at the form and tell me what the criteria are for LPG exhemption please?

But if you use an LPG Vauxhall Corsa or Zafira LPG factory fitted, you may qualify for the free congestion charge The Corsa is supposed to be 139 g/km CO but it says on the V5 146 g/km I don't know if this is a mistake by DVLA or not.

There is a LPG Vauxhall Corsa 5 door on Autotrader at the moment it's a 2004/04 and is £3,995 (A very reasonable price!) <<< to find it do a search for Vaux Corsa, then either enter a keyword "LPG" or click on fuel type "bi-fuel", or do a postcode search on
NR2 1NH (Norwich) and it will be within 10 miles. Oh and btw the advert does not say mileage but I found out that it is 49,000

LPG is about 52p litre at the moment

Keith

I'd go for an MX-5

Altarf

At 5 miles a week and a long journey once or twice a month, wouldn't it be cheaper to use buses and taxis for the 5 miles and rent a car when you need one for the long journeys?

bandraoi

Look into Car Sharing clubs around London.
It should work out far cheaper and you can use a small runaround for your city trips and then take a bigger car for your long trips up the country.

exil

Errr - what altarf said!

5 miles per week = 250 miles a year
+ 200 a month = 2,400

total 2,700 a year - hardly worth buying/running a car for

kitchpoo

For that low mileage I would consider something old enough to be tax exempt. How about an original mini or a VW Beetle (plentiful parts and support), Morris Minor (Good morris minor centre in London), Citroen 2cv (with a galv chassis), If you want to be a bit safer maybe a Landrover SeriesII.

Otherwise if old retro doesnt float your boat then the Smart makes the most sense. Smart Roadsters are starting to fall in price but not quite to your budget yet.