1K Run-About

[Son of Bob]

Our little girl is starting school in September and logistics mean we are looking for a small, economical runabout for school & work runs (time constraints mean there are no green alternatives before you ask!).

 

We are looking to spend no more than 1k as this was not really in our budget this year, The car must be cheap as chips to run and insure so preferably a 1 litre or thereabouts (or small diesel).

 

I am thinking Nissan Micra, VW Polo/Lupo, Ford KA/Fiesta etc etc. Anyone had good/bad/indifferent experinces with any of these or does anyone else have ideas to throw in the hat?

 

Cheers!

[St Landrew]

Moped..? Scooter..? Motorbike..? A lot, lot cheaper to run, insure, plus a lot, lot quicker than a car in a traffic jam. Buy a top box and some protection/rain gear, and it'll still cost far less than a car.

 

EDIT: Failing that, an old VW Polo would be my choice.

[Scudamore]

Moped..? Scooter..? Motorbike..? A lot, lot cheaper to run, insure, plus a lot, lot quicker than a car in a traffic jam. Buy a top box and some protection/rain gear, and it'll still cost far less than a car.

 

EDIT: Failing that, an old VW Polo would be my choice.

 

Can't say i'd want my wife and 5 year old daughter (both of which i don't have) pootling off to school on a moped every day somehow.

 

I'd say the Ford Ka would be my choice with those constraints. Pretty reliable cars.

[Pancake]

Ka would be OK, but one bump in it and your looking at a costly bumper replacement. Fiesta better option there.

[Son of Bob]

Moped..? Scooter..? Motorbike..? A lot, lot cheaper to run, insure, plus a lot, lot quicker than a car in a traffic jam. Buy a top box and some protection/rain gear, and it'll still cost far less than a car.

 

EDIT: Failing that, an old VW Polo would be my choice.

 

Yeah, I can just see my missus taking our little girl to school on the back of a scooter. Maybe she could pack her in the top box!

[Saint Keith]

toyota yaris would be ideal, but im not sure the old ones are down to that sort of price yet

[Ponty]

Ka. Cheap as chips.

[Sev]

I'd also like to say Yaris - my sister had one for a few years and it was reliable and cheap to run and insure - but at £1000 you'd be looking at the worst available examples only, so maybe not such a good idea. If you're already considering a Polo then could be worth adding Skoda Fabia to the list?

[saint_stevo]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201021360054345/sort/priceasc/usedcars/price-to/1000/price-from/500/model/arosa/make/seat/radius/1500/quicksearch/true/postcode/so300ds/page/1?logcode=p

 

Seat Arosa?

[JackFrost]

I'd always recommend a Micra.

 

you can get a decent 1 litre Micra for less than a grand and the only features on them are a radio and the air inside the car you breathe. Very basic and very cheap to maintain and insure and very little if anything will go wrong with them.

 

Fairly poky up til you get around 35 mph and then it's about half a minute to 60

While my wife only does 4 or 5 thousand miles a year in very short trips in her Micra she can go over a month before having to fill the tank up (which only costs her 35 quid). She's had it for 2 years and the only time it didn't start was when the original battery went flat (and even just before that it started every time in the winter with a weak battery)

[Colinjb]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201021360054345/sort/priceasc/usedcars/price-to/1000/price-from/500/model/arosa/make/seat/radius/1500/quicksearch/true/postcode/so300ds/page/1?logcode=p

 

Seat Arosa?

 

Great shout, a VW Lupo without the premium.

[saint_stevo]

Great shout, a VW Lupo without the premium.

 

£750 for a 98 reg 52,000 miler looked like a bargain imo

[.comsaint]

I'd always recommend a Micra.

 

you can get a decent 1 litre Micra for less than a grand and the only features on them are a radio and the air inside the car you breathe. Very basic and very cheap to maintain and insure and very little if anything will go wrong with them.

 

Fairly poky up til you get around 35 mph and then it's about half a minute to 60

While my wife only does 4 or 5 thousand miles a year in very short trips in her Micra she can go over a month before having to fill the tank up (which only costs her 35 quid). She's had it for 2 years and the only time it didn't start was when the original battery went flat (and even just before that it started every time in the winter with a weak battery)

 

 

Micra - good shout for your young daughter. Here's a nice one well within the budget:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230489246649&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.co.uk%3A80%2F%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp4712.m570.l1313%26_nkw%3D230489246649%26_sacat%3DSee-All-Categories%26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1

[St Landrew]

Sorry, I got the wrong idea of your intial post. For some reason I thought it was about attending university. How about just getting her to school in some haphazard way, say via the neighbour, or something a bit community related, and then getting her a bicycle, when she gets older..?

 

I'm a believer in getting kids to be self reliant at the earliest age. Taking them to school, on a magic carpet, isn't one of them. There is always walking. It's excellent exercise. No doubt the distance to said school will be a problem. Get a school nearer to home..? Move nearer school..? Teach at home..? A bicycle with stabilisers attached to the back wheel..?

Edited 18 June, 2010 by St Landrew

[buctootim]

Girlfriend had a Renault clio 1.2 for years and years - 180,000 on the clock before she scrapped it, so wouldnt necessarily be afraid of some of those high mileage ones on autotrader. Average 45mpg, insurance group 3, very reliable, and better on those occasional longer runs than the really tiny cars like the Micra or Ka. Also you can get 5dr versions - big consideration if you are putting kids in the back every day. This one 2001, 46,000 miles and well specced.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201023360943511/sort/priceasc/usedcars/maximum-mileage/up_to_60000_miles/maximum-age/up_to_10_years_old/price-to/1000/model/clio/make/renault/radius/1501/postcode/bn68qb/page/2?logcode=p

 

edit: the bugger has put the price up to £1,194 from £1,000!

Edited 20 June, 2010 by buctootim

[Michelle]

Mik, I've had both a Micra and Fiesta within that budget that would do the job, outta the two I'd recommend a Fiesta.

[RonManager]

Mik, I've had both a Micra and Fiesta within that budget that would do the job, outta the two I'd recommend a Fiesta.

 

Once, whilst driving a Fiesta, I crashed into a fridge.

[buctootim]

Once, whilst driving a Fiesta, I crashed into a fridge.

 

Thats the trouble with ice on the road.

[Micky]

Once, whilst driving a Fiesta, I crashed into a fridge.

 

That is exactly the reason, that under no circumstances, do I ever drive around my kitchen....!

[Son of Bob]

We got a 1.0 Micra in the end. 2001 model (the facelifted one) with 52k on the clock for £1000. Bodywork is not great (no rust but some dodgy respaying!) but mechanically sound and low miles. £20 of petrol has lasted over a week so far and still loads left. Much better than the Vectra SRi I drive. Only problem I can see is that it's orange! It has been christened 'The Jelly Bean'.