Best small car as cheap runaround?

[SpruceRI]

My 4WD is costing loads to get through the MOT as it's so old, so am thinking of getting a small car as a runaround and keeping the 4WD just for towing.

I do 150 miles on average a week just getting to work, horses and back.

This costs me about £45 a week in diesel on the 4WD, then towing fuel is on top.

I've only got about £1k to spend on a small car. Therefore obviously that is also going to be quite old.

Would prefer a diesel so I don't put the wrong fuel in the wrong car

What am I best getting that's economical in fuel, and in car tax, and worth buying as an oldish motor?

Thanks

 

[blackcob]

I know it's not a diesel but a 1.3l Nissan Micra would do you well (old shape one, 1994-2003). Very economical, cheap to tax and insure, extremely reliable and not many known faults. These things run forever and the 1.3l is pretty nippy, I have the 1l version which can tend to be gutless but an ideal runaround. Could get a nice one for £1000, metallic paint, coloured bumpers etc.

Avoid older Ford Ka's; they rust to all hell and have a lot of known faults including front suspension issues which can be expensive to fix and tend to reoccur.

 

[megwan1]

i have an 02reg fiesta van which cost me £2000 in august 07 and i would say less now as credit crunch
it is the most amazing thing in the world
1.8 turbo diesel and it flys
i love it
it does 350miles on a tank at bout 50mpg
costs £35 ish to fill the tank from empty!!!
i vote fiesta they are loverly!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Shellby27]

We converted our 2.4T petrol Volvo V70 to LPG last September. Cost us £2k to convert, but within a year would have paid for itself due to savings on fuel. LPG is 49p per litre at the mo and I get 220 miles from a tank at about £23 to fill up! Would have had to sell it if it wasn't for the conversion as it was a bit thirsty before.

 

[SpruceRI]

[ QUOTE ]
I know it's not a diesel but a 1.3l Nissan Micra would do you well (old shape one, 1994-2003). Very economical, cheap to tax and insure, extremely reliable and not many known faults. These things run forever and the 1.3l is pretty nippy, I have the 1l version which can tend to be gutless but an ideal runaround. Could get a nice one for £1000, metallic paint, coloured bumpers etc.

Avoid older Ford Ka's; they rust to all hell and have a lot of known faults including front suspension issues which can be expensive to fix and tend to reoccur. "

Thanks blackcob.

My Dad has an old petrol Micra which I borrow when my jallopy is in the garage. I've tried to persuade him to sell it to me but it's so old he's scared to in case after 11yrs of ownership it now starts going wrong

Micras are on my list

Ford Ka's are still too new I think for my price...

 

[daisycrazy]

Peugeot 106 or 205 diesel

 

[SpruceRI]

[ QUOTE ]
i have an 02reg fiesta van which cost me £2000 in august 07 and i would say less now as credit crunch
it is the most amazing thing in the world
1.8 turbo diesel and it flys
i love it
it does 350miles on a tank at bout 50mpg
costs £35 ish to fill the tank from empty!!!
i vote fiesta they are loverly!!!!!!!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I've had 2 Fiestas in my life. One petrol and one diesel. The petrol one I had for about 11yrs (showing my age now!

) I loved that car

But like the diesel Fiesta it just rusted away (both bodywork and chassis). As did the 2 Ford Transit horseboxes I've had.

All the Fords' were mechanically reliable, but they just rusted to pieces.

I would love another Fiesta, but don't think I can risk it, unless theres' been a change in the quality on the newer models?

 

[SpruceRI]

[ QUOTE ]
We converted our 2.4T petrol Volvo V70 to LPG last September. Cost us £2k to convert, but within a year would have paid for itself due to savings on fuel. LPG is 49p per litre at the mo and I get 220 miles from a tank at about £23 to fill up! Would have had to sell it if it wasn't for the conversion as it was a bit thirsty before.

[/ QUOTE ]

Now if I could buy a ready converted small car that would just sort me out

 

[Flame_]

My old Clio was an absolute machine. I'd recommend them to anyone after a good small car.

 

[golddustsara]

OH has a pink (haha) Toyota Starlet as a runaround - its never sick or sorry and so economical.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

My daughter has just had a Suzuki Alto 1.1 for her 18th Birthday. It will travel at 70mph forever, does between 50 & 60 mpg & costs £35 tax each year. It's got CD player, electric front windows, central locking, airbags & 5 doors. They are cheap to buy, easy to maintain, you won't get motoring much cheaper than that.

 

[dieseldog]

I have a Suzuki Swift and I can't say one nice thing about it

 

[ladyt25]

Oh, small cheap cars - I would try a peugeot 106 maybe (as a little newer) or if you're lucky you can maybe pick up an old 205 (great little cars!). I loved our old 205 diesel we used to have, it was fab.

Dunno what Vauxhall Corsas are like, someone near us is selling one for about £600. I think there are tonnes of small cars for under £1000 about, just think you need someone who knows their stuff to check them out before you buy. My sister got a nice little fiesta off ebay for about £400 a couple of years back, it did fine.

 

[louisevictoria]

I have a P reg Peugeot 106 diesel and it is fab. It doesn't look very pretty but I do around 260 miles a week and only have to fill up with diesel every 2 weeks, it is quite cheap to tax and insure as well.

 

[Shellby27]

http://www.lpg-car.co.uk/
This webby has lots of different LPG cars for sale, including some small ones.

 

[china]

1997 i have a ford KA 1.3, that is reliable but i have spent about £400 on get mechanics and welding done on it, i do about 200 miles a week which lasts me a full tank, £27 of petrol fills it up, they are good cars if you find the right one, i payed £995 for mine! but im thinking of part ex it for a mondeo!

 

[fatpiggy]

I have a toyota yaris - it is 1 litre, does well over 400 miles ( 6 days worth) on a full tank and you can get loads in the back. Toyotas go and go. Mine has already done 125K miles and no sign of any problems at all. I love my Freddy!!

 

[SpruceRI]

[ QUOTE ]
My daughter has just had a Suzuki Alto 1.1 for her 18th Birthday. It will travel at 70mph forever, does between 50 & 60 mpg & costs £35 tax each year. It's got CD player, electric front windows, central locking, airbags & 5 doors. They are cheap to buy, easy to maintain, you won't get motoring much cheaper than that.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like the sound of that but I had a Suzuki before the 4WD, and it cost me as much in repairs as it did to buy it

Will have a look at their 2nd hand prices though - thanks

 

[kit279]

Second LPG - all of ours are converted and we save about 50% on all our fuel bills year round. Basically you want the smallest lightest car you can find, 1.0 or 1.2 litre engine, either diesel or LPG. I like a Volkswagen Golf - they're reliable cars that get good MPG.

 

[FAB_FERN]

I just sold my 4X4 so was just after a little run around so I bought a Citroen Saxo for £500. Its not really my kind of car but i'm really impressed. It was 39 to fill it up and it has done 410 mile on it. whoooo i'd have been the petrol station a few times in the 4wd. Its only done 44,000 miles too. I got a bargain for a change.