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Old 04-01-2017, 11:50
BleedRed
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I'm looking to buy a car I would say my budget is £4,000. I'm not really a car person so have no idea about models and makes. I would like it to be nice looking though 😛

Also something that is a little light on the insurance.

Any suggestions?
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Old 04-01-2017, 12:33
John_Adam1
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It would help if you told us what you will be using it for primarily?
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Old 04-01-2017, 18:01
BleedRed
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It would help if you told us what you will be using it for primarily?
Driving to work, uni and socially.
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Old 04-01-2017, 18:05
gdjman68wasdigi
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Micra, Swift or Yaris. Or a Clio.
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Old 04-01-2017, 19:03
MK184
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I'd look for something reliable, such as the Nissan Micra or Toyota Yaris. Not exactly the most desirable cars but they are extremely reliable, particularly the Micra. Personally I'd strongly consider the Skoda Fabia, which is great on the reliability front, or the Seat Ibiza, which has a sporty image, good drive and again won't let you down.
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Old 04-01-2017, 20:00
Lou Kelly
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Avoid Corsa's like the plague. My first car was a Corsa and it's caused me nothing but trouble. Also the customer service at Vauxhall is abysmal.
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Old 04-01-2017, 22:23
John_Adam1
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Ok, so in that case I suggest you go down to an independent local respected used car dealer and check out what they have out of the following list:

Ford Fiesta, VW Polo, Vauxhall Corsa, Honda Jazz, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Micra, Citroen C2 or C3, Ford KA, Fiat Punto, Renault Clio, Peugeot 207, Seat Ibiza, etc... and see which one you feel most comfortable in and that you like the look of best, fits your budget, etc.
Something along the lines of one of these small cars will suit you pretty well IMO.

Also, go for a petrol version and 1.4l engine max. A 1.2 would be even better for keeping insurance lower.
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Old Yesterday, 02:49
David (2)
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Very small cars (city cars)...

Toyota IQ

VW up (or skodo Citigo, or seat mii - all the same thing).

Vauxhall viva (these haven't been around long, so quite expensive).

Ford Ka 2nd generation.

Hyundia i10 (2nd generation from 2014).

Toyota aygo (or Citroen C1 or Peugeot 107 - all the same). New version is much nicer than original, but all are cheap as chips to run. Lots of original ones around.


Superminis....bigger than city cars.

Ford Fiesta.

Vauxhall corsa

VW polo (or skoda fabia)

Nissan micra

Toyota Yaris, 3rd generation.

......if you need more carry space, but the running costs of a superminI, then choose the Honda Jazz or the cheaper option, Nissan note.


Older cars worth a look....
Toyota Yaris, 1st + 2nd generation purely for their reliability......personally I hate the way these things drive and their "quirky" cabin design.

Nissan micra

Honda Jazz (if the extra space is needed).

Toyota aygo, Citroen c1, Peugeot 107 - original version. The spiritual successor to the original mini. Drives like a go-cart. Cheap to run. Much more fun than the 1st + 2nd generation Yaris,


If your doing lots of miles go for a diesel. If not, choose petrol. If you do lots of short trips, choose petrol. Some of the new petrols and not so new ones (original Toyota aygo) give diesel style economy from a petrol engine.

I would personally avoid fiat, Renault, and any pergeot other than the 107, and any Citroen other than the C1.

The original shape ford ka is now dirt cheap, but they will be rusting away by now.
Older VW cars can sometimes need a bit more TLC spent on them. Typically 2002 to 09 polo's will eat thru their suspension bushes every 3 years which is costly to fix. The fuel delivery pipe can suffer fatigue due to vibration on diesel models (cheap to fix). Windscreen wipers can be problematic, as can door locks (expensive).

Vauxhall corsa can be a bit hit or miss. Personally I would avoid the 1.3cdti engine, and the latest corsa might catch fire on you. Of the corsa circa '97 onwards, I would avoid the 1.0 petrol engine. Of the 2003 facelifted corsa, I would avoid all of those for steering rack issues.
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Old Yesterday, 11:12
Porcupine
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I've just bought myself a Hyundai i20. Its a 2013 reg and 1.2 engine. I absolutely love it and got in for just over £4k. Also its £30 a year road tax.
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Old Yesterday, 13:20
razorback Tony
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Ok, so in that case I suggest you go down to an independent local respected used car dealer.
These can usually be found next to a field, where unicorns share the space with one legged chickens, eating six leaved clover.
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Old Yesterday, 13:30
howardl
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KIA Picanto, 50mpg, zero tax....nice drive, I've had one for 2 yrs...love it
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Old Yesterday, 13:51
John_Adam1
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These can usually be found next to a field, where unicorns share the space with one legged chickens, eating six leaved clover.
Where I live there are a few independent used car dealerships which are generally well reviewed. Of course, there will always be unhappy customers in this business, but most the reviews are favourable.
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Old Yesterday, 18:19
cosmic buttplug
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This Warranty Wise reliability index might be worth a browse.

Reliability Rating Top Ten best

1 Mitsubishi Lancer 4.00
2 Toyota iQ 4.00
3 Honda Jazz 5.00
4 Honda Insight 7.00
5 Nissan Almera Tino 12.00
6 Hyundai i10 12.00
7 Mercedes-Benz CLC 14.00
8 Mazda MX-5 15.00
9 CHEVROLET KALOS 16.00
10 Ford Ka 16.00


Reliability Rating Bottom 10 Worst


1 Nissan GT-R 626.00
2 Mercedes-Benz GL 533.00
3 Bentley Continental GT 502.00
4 Mercedes-Benz R-Class 490.00
5 Audi Q7 426.00
6 Mercedes-Benz M-Class 409.00
7 BMW M3 408.00
8 Skoda Superb 360.00
9 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 359.00
10 BMW 7 Series 350.00
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Old Yesterday, 20:08
Flash525
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I've only ever had two cars, and both of them were/are Renault Clio's. Haven't ever had much to do in the way of repairs either (though the first one collided with a tree, but you can't really count that).

They're nice little cars, easy to park, easy to drive, I'm told a little heavy on the clutch, but I've never really driven any other car to compare. You could probably pick a half decent one up for £3000 too.

Edit: Just some examples

Example #1
Example #2
Example #3

Those are all the newer model (compared to mine), so you could potentially go cheaper than £3000 too. There's an even newer model than those posted above which looks nice, but you're typically looking at £5500+ for them.
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Old Yesterday, 22:25
Jimmy Connors
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A few people are mentioning the Nissan Micra. I would avoid the K12 Micra (2002–2010)


My OH's 2006 Micra is nothing but constant trouble with the electrics. I am the one who sorts the problems, The boot used to open whilst the car was moving, and then refused to close. The boot would open whilst the car was parked, so the boot light would drain the battery. Power steering motor fails. The electric windows only work when they feel like it.

It was just one thing after another, even now the the seatbelt alarm constantly makes a noise and the red light on the dash flashes. Diagnostics shows no fault.

The electrics on these cars are terrible. Are they associated with Renault? I have heard they are something to do with Renault but not too sure. I don't know what the newer models are like though.

Just stick to Toyota, Honda, and Mazda.
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Old Yesterday, 23:51
Lidtop2013
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A few people are mentioning the Nissan Micra. I would avoid the K12 Micra (2002–2010)


My OH's 2006 Micra is nothing but constant trouble with the electrics. I am the one who sorts the problems, The boot used to open whilst the car was moving, and then refused to close. The boot would open whilst the car was parked, so the boot light would drain the battery. Power steering motor fails. The electric windows only work when they feel like it.

It was just one thing after another, even now the the seatbelt alarm constantly makes a noise and the red light on the dash flashes. Diagnostics shows no fault.

The electrics on these cars are terrible. Are they associated with Renault? I have heard they are something to do with Renault but not too sure. I don't know what the newer models are like though.

Just stick to Toyota, Honda, and Mazda.
Sure its not just the bad egg of the bunch you've got? years ago my dad had a G- reg Nissan Sunny and i swear that thing got us everywhere and never once broke down. It took us down to devon,wales cornwall etc, think he had it around 10 years and it never let him down, one of the most reliable cars hes ever had. It didnt have any electrical issues either, mind you it probably didnt have as many electrics as a newer car.
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Old Today, 01:07
Jimmy Connors
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Sure its not just the bad egg of the bunch you've got? years ago my dad had a G- reg Nissan Sunny and i swear that thing got us everywhere and never once broke down. It took us down to devon,wales cornwall etc, think he had it around 10 years and it never let him down, one of the most reliable cars hes ever had. It didnt have any electrical issues either, mind you it probably didnt have as many electrics as a newer car.
Weren't the Sunnys on the whole built in Japan? No wonder they were reliable. My Dad had a Datsun Cherry, that went on and one and never wanted to stop.

The K12 Micra's electrical problems with the boot switch is quite a well known problem. Nissan point blank refuse to even acknowledge it's happening. ...

Maybe the OH's Micra is a lemon, but a few others seem to be having similar electrical problems. The engine is bullet proof though.
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Unread Today, 09:20
blueisthecolour
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I owned a Skoda Fabia (57 - model) and it was nothing but trouble. I spent around £800 on it every year for 7 years.

Of course that might be a one off bad car. It was an ex loan car when I got it from the garage with 15,000 miles on.
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