I am very slowly approaching the new-for-me car time. Diesel, 1.4 absolute max, under 8 years, small-ish. The budget is 1750 quid. I'm thinking a Pug 206 if it ever had a small burner would be perfect. Please help.
BTW If a petrol jobbie is any good, I'll consider it too. It will have to be economical though. So no GTi, no VTi, no SRi. Very sadly.

Why 1.4 max?

Because road tax in Ireland is stupid – 630 euro per year for my 406 diesel, 500+ for a 2003 corolla 1.6. Besides, my journeys are usually 28 miles return trip to work, tesco rounds, not many miles at all. The tax as things stand costs me more than fuel. If it's under 1400cc it'll be cheap.

there was a 206 1.4hdi but not sure if they sold it in the uk? the same engine is also in the fiesta as well.
Just look on autotrader and you can get both for under "k but the millages are high.

how much does a diesel yaris go for these days? would fit the bill if cheap enough

failing that, diesel lupos are stupidly economical

+1 for VW lupo / Seat Arosa 1.4tdi, I had the Arosa, great little car, 60+mpg on a decent run, never less than 45mpg. Quite pokey too.

Same engine went in the polo too from around 2002 onwards I think, maybe earlier

Humm…

You are going to be struggling I think, diesels are only just getting popular here in the last 5 years or so and unless you go for a really new car they don't have the smaller diesel engines, they are all around the 2 l mark..

I've imported twice from the UK but even then it's expensive because of the VRT (there is a calculator, at the lower end your still looking at 500 yoyos to add on and then there is the cost of the ferry – choice in the north is quite limited).

Most of the smaller (and older than your 8 years) petrol cars (ireland is famous for having cars with the absolute smallest engine possible in a car) are stuck around the 1000-1500yoyo price (rip off basically). Because they are older than 2008 when the emissions law came into effect they still have engine size tax – there isn't a massive drop in tax from 2L to 1.5L say.

To avoid/reduce the tax you need a 2008 irish car or a post july 2008 UK/EU one – so you have to spend a load to save a bit (not worth it).

With your budget you'll be struggling to get a <8 years old car, scrappage has pushed the already artificially high price of old small engined cars up.

How bad is the Pug? I'm currently running a 200SDi that would last you 2 years before the tinworm kills it (it's being replaced with my dad's car once he sells his house).

It's pretty stupid to tax cars on displacement. A 1.8l petrol Honda has the same power as a 2.2l diesel, but the diesel's emissions are lower and fuel economy higher. So it'd be stupid to have to pay mroe tax on a 2.2

It's the irish government you want to have a word with, the Rover L-series engine had the lowest emissions in it's class but that doesn't matter as the tax is based on size.

The VRT on the other hand is based on estimated car value and emissions despite the age of the car. Welcome to ireland.

If you do import, make sure you register it at the tax office on the day or next day – otherwise you have to pay interest at 1% per day on the value. I got collared for this and ended up having my V5 confiscated until I got the ferry ticket to prove it was being traded in back in the UK against another car (which I went to register 30mins after getting off the ferry).

not many miles at all

How many miles is not very many?

I assume the Petrol/Diesel cost ratio is the same over there. If so, it could work out cheaper for you to run a petrol car if your miles are so few.

My mate has a diesel pug 206, its a t reg i think. Seems to break down pretty regularly.

My Pug is slow, not really economical (38mpg), will run out of NCT in a couple of years when it'll also need new tyres and the cam belt. I'm thinking of driving it for about 16 months and then either scrapping it against a new (or nearly new) car from the dealers or selling and buying something.
What I like is a 107, a Swift, a Lupo, maybe a Micra. Not many diesels here I know, but a small petrol engine will be just as good if emissions are low. A go-cart type of a car.