Currently driving a Fiat Bravo Sport as my daily car…it's 3 years old and don't 29k – 1.4T petrol – very nice to drive on long journeys but it does approx. 8k miles a year. I think it's too big for me and I'm thinking of getting rid of it in the next 4 months – it costs a fair amount on fuel (considering mileage); servicing isn't bad but not cheap; tyres are about £120 a corner and it get's driven about 15 miles each day to work – so not really giving the engine a decent run and road tax isn't cheap for it.

We have a Ford S-Max for family duties – wife runs a couple of music schools so it also gets used for carting instruments around. If we are away anywhere as a family we use that – bikes on roof and and away we go.

I'm needing a smaller car for my daily commute and sometimes bike trip away – normally myself and bike but may be myself plus 1 other (and bikes).

So, I'm looking for reliability, cheapness (to buy), decent running costs (given I'm only likely to be doing 10k a year max, I'm not looking to be filling up every week or have to sell kidneys every 6 months on servicing and parts); cheap road tax and I'd also like a wee bit of oomph – not looking for major power but just something that doesn't make me want to get out and run as it would be faster. It has to be able to fit a bike (with wheels off) in the back. Current car has a few mod-cons that I'd really like, but mainly a USB port to play music over, a decent sound system and a bluetooth handsfree kit.

I'm not looking to buy new but it would be nice to have something with a good warranty left on it, which is making me think ex-demo…but I'm not sure.

I'm totally stuck as I really don't know what is out there…not looking for specific model advice more the type of things I should be looking for i.e. a small engined diesel – great for cheap road tax and good mpg but is it economical at that yearly mileage?

I'm a complete ignorant fool when it comes to cars so when I go into a garage I'm pretty much putty in the salesman's hands so I'm looking for things to be asking/looking for and ideally a list of 6-10 cars that I should be looking at…

I even think a Fiesta-sized car is going to be too big for everything else but my bike carrying needs…

Totally confused, thanks.

I'm think the Bravo is seriously underused

Isn't a Bravo a small car anyway, and tbh its cost you the big money (depreciation) already.

Keep it.

b r +1. You'd be silly to sell.

1. ^ that.
2. ride to work.
3. if you really have to get rid, do '2', and get a van.

I currently have a clio rental car. 60mpg auto lights and wipers, awesome little car, I'm going to be sad when my company car comed

I got it ex-demo so already had the worst of the depreciation gone…it's the same size as a Golf/Astra – just seems huge for 1 person sitting in it…running costs also seem high for the mileage I'm doing – I worked out if I had a longer drive each day and increased my yearly mileage to 12k, it wouldn't cost me anymore on fuel (I'm averaging about 32mpg just now; adding an extra 4k miles per year and I'd be getting about 39mpg (give or take a bit)).

I'm not getting all environmental-friendly and stuff, just reckon it's costing me too much a month to run when I don't need it to do any more – so I thinking I should get a smaller car and save some cash…Finance is less than what the car value is so I'm not loosing anything there…but I'll get it traded/sold in 3-4 months time but need to start doing some research.

Can't ride to work as I collect my daughter from childminder; work funny hours and can't get home to collect car to make it to childminder in time – admittedly childminder is only for another 10 months.

Next big service is due in March next year and I've not been given a price yet but it's a major service with cam belt getting done (even though it should be done at 72k miles, as this is the 4th year service it will need done (although it's likely to only have 35k on the clock) – which again makes me think it's costing me too much.

It is a very good car, but it just isn't being used enough (and doesn't need to be used any more than it is) – so I'm thinking go smaller and save some money – road tax is £185 for it – it's 2gm/k over the limit – and that annoys me as well – impulsive buy instead of researching first! It's got the 18" alloys which makes the tyres more pricey…I'm looking at reducing my overall running costs. Something like a small engined diesel will (should) give me more mileage (currently getting about 360 miles from a tank – probably largely due to short journeys made) therefore less fuelling up and therefore hopefully less costs each month. Go for something with smaller wheels and the tyres become slightly cheaper; small-engined diesels also tend to have very low road tax on them (but admittedly diesel is more expensive to buy – but just now it seems to be more expensive by 1p in my area).

I'd love to do Del's number 2 but it isn't possible just now – when it does I'll be doing even less mileage so it will become an even bigger issue (save on fuel but road tax and servicing will still need done).

You don't do enough miles to warrant a diesel.They cost more and struggle to get to correct operating temperatue on short journeys.
Any modern small car will be fine….but steer clear of daft over-sized wheels.

search for EGR on FF Dick your will be better off staying with a petrol for low mileage use

Yes, I think petrol is the way forward…only real attraction for diesel in small engines/small cars to me is the ultra low road tax…sure I'd be in the same boat as I am now due to low mileage and short journeys…

Petrol it is…just what though…pain in the hoop!

Berlingo would answer all my practical needs apart from overall cost of ownership (and the fact it wouldn't get used to it's benefit for 95% of it's life and the 5% it would could be done in the S-Max) – there are a few cars I fancy but none meet my practical needs (cheap(ish) to buy, very cheap to run and spares are 'cheap') – hence the thought on a small car – for my mileage and usage a big car really is overkill (the Bravo is overkill and that's Golf/Astra/Focus-sized).

I think your almost driving the answer, but just the next model down. I have a Fiat Grande Punto, with tow bar and thule bike rack, 7k miles per annum and spends most of it's life in carparks/home. Also i used contract hire for the last 2 cars and it's worked out well this one was approx. £500 deposit (3 months payments up front) and then £136/month, inc road fund license and 1 service due in 3 years. check out nationwide vehicle contracts on google………hope it helps

you might save yourself 50 quid/year in road tax. maybe a few hundred quid in fuel/insurance/tyres. how much do you need to spend to do that?
are the numbers really going to add up for a new car which will be an unknown quantity?
if you just fancy changing – fair enough, but i think you need to be honest with yourself…

A bigger car is almost always better built and equipped than the next smallest model, in many cases totally irrespective of trim level etc. Fiesta and Punto sized cars attract a price premium due to their suitability for new drivers but a brava / focus will be much better in terms of cabin quality and mechanical underpinnings. The extra "little bit of space" makes it much easier to loads bikes into the boot saving you from requiring a rack.

Cars cost money so what ever you get it isn't going to be cheap! It's all about what you want really. My wife has a polo diesel on the options type scheme. When she got it we looked at ford fiesta and Citroën c1's etc. Worked out that we could have a diesel polo for the same money, basically because the residual is better on a diesel polo. It now has free servicing for 3 years, £30 tax.

Be honest with myself? I think I am…the Bravo is a very good car, but it's being seriously underused and I'm sure that isn't doing the engine any favours either. For 1 person (who has access to a near-van-sized vehicle as well) the Bravo is just too big…I'm looking for a smaller car that will meet my day-to-day needs but could also accommodate a bike or 2 (either inside or on the roof) and still get me to where I need to be. It's effectively the second-car so really there is no need for it to be that size…a smaller car (from practical terms) should save money in terms of tax/insurance (and hopefully fuel and parts as they are likely to be cheaper – assuming like-for-like need replaced).

Agree that the larger cars normally hvae better build quality but to me a car is a tool to get me from A to B and back again so I'm not bothered about fancy interior (although I would seriously miss a handsfree kit!).

Can't ride to work as I collect my daughter from childminder; work funny hours and can't get home to collect car to make it to childminder in time – admittedly childminder is only for another 10 months.

Keep what you have for 10 months and then see where you are? Maybe you can do without a second car, or maybe you'll find that you still really need it. Even if you sold it at the beginning of summer (good time to sell!), rode your bike for 3/4 months and then bought in autumn (good time to buy!), you'd be saving a bunch of money.

You have a car that you like, that is in good condition and well-serviced and that isn't a huge car anyway…is it worth going out to swim in the shark-filled waters for the sake of saving not that much petrol and tax? Every car is going to need tyres and service.

Nothing with wanting a change because you're bored but you don't see to be in that boat. IMVO.

You would be best keeping it.
* You know how it's been looked after – buy something else and it may cost you a fortune
* You've taken the depreciating hit – why sell now just as its levelling out?
* You will lose money when you sell and again when you buy unless you do both privately which is a real hassle and you will be without a car for a while
* Timing belt changes are dependent on mileage, not age so you will not need to change it next year
* For 8k per year petrol is the right choice – break even is about 15k per year

How to choose a car:

1. Do not look at it yet or read the specification
2. Open rear hatch/door
3. Place 2 complete bikes inside. If they do not fit, FAIL! Go to next car.
4. Repeat above process until you find a car that will take the bikes.
5. Buy car.

Point to remember. Your manhood is not enhanced by a rapidly depreciating asset no matter how noisy/fast/red it is.

My manhood? What has that got to do with the car? Clearly from my posts I'm after practicality not sexual prowess…

Right, will have another look at figures…the answers telling me to keep the car do sound very valid…so I'll do some checks…just seems such a waste of this car to do so little mileage…and I'm therefore starting to think I should get a cheaper car to also save some money (waste on other things).

Not convinced a smaller chaeper car would save you money. Ok so you might pay a little less on servicing/insurance/fuel/tyres, but over the 3 or 4 yrs I guess you would keep it that would probably be less than the cost of changing. I went through similar a few yrs ago and regretted making the change as it saved me no money over the overall 6 yr period of the 2 cars.

Fiestas etc are big enough for biking if you don't have people in the back seats.

I know you said you didn't want diesel, but the Seat Ibiza ecomotive has an extra-urban figure of 95mpg! That wouldn't take long to pay back the price premium.

If your Bravo is a sporty thing then tyres and everythign will be more expensive. You dno't need to be spending £480 on new tyres.

Probably better off keeping it, but if like me you basically drive to work in it and leave it in a car park, you might get some cash back in your pocket by buying an MOT'd and taxed 1L whatever off Ebay and driving it till it breaks, then repeat.
Depends on having RAC membership, a tolerance for sitting on hard shoulders with people making rude signs at you, and transport to go and get your next beater…
It's not that bad actually. Most small japanese motors are good bets, and you may get 3 or 4 years out of one if you're lucky and spend a little on it.

Can't help you with the maths, but it might be a way to free up cash locked in your current car if you need it.

mrs rex had an older petrol yaris that we took 2 bikes in on holiday regularly. 1 litre petrol averaged 53mpg, but was gutless so i'd suggest a 1.3.
reliable too, cheap to insure / tax.

Dealers will look to make between 500 and 2000 pounds per sale. I'd suggest keeping it, use a good independent garage for servicing, and drive it economically.

To my mind the only reason for selling would be to buy a banger and free up some cash, and you and your wife use the s-max as much as possible.

Thread drift but….what do you think of the s-max? I'm thinking of getting one to replace my banger 🙂

smurf