Need a smallish car for work,(2 grand max) 10 miles a day so mpg not that vital, sometimes 2/3 extra bods + kit to drive so not too small,(Yaris/Corsa/Micra too much of a squeeze) but reliable !
Mate has a 2002 Nissan Almera 5 dr 1.8 sport for £1500 with 70k on the clock, seems ideal for what I want.

Any opinions, or alternatives to consider ?
Cheers, D.

BMW X6

Almera's are boringly reliable – I have a MK1 (P -Plate) and it refuses to die. The 1.5 in the newer version is a bit weedy so 1.8 a better idea if mpg not important. The lighter interiors look grubby very quickly.

I can get 3 bikes & 2 people and kit in my MK1 3 door but I wouldn't expect to get that in an 2002 model.

I can thoroughly reccommend a Mk3 Polo, mine had been great and only needed wear and tear sorting – tyres, brakes and some suspension bushes. And you can get them for dirt cheap, so keep some extra for repairs etc. Get a 1.6 – only an extra 15hp over the 1.4 but much more torque, mine handles fully laden long hilly trips easily.

I struggled to find an Olop at a sensible price. I also looked for a 323 for sensible money. Ended up with an ex-fleet Focus…

Mk IV VW Golf? Just picked one up today. Ticks all the boxes.

The almera sounds a good buy to me. If its in good condition and been regulay serviced it should be a good buy. The price is about right as well for a mate sale.