Looking into buying a car this year* which will be our first and after something cheap, reliable and able to much a few miles. Moon on a stick in the boot would be a nice touch. Mate recently bought a 1.5 diesel clio and something similar would suit us. Not formalised a budget but was hoping 2k would get something that’ll run without too much fuss for the next couple years after which I *should* be working and can afford to repair it should things start to fall off..

It’ll be the insurance that’s the killer no doubt but something which has good mpg as want to head to Scotland from Derby a couple times a year and also not a beast to drive as my gf will be learning to drive in it. Apart from that it’ll be for daily 45 min commute or weekly 90 min commute so nothing to strenuous. Cheers!

*we’ll my gf will be buying it, I’ll be driving it 😉

Bump

To be honest, £2k doesn’t get much of a reliable economical diesel these days, unless you’re willing to have something >100K miles.
Only know as i’d like something similar myself and the price of 2nd hand cars seems to have gone up more than with inflation since 4yrs ago when I last bought a car…
I ended up buying a decent RS Clio 172 because the diesels costed more & I didn’t need the greater economy!

I’ve got a Clio 1.5 dCi which is ok around town & short trips but is horrid on the motorway. Overtaking anything faster than a moth is terrifying.

No problems with reliablity and it’s done over 100k. I think it’s a 2003 phase 2 model if that helps.

The important bit is that I can get two bikes (front wheels removed) plus passengers in it.

I may be derided for this but a couple of months ago I bought a 1995 Peugeot 205 diesel for my weekly Portsmouth to Plymouth run (160 miles). Now whilst it looks an absolute heap, it goes like the clappers, gives 50 mpg and by all accounts these things are bullet proof plus they cost stuff all to repair. All in £400.
I’m happy with it

ok maybe need to readjust either budget or expectations then?

Forget it

Get. A small petrol

For a couple trips a year its not worth the extra cost to buy , service and fuel

Youd need to be doing 12-15k a year to make diesels worth it !

Pug 306 2.0 HDI, I got 55mpg and it did 186,000 with few problems and then sadly died (*fuel problem, I decided uneconomical to repair)

, not sure how home mechanic friendly though

i’m going to stick with diesel, even the short commute is 30 miles each way and can’t see how a petrol is going to be as or more economical.

I’m in the motor trade & like folk have said £2k dosn’t get you a lot,with £3k you could look German to say a polo tdi,make sure it’s not crippled with owners,& a good service history is a must ,trouble with French stuff,apart from its French !,is the build quality,stuff falls off they’re v fragile !.

3k 🙁
Then need to find money to insure the damned thing. Then fill it with diesel. Bloody hell.

Seat Ibiza, end of thread. Loved mine to bits.

How do you currently cover your 30 mile commute ?

Combination of public transport and scabbing lifts but it changes depending on placements. Can be as far as 65 miles or as close as 20min walk. Still to get allocation for May to Feb but as I’ve had most of mine up to this point close by then usually they punt you out to the sticks afterwards.

EDIT: I’m sure some people will say to cycle but it’s just not practical. Aside from carrying books I also need to take a full change of clothes and shoes, plus there aren’t secure areas to lock a bike or showers generally. Some sites it will be an option but those are generally (and annoyingly) the places I wouldn’t drive to anyway.

For a couple trips a year its not worth the extra cost to buy , service and fuel

Youd need to be doing 12-15k a year to make diesels worth it !

That’s just bollocks ime.
What is all this ‘extra’ servicing that diesels require exactly?

Like Gunz, I ran 205 non turbo diesels for years as a skint student, truly shoestring motoring although I was able to do work to them myself. Hard to find one now though, wouldn’t like to crash one either. I hit a tree whilst ‘rallying’ at about 25mph. Destroyed it! The fat boy in the passenger seat with no seatbelt wrecked the interior and windscreen too 😆

I’d go with molgrips, look for an Ibiza.

So you havnt had a remotely recent diesel then

Im a diesel fan and would much rather drive a diesel than a petrol infact i borrowed the mrs petrol car and hated it and was glad to get back to me van but i digress ( and infact i run an engine very similar to your 205s xud

Dual mass fly wheels and clutches have turned into service items as have the dpfs.

Oh and petrol cars have come along way – mrs tr 1.4 golf bought for under 2k returns better mpg than my peugeot partner diesel …… I always swore id never have another petrol car after my last 1.6 doing 28mpg religeously but have been pleaently surprised

Good luck getting something with DPF and DMF for 2K as OP asked!
I’ve had diesels ever since the 205 glory days, still don’t know why people go on about the extra service costs though.
Currently got an Octavia VRS.

Seen plenty when i was looking for the golf ….. Perhaps englands different to aberdeen!

I should add mostly mondeos with circa 100k miles where the owners i presume were anticipating dmf failure

i have to agree with GUNZ on this one , i bought a 1998 passat 1.9 tdi for 250 quid 12 months ago and apart from 2 new tyres it aint missed a beat ,gives me 45 mpg and goes like stink 😀

Get one of the last 106 diesels , 1.5 bulletproof, cheap to insure cheap to run 60mpg , a zest 3 in a nice colour has all the bits on, not the fastest thing but when it costs so little and looks a decent car who’s bothered.
Had a 205 diesel but they are too old hat IMHO
Failing that a 306 meridian diesel should be around 2 k these days on a y 51 plate or if your lucky a 307 but I failed to get more than 45mpg out of mine.
Had diesels for last 15 years now and unless I wanted a Sunday sports car wouldn’t have another petrol

Can you get a seat Leon for your budget? Worth a look.

Golf mk4 1.9tdi 90bhp circa 120k for 2k. No DPF and no DMF. Bullet proof and will run to 200k if serviced. I had the estate and while not being the best handling car it was economical and reliable.

Seat Ibiza 1.9tdi. Mine has done 165k and still going strong. Dis 58mpg on my last tank, a mix of (steady) motorway and town driving. Have done 100k in it myslef and it’s been good – had to have a clutch (£400) but otherwise cheap to run. Actually mine is an SDI which is very slow and quite noisy, but the Tdi is meant to be much better and similar economy. Take a look at the Seat Leon or Toledo too – a bit bigger (Golf sized).

i’m going to stick with diesel, even the short commute is 30 miles each way and can’t see how a petrol is going to be as or more economical.

But as you’ve said, its your first car…, and he cost of fuel is only one element in the cost of running a car.

£2k will get you a decent car, but not if you are looking like everyone else at small economical (diesel) cars.

Why not get something big and deeply unfashionable (read: cheap) like a vectra or signum or something?

£2k will get you a decent car, but not if you are looking like everyone else at small economical (diesel) cars.

What would you suggest then?

Why not get something big and deeply unfashionable (read: cheap) like a vectra or signum or something?

Big prob not great for gf to learn to drive in but unfashionable could be a winner, currently looking up skodas..

Try a Citroen Xzara, I had one for 4 years, did 50k mile son it 50mpg and that was the 110bhp one.

apart from tyres and brakes, I spent nowt on it.

Well imo it wont matter what you buy as long as it has full service history ,no major services coming up and only a hand ful of previous owners – fewer is better

Saab 9-3 with the 2.2tid engine was pretty good for me. Chain driven engine and none of the modern problematic parts.

Got a fairly heavy right foot and it wouldn’t see less than 40mpg. Swallowed a bike in the back nothing removed (from the bike – parcel shelf out and seats down!).

You may be surprised as someone mentioned above less popular stuff can be cheaper to insure.

Ford Focus estate tdci 110 hp, 126,000, regular servicing, nothing else,05 plate, runs like a train, 55gallon, never let me down,get bike across the boot with the wheels out, spends plenty of time up and down farm tracks to, not a clonk on rattle to date, Fantastic car, just boring. 😀

I am tempted to say a peugeot 306 HDI too as I have one (my 3rd 306) and it is great but I am biased as I have had 306’s for a long time and love the way they handle and I can fix just about anything on them for peanuts.

My latest is a 51 plate estate with 125k on the clock (got it with 122k in the summer). I easily get 55mpg if not low 60’s on a run, costs £130 a year to tax and it failed the mot this year on a numberplate light I forgot to check.

But they do have problems such as rear torsion bar bearings failing (£350 for a refurb beam with warranty) which is why I won’t say you “should” get one. But worth considering. Mine cost me £1k with 122k on the clock, FSH, new rear beam and recent tyres and front suspension. It has a few minor niggles but no rust (which is nice).