Fiesta sized, most it'll ever have to cope with is 2 people and 2 bikes, so an estate seems unnececary.
Idealy arround £600ish
Economical
Reliable (at least the electical bits that cant be fixed cheeply)
Easy to work on (for everything else, brakes, supension, engine etc)
I'd get a Fiesta.
[i]Fiesta sized[/i]
This is a clue isn't it?
Older shaped Corsa. Simple, easy and cheap to fix, and the 1.2 engines will go on forever if they are looked after.
I wouldn't recommend a small car, despite your planned lack of luggage/passengers.
They're (generally) not very good in accidents.
Older Fords/Vauxhalls fit the bill - cheap to buy, easy to work on and parts easy to source.
Escort/Astra estate?
Got an M reg Micra, it has been rolled into walls, broken into twice so replaced the door (green one onto a white car, I like it!) had the battery replaced once after it was totally run out and started to get a bit temperamental. It is actually my fianceé's and she has had it for 4 or 5 years I think.
Driven as hard or easy as I like and it hasn't missed a beat, keep expecting it to fail the MOT badly but just needs the odd tweek.
I would heartily recommend one.
EDIT- one bike wheels off in the boot, easily, could fit two but they would be on top of each other so use a rack if taking two.
yea, I know they dont like being crashed, but my last car was an MG midget, so im used to the whole idea of even mini's towering over me!
fiesta sized as in fiesta/corsa/older golf/newer polo/older astra etc etc, just happened to see a mk4 (pre facelift) fiesta for sale at the end of the road today for £600, and reasnobly tempted.
Vauxhall Astravan 1.7 td.
Reliable, fairly quick, cheap.
I'm on my third one(in the last 12years)
You can chuck anything in them.
Never paid more than £600
None of them owed me anything.
Aygo,Citroen,Peugot,Toyota, all the same car,different name, and dealer quality,
Fiesta,
Corsa,
Micra,
Astra,
Get a Peugeot 205 1.8d
Probably the most reliable car ever. 50+ mpg
Fold the rear seats down and its like a van. Late models have PAS, you can get a turbo version which is quick too. Also, from 1988 on, all models are zinc coated (galvanized) so there shouldn't be rust issues. Fiestas and Corsas great but rot for fun.....
[url= http://www.smartmadness.com/servlet/the-34/smart-car-Sport-Rack/Detail ]SMART CAR[/url]
Can recommend a Fiesta. I have an 02 4-door 1.4 Zetec. Reliable (so far), room for one bike behind the front seats and loads of gear, or up to three bikes easily with the seats down.
£6k will get you a lot of car.
£6k will get you lots of car but unfortunately his budget is only £600 😀
For what its worth my house mate had an old shape (I'd guess mkI) corsa that was very reliable.
How about another MG Midget?
I've got dibbs on my parents midget as soon as ive got a garrage to put it in.
You'll learn come deceber that MG's just dissolve, our's is a re-shell so as close to new as you can get. Waxoyled as well. But on its first trip out on (dry) salty roads the inevitable rust appeared! Why they don't galvanise the re-shells i'll never know!
mk 2 golf gtd
space, oomph, economical, plenty of parts and back-up, hard as nails, fairly fun for an old diesel
Thing is with a fiesta of this age, the mot starts getting expensive. Mine needed exhaust work, suspension work, brake adjustments and something else too. Its only a w reg and has 50k on it.
Has been reliable day to day tho.
@ £600 why be so fussy?
So long as it has some tax and a longish mot then anything will do
Pugs/Clios/Fiestas/Skodas/Micras/Almeras etc. Just look at your local rags and go see a few. At that price you may just hit it lucky. I got a cracking Kia Pride, 2 bikes in the boot no problem. Really nice little car, lasted me and daughter 3yrs before getting rid with only the clutch needing replaced @ 80k+
peugeot 106 diesel (1.5) - should get 60+ mpg on a good run, 50 mpg normal driving. I paid £725 for an R reg last night. Its my second one. I like them as the are easy to drive, pretty cheap to run and spares are easy to get.
Old Almerias are good, my lass has her dad's old one, R reg, nearly no rust and has been very reliable and MOTs have been very cheap.
For sale if you're interested, £500!
You're spending £600. On a car. Don't expect it to be anything but a pile of crap.
Ford KA. well built, easy and cheap to repair, can fit 2 bikes in.
Mine did 100k miles and bar some new brakes was fine.
Can't recommend it enough.