I'm looking for a cheap, small car... I say cheap, but I had no idea how expensive used cars are nowadays. Something really small and cheap to run like a citroen C1, Hyundai i10 etc. Less than 10 years old ideally.
I've looked at facebook marketplace which seems to be full of scammers, Gumtree doesn't seem quite as scammy and also ebay.
I guess my budget will have to be up to £5k (so, not as cheap as I had hoped). Any idea where else to look online?
Unfortunately youre looking for a car lots of other people are also looking for!
Autotrader/eBay are usually ok, FB marketplace is okay to see what else they have for sale to make sure they're not driveway traders.
Check the .gov page for MOT history, also do a search for 'when v5 last issued' to find the .gov page to see how long they've owned it. Other than that look for decent branded tyres and branded/genuine filters and battery.
Unicorn cars are out there but need searching for.
Watching this thread with some interest now that our new car’s delivery date has become dynamic and our current car gets returned mid-March.
Might want a car for a month or three and a car like the OP describes might do the job before being handed on to a family member.
This time of year 2 seater convertibles are cheap if you only want something short term.
C1 Aygo and i10 etc are popular amongst newly qualified drivers and old biddys so are over valued. Look for something unpopular for better value. Unpopular cars can be as cheap to insure as small ones as they aren't involved in as many accidents.
Why a small car ?
As above there is demand for small cars so they are expensive for what you get.
Ive always found Mondeo sized cars much nicer, more comfortable places to be and they can be much more economical depending on your type of driving
Just go in autotrader with your value in mind and don’t just look at small cars
Why a small car? Preference. I don't have any need for a larger car, prefer driving a small car, easier to park, uses less fuel etc. I will also be sharing it with my 17 year old so insurance cost is a big factor.
Any suggestions for less popular small cars that might be cheap to buy & drive? I know nothing about cars and have no interest in what name the badge on the back of it says!
Thanks
If you're anywhere near North Devon, Chops specialises in this sort of thing:
https://www.cgcarsales.co.uk/shop
Has a YouTube channel and seems one of the good car dealers.
Suzuki Baleno, built on the swift platform, totally boring, less in demand than a swift. So dull that only a pensioner would buy one.
Usual thing, check the underside for corrosion. Check where the car has been. People don't look after cars these days, and whilst the paint may look nice, the subframes etc are often rotten and costly to fix. An Aygo we had for 4 years needed quite a bit of TLC underneath - it was from the North East. Also avoid Scottish cars.
My van, purchased at 3 years old, had lived around Bristol - absolutely mint underneath.
We are looking for similar and focussing on an i10. At present I’m using autotrader and the MOT history check website. Looking around London there are. lot of possibles, when i looked around the somerset area, was there at the weekend, virtually nothing so location has a bearing on it. Having looked once on it for a sofa I wouldn’t use facebook marketplace place to buy anything, ever.
We are also looking at i20s, Suzuki swifts and maybe a yaris but they seem to have a bit of a rep for rust on the subframes, and as of now suzuki balenos!
We are looking for similar and focussing on an i10. At present I’m using autotrader and the MOT history check website. Looking around London there are. lot of possibles, when i looked around the somerset area, was there at the weekend, virtually nothing so location has a bearing on it. Having looked once on it for a sofa I wouldn’t use facebook marketplace place to buy anything, ever.
We are also looking at i20s, Suzuki swifts and maybe a yaris but they seem to have a bit of a rep for rust on the subframes, and as of now suzuki balenos!
Don't forget the Kia option: Picanto and Rio, unless you specifically want Hyundai. Same basic car but Kia has a longer 7 year warranty limited to 100,000 miles v Hyundai 5 years and unlimited miles. Look at the i20x / Venga as well
I've a 10 year old (66 plate) 108 I'm looking to sell.
Recently replaced it with another Berlingo due to growing family.
It lived in Bristol for its first 6 years before i brought it to Aberdeen. . Its a GT line - Leather interior/ crash avoidance/lane assistance/Climate control. I've done the wet belt 2 years - 20k miles ago and i had a Stainless steel copy of the original exhaust fabbed up ( originals are notoriously rotty) and 4 vredestein quadtrac all seasons.
50k miles Mot till november 2 keys etc. Its not mint - needs the lacquer sorting on the plastic door handles but the price would reflect. Not actually advertised it yet - was waiting on weather to fix the lacquer issue .
(and its never been a learner / NQD car - i bought it for me as our second car and used it solely by me)
uses less fuel etc. I will also be sharing it with my 17 year old so insurance cost is a big factor.
The fact is they don’t unless driven like an absolute granny and never using the turbo (which is nigh on impossible)
Small cars can be much more expensive to insure because young people tend to buy them and crash them
big cars tend to be expensive for young uns due to the damage they can do when they hit stuff.
Odd stuff tends to be expensive due to cost to repair,
if you want to be cheaper you need to find the sweet spot between size and undesirability. - Ford fusion instead of fiesta , Jazz instead of civic that kind of stuff.
i had an escort Ghia when i was 17 as it was much cheaper than the cheaper to buy LX to insure....
STW Classifieds wanted ad?
Thanks for the replies..I've run multiple insurance quotes for different cars and every time a 1L small car comes out cheapest. (I also want a small car).
Is there anywhere else worth looking for used car sales. Budget is already stretched, so ideally a private sale. Already looked at scam central Facebook marketplace, gumtree and autotrader. Any other sites where people advertise cars?
Thanks.
Having been through this recently (slightly bigger car, but quite rigid budget and mileage/age requirements).
I despaired of FB, eBay, etc. so used Autotrader and inputted my requirements + looking within a certain radius. Found 2 or 3 local 2nd hand car garages with suitable cars and then went and looked and test drove a few cars. Probably paid a slight premium over a private sale but the benefits are a limited warranty, they serviced and MOT'd it before I picked it up and were generally very friendly.
Private sales used to be worth it over dealers, but prices seem to have crept up dramatically over the last few years and if the car breaks down once you've left then your shit out of luck!
Aygo here, cheapest car I ve ever run. 20 quid tax, 150 ins, 150 service. It's worth what we paid 7 years ago. They go for strong money as they are so cheap to run.
Private sales used to be worth it over dealers, but prices seem to have crept up dramatically over the last few years and if the car breaks down once you've left then your shit out of luck!
There’s always lawn sausages? 🤣🤣🤣
Private sales used to be worth it over dealers, but prices seem to have crept up dramatically over the last few years and if the car breaks down once you've left then your shit out of luck!
There’s always lawn sausages? 🤣🤣🤣
Bombers, wee in their shoes and sausages will only get you so far 😉
I've always been lucky with private car sales, but a mate got totally stung with a VW Camper purchase a few years ago, the cambelt went and lunched the engine on the drive home.
Think it cost him him £8k for a new engine + fitting on top of what he'd paid for the camper (not sure but probably getting on for £20k?). The previous owner didn't want to know at all, obviously they played the 'sold as seen' card, and though my mate was very angry, he had no rights. Caveat Emptor and all that!
I'm selling a 2017 Fabia SEL 1.0tsi manual estate 85k mile, £6k, in central Scotland at present....
I'm no longer selling the Fabia - Gumtree saw two advert replies, one came the next afternoon and drove off having negotiated £200 off as it needs a service within next couple of months. Really smooth sale.