"Down-grading" car… suggestions appreciated.

The current economic situation is taking it's toll. Potential redundancy and cash needs is forcing me to sell my much loved 3 year old Toyota Aygo. Still going to need a car but much cheaper… If I'm down-grading (price wise) I would prefer something moderately interesting, as opposed to an old Metro or similar. Price range £500 – £1000 (maybe a shade more for the right car). Hopefully not long-term..less than a year with luck. Key requirements would be sensible insurance and RELIABILATY. No £500 cars with £1000 replacement ECU's needed every year (Saab's are out). Low milage driver…less than 5000 per year. Fitting a bike in would be a bonus. All suggestions happily investigated.

Rover 220SDi (or SD for slightly slower but cheaper again).

Cheap to run, 0-60mph in under 10secs, 50mpg, seats 4 ok and takes 2 bikes easy with the seats down.

My first one went to 217K miles with only one CV joint dying when It went into a pothole the size of mogadishu (car was written off when someone turned in front of me at 50mph). The £400 replacement is now up to 138K miles with nothing wrong so far.

Avoid the 1.4 engine – bag of pooh.

Tbh, at that price range just have a look out for a half decent car, 2nd hand prices of old cars have increased due to the scrappage scheme but a bit of hunting and patience and you should get something that will last a year easy.

It pains me to say this – because I want to keep ALL the remaining good-condition pre-1996 Honda Civics in the UK MINE – and let no one else know just how good they are, but hey, I'm outa the country for a few months more at least, so there's no chance me snapping another one up right now. In fact, I have a very beau silver Civic Esi just languishing on my Mother's drive right now as I type… as it slowly rusts into oblivion, the leaves collecting under its tyres, birds making nests in its grille… *sigh*

I digress..

Honda Civics are ace. Totally flinking reliable and bomproof, apart from running gear like CV joints and exhaust which might need replacing every 120,000 miles or so. (I did nothing to mine, save oil changes, for 2 years.) They go like stink (for a 1.5 / 1.6) and handle like a go-cart, and will happily hold a bike or two, while joyfully returning 40 mpg when driven about like a granny.

You will have trouble finding an original one that hasn't been totally chaved up by now though. (I did though!)

A brief bit of eBay research right now found two of these little beauties going for about 450pounds with MOT. Hmmmmm…

…as mine, sitting abandoned on a drive in the UK for a year, slowly rusts itself into oblivion. Crap. 😐

(a bit like the GF / relationship-thingy I also abandoned too.. Double crap. 😐 )

What about a Ford Puma. 1.7 should be quite fun, and I understand that they handle nicely. Have no idea about reliability etc, but I know that you can get a bike in the back as I saw a bloke tahe an Enduro out of the back of one in the Llandegla car park!

Hmmmmm… yes, I was considering a Puma as a potential future replacement for the Civic for when I eventually have to accept that it has become somewhat economically rediculous to keep running.

From what I've read on that car guide thing (Harpers? Parkers?) they seem pretty reliable.

Love the shape and sporty, swoopy look of them, can't stand the fact that the interior and switch gear reminds me of my Dad's mid-90's Sierra, and that the steering wheel proudly says "FORD" on it, to constantly remind you that you are driving what is in effect, a Fiesta. (or is that a Ka?)

The Puma is a Fiesta in a dress (all be it a very nice dress) but that means your insurance should be cheap especially if you go for the 1.4 and spares are easy to come by. If I didn't need a bigger car I would quite like a Puma. Alternatively have a look at MK1 Mondeos especially the 1.8td slow cheap and big, the estate could fit an aygo inside!

My neighbour bought a 306 for £200. No issues in the last 8k miles.
I bought a 406 estate diesel for £995. No problems.
I'd go for either a Micra or Civic in your situation. Especially Civic.

If it is only for 1 year, have a very careful think about how much you are going to lose on the Aygo, how much you may have to spend on MOTs and repairs to an older car and how much more you are going to hae to find to replace the Aygo in a year. I can't believe that it's going to add up unless I have totally misunderstood the situation

@oodjob: doesn't it make you weep to see UK car prices? 🙁

As cars get older you get a much better car the larger you buy as learns and young people want the little cars so you can normally get a newer large car for the price of a older small one.

I was gonna say Saab 900 🙄

Nissan Primera P11. I just sold my sport+ with 106k and a years mot/tax for £750. Expensive for parts if they go wrong as they didn't make them very long, but they never, ever break down. Ever. Also shockingly nice to drive for such a cheap car.

my work used to have a primera. I think it was fine until it ended up as a pool car, when everyone avoided it as they felt it was so dangerous to drive! mainly related to the brakes (which it seemed nissan couldn't even put right).

Honda HRV just got one and it are great.

at that price range, i wouldn't particularly look for particular vehicles – you need to go off condition all the way, so whatever you can find. Search autotrader for cars say within 10 miles and between 500-1000 quid, but don't limit the manufacturer/model. A civic or primera or corolla etc will still be unreliable if it hasn't had much in the way of maintenance. you can get *some* bargains in that price range, but likewise alot of duds.

As mentioned, if it's only for a year, have you actually costed how much it's all going to cost you if you plan on buying something like the aygo in a year again? it's going to cost you A LOT more to buy one in a year than you'll get selling it now. Also your tax will almost certainly be less in the aygo, probably insurance too. maintenance (apart from routine servicing) will be less in the aygo too, as I'm sure will economy.

i'm saying all that assuming you own the aygo, rather than a finance company you're making payments too..

Joolsburger… is that just cos you get to drive around with Joy Machine written on your arse 😉

I was going to suggest a Saab too, mine never blew up other than post off roading, which isn't sensible really 😉 That only killed the suspension btw!

That was in Japan!! I just downgraded my T5 and I don't miss it at all especially the 20mpg..

I agree with oddjob,

For a year, it would unlikely be worth it, even if it was for much longer than a year.Have you looked into how much you will actually get for it. esp as you will prob not be part exchanging it. By how much you will get for it, not how much some book says it is, but how much you could actually sell it for cheaply.

I'd stick with the aygo. Seriously. Unless… do you actually need a car?

I drove past a dealer in Roskilde yesterday selling a used Hyundai Accent for £20 000

Oh the joy of Denmark, there is no such thing as a running car for the money we are talking about here 🙂

If I was looking for cheap car with (upper case) RELIABILITY I think I'd buy a three year old Aygo.

I don't see how you are going to get a better combination of low running cost and reliability than what you have at the moment. I'm no expert but I'd have thought that you're either going to end up with a less reliable or more expensive replacement.

Bangernomics is the way to go. My hack Mondeo estate has cost me less than 10p a mile to buy and run (everything other than petrol) for the last year so even if I were to throw it away today for nothing it's been cheap. Just get something with a long mot in reasonable condition and be prepared to just throw it away if anything costing more than a couple of hundred quid breaks.

Moon on a stick time, me thinks. IMO if you're looking for a used car with such detailed requirements for 12 months you're going to be lucky to save any money and not have to do repairs. Unless you bought it on finance (*spit*) I can't see how you'll do better than the Aygo. Something like an old 306 petrol will cost bugger all to fix if it did go wrong but be a bit thirsty on juice, the D will be slow but a bit more pricey to fix.

I dont think you can really get something exciting for that cash, and fill the reliable/cheap brackets too. Since when did a Puma become a good option for anything other than hairdressers carparks anyway?!

Been there plenty of times & have to say keep the Aygo. Seriously.
If you were buying from scratch then yes, grab a banger, but as your already in for a few £k I'd stick with what you've got. Will work out cheaper & less hassle in the long run. If you've finance then cant you stretch that out, have it serviced at an independent etc.

Possibly depends where you are and what kind of driving you're doing. Personally, I run a 2001 Fiat Punto 3 door. It's smallish, but surprisingly roomy on the inside (space for 4 adults for shortish journeys, 3 easily, or 2 plus 2 bikes), very reliable and with a 1.2 can pull away from the lights with ease but still only sips at petrol. I think mine's worth about £800 as it stands, and I'd definitely recommend taking a look at one

Again, Honda Civic or if you need a bit more space a Toyota Corrola?

But I guess good cheap cars will be getting hard to find now with the new scrapage scheme.

Run both in the past which have cost me no more than £1k to buy, both good buys as long as you get one off a one owner retired owner 😉

i think it'll be an expensive and time-consuming way of obtaining a short term increase in capital.

It takes quite a while to find a decent car for < 1k these days and as lots of others have pointed out, you already have a cheap and reliable car that will depreciate slowly.

Since when did a Puma become a good option for anything other than hairdressers carparks anyway?!

😆

Thanks for replies. Have actually been considering a Civic (Had an Aerodeck before the Aygo). In an ideal world It would make sense to keep the Aygo, but unfortunately I need the cash to do some jobs on the house.

Avoid Pumas, they rot for a pass-time (GF had 2), you'd be better off with the fiesta equivalent.
How about a Peugeot 106 diesel? If you get a 1.5 then they're not too slow and are about as frugal as it can get. A bike will go in the back with the rear seats down too (and a wheel off)

Pumas are pretty awesome, when I was running a MK1 GTI years ago I borrowed a mates 1.7 for about 24 hours and I was suprised how reasonable it was (watch any motoring programme from when they were new and tiff would be beansing one) but I can believe the rot.

TBH I doubt you will save any money if you change but could end up losing loads when the thing you buy needs fixing. If you really need to free up some cash micras have always meant to have been reliable.

I did a similar thing a while back, sold my 3yo car to free up some cash and bought a 7yo fiesta from a friend of a friend for £500.

All I have done to it is replace a couple of bulbs and one tyre and it has got through 3 MOTs in the three years I have been driving it.

At the moment it still runs but will cost a fortune to get through its MOT in a couple of months so like Gribs said I'm gonna go and get myself some old banger with a long MOT for <1k, if it fails after a year then I got what I paid for, if it lasts 3 years like this one then I win.

My advice would be to look for a 2001/2002 focus or a mondeo, Im sure ford put something in their cars that ensures they work right up to their tenth birthday and then fall to pieces