I’m looking for small economical car, with reliability and usability. Up to 3k.
A possible is the 2002/3 honda jazz, or maybe toyato corrola verso. The jazz has a suprisingly large boot, and can get 55mpg. Has any one got any experience of these cars?

Pug 206 sw?

Ahh yes a great car, but reliabilty is a concern with pugs… but right idea..

got a corrola verso – the old shape (53 plate). Got it to replace a honda people carrier which was akin to a van so the toyota is a bit smaller but much more economic on fuel. On the old shape the rear seats come out in one set of two (drivers side and middle)and one seat (pax side) on its own, iirc on the new shape they fold flat which compromises load height. We tend to keep it with one seat in the back, with this you can get three mtb’s in with the front wheels out or two track / road bikes in with both wheels on (and I use a 58cm frame, so quite tall). Driving wise it’s not the most dynamic but it’s for transport rather than kicks and does that side well enough, comfy on motorways. It’s been reliable for the last two years doing about 10k p.a. Would I buy another one, probably not but that’s mainly because I don’t think i would get one newer with removable rear seats which seems to be the main driver for a car in our household. Looked at a yaris verso but maybe a little too small

kilo cheers, I would be getting an older one anyway 2-3grand. I like the look of the corrola verso.

Easy one this. Nissan micra or Toyota yaris. Both uber reliable and have cam chains not belt I believe.

Had a 1.2s 05 Jazz, loads of room inside, drove nicely had it for 5 years only the door lock went and a recall for the handbrake. Used to require a head off service to check on tappets every two years, had mine checked but never off. Would have been nice to have air con though. The used market must be great because you wont have had boy racers having them, I’d say the 1.4 is the one to get. Had a normal yaris before the jazz and I preferred the Yaris, the Verso definately looks odd. Now have a Panda.

Look into a suzuki ignis sport, they are amazing little cars. 1.5 110bhp with a chain driven cam. Brilliant handling, useable load space, recaro seats and near 45mpg. Wish I never sold mine!

Oh, and you’ll get a good one for £1.5k if your patient. Mine was £800 but I was seriously lucky!

cheers murf, and porterjamie all a bit too small, I like the jazz and the verso for their 5 doorishness..

No comparison between a Micra and a Jazz. Micras are tiny, Jazz are far more useful.

Mrs Danny has a Jazz (the 1.4 model). nice little car, great use of space and can flip the back seats up to fit tall things in the back.

No way does it do 55mpg thought. 40-45 at a push.

Cheers

Danny B

Oh, and its as reliable as a wood burning stove – Honda’s tend not to go wrong.

Cheers

Danny B

DannyB indeed, hence Honda or Toyota on the top of my list.

Hmmm. Still think 206sw; you can get a 75k top spec HDi for 2k easily, (tough 2ltr not frugal but fragile 1.4) which leaves a grand towards the ‘next MTB fund’. Fwiw, it’s what I’ll be buying next, so I may be biased, but I’ve spent some time thinking about it already.

No one mentioned the Hive favorite brand…

How about a Skoda Fabia… ?

v8ninety, 5 years agoI would be nodding in agreement. I have had 6 Pugs, 405’s and 406’s. In the end I gave up with ridiculous failure rates. My current Honda Accord has been really good and convinced me that saving that extra grand might not be a good idea after all..

Rickmeister – If I am going to pay good money to look like a grandad, I at least want to look like a Japanese Grandad..

1.4tdci fiesta

mark6

runs on thin air, very easy to service as oil filter is on top of the engine block.(so less for for idiots like me!)

Toys, I bow to your superior pug experience! Lol. I’ve only had on pug, a 306 estate, but it’s done me 76k miles from a starting point of >100k with no significant failures (other than my fault) so far; it’s getting on now though. Maybe I’ve been lucky! I’ve heard that the 206 is a tough little cookie in the 2ltr HDi guise; I wouldn’t touch a 307 for love nor money though. As an aside, I do really like the older generation accord estates, but a bit bigger and richer than I can justify at the moment.

+1 for the Jazz! Check out the forum club jazz!
Chain cam engine, driven by old ladies, much larger inside than you think, surprisingly fun to drive. Just bought a 1.4 with air con. Great car.

v8ninety, I was a pug advocate, but I reviewed my spending on repairs over the years, which was awful, and the industry acknowlegdement of their failure rate, no worse than any other main brand, but just not in the same league as Jap stuff.
It could all have changed more recently for Pug, but I watch the Toyota and Honda Figures closely and they are still top..

This may not help the OP but I have to defend Pugs.
I’ve got a 1995 turbo diesel 205, bought for £400 with 100k. Year and a half later it has 130k on it and sits at 70 driving from Portsmouth to Plymouth and back every weekend giving 50mpg however I drive it. I also don’t have to feel guilty or clean it when it has to transport cement, wood, gravel etc.
However, I don’t imagine it impresses the neighbours.

To be fair – Mrs Danny had a Pug 106 Diesel before the Jazz and it just wouldn’t die. Ran it without a radiator (unknowingly) for 6 months and it just ran and ran.

Not the most refined of motors admittedly but it would do 800 miles of motorways on a tank (a small one given the car!).

Cheers

Danny B

This thread is missing a photo of a Yaris with a Canoe sticking out the back.

I agree re old pigs they are bullet proof particularly the diesels but the newer stuff is terrible. Sn ex gfvhad two new gearboxes in a 307 as did two other people I know personally. You cannot go wrong with a jazz. My aunty had one and as a farmer it gets a right beating but nothing has fallen off yet!

research Jazz gearboxes – not a strong point..

Yaris, with the slidey back seats, it’s almost got that “feels like a Golf” thing.

finishthat- cheers. I knew already,certain models to be avoided and newer ones still have warranty.

Both uber reliable and have cam chains not belt I believe

…which is great until they run low on oil (Micra experience here) which is easy to do as the sump is roughly the size of a thimble. The chain then stretches and it’s the best part of a grand to replace the chain, or you live with it running badly with the odd cutout.

Really generally very disappointed with the frog eyed micra – poor build quality, lots of niggles & trim falling off, seatbelts failing, wheel bearings with short lives.

I’d go Yaris or Jazz.

Lupo……….i have a tdi sport version bought with 30k on the clock now 60k in 13 months……great handling economy and enjoyable, lots of space for driver and a passenger, limited boot but can fit 29er in with seats down.

Jazz are generally good buys, daughters citreon 05 one owner c2 1.4 hdi was a bargin at 21 k on the clock for 2k