peugeot 106.
I can’t from the top of my head think of something similar.
Who still makes a car that weight less than 800 kg so you don’t need 150 bhp to get to the top of the hill and is small enough to be parked everywhere, yet big enough in the inside that you can put two bike and all the appropriate gear for to people to survive through a muddy mountain mayhem?

Fiat Panda?

What’s your budget, though?

Another 106?

Awesome little car. I still have mine as it was my first car and just can’t let it go.

Budget will come second, but I really do struggle to find something I like
Fiat panda is a bit too heavy so I’ll have to go for the 100bhp, and I really don’t want to give that much money to criminals insurances.

So far and after a complete browsing of the Auto Argus 2012 catalogue I have found
The panda Indeed, the dacia sandero, the ford fiesta, the suzuki swift and the toyota Yaris.

Now I just need to go around and see what the boot looks like 😀

I’d suggest a micra

Anything fiesta-sized with a small modern diesel should be fine, I would have thought.

Stop worrying about the weight so much…my van weighs nearly 3500kg in its current state and its 120bhp gets it up hills fine. When I add the trailer it hits 6000kg (legally) and it still gets up the hills, albeit I might be down to 40mph 🙂

I’d have to recommend the Ford Fusion, the lesser known sibling to the Fiesta. (If you Google it don’t get confused with the American Ford Fusion, different kettle of fish entirely) Its like a mini estate…big wide boot with no sill, take the front wheel off and you easily get two bikes in the back either upright with the rear seatbelts holding them up, or as I do, flat with the bars between the front seats (they don’t come into the front). The front passenger seat folds flat too so you can pop down B&Q and load 2 metre lengths of wood and other rubbish without leaving the boot open. It weighs 1200kg ish and comes with 1.4 and 1.6 petrol (and diesel) engines, and can be found for approx £1k >. (Its cheaper than the equivalent Fiesta as its less well known/less people are looking to buy them) We have the 1.6 Petrol and (compared to driving an assortment of large vans at work) I find it quite quick and good fun to drive.

Popularity of the car among young drivers is likely to have as big an impact on insurance costs as choosing a more powerful engine so don’t rule out larger engines until you’ve run it through an insurance comparison site. Somehow my brother went from a 1.2L Fiat Punto to a 1.8L Audi A3 Quattro Turbo and his insurance didn’t change much, he is in his mid twenties. (the running costs are killing him though!)

Micra or Panda, depending on which one has seats that fold flat. Mrs S old Micra fits two bikes but the rear seats don’t fold flat.

Juan, I know where you’re coming from, but there’s nothing that light around any more, really. People want airbags, electric windows, aircon, sound deadening, power steering, big fat tyres, electric this, adaptive that, automatic the other!

And it’s all weight. The days of the small, light, revvy, fun car are long gone mate. 🙁

I often wonder if people would buy a new car built the ‘old’ way, but better. i.e. Strip out all the electric crap, aircon, all the acres of plastic, fit skinny tyres, steel wheels, and loose the power steering, stick a nice simple eight valve (cheaper) petrol engine in it (Which with modern technology would do 50mpg+ without the weight to haul around) and build it plain and simple, but sturdy and stylish. Give, say, 2 colour options and flog it for half the price of anything else on the road….

That said, a little Fiat is as close as you’ll get. 🙂

Isn’t the Honda Jazz quite boxy/tinny?

It’s certainly a space revelation with all it folding seats and stuff.

Drove one and it felt nippy.

Yaris is a good little car
Especially the model that was available in 06 with its clever split sliding and folding seats.
Makes it very roomy in the back with minimal luggage, for your occasional 4/5 up drives.
My missus has one, never tried 2 bikes in it tho, sorry.
Nice little driver, feels solid and well made.
N

Well weight is an issue. I am in a hurry but I’ll reply properly after lunch

106 Ralleye

I used to have 106 1.6XS, best car I ever owned. Had the same engine as the Saxo VTR but looked standard from the outside. Light as hell and handled fantastically.

Skoda felicia. The 1.6 or the diesel should do. The 1.3 is very slow. They’re dirt cheap, very reliable, low insurance and swallow bikes whole. I have been running the 1.9 hatchback for a couple of years and have no complaints.

Fiat panda is a bit too heavy

WTF? The Panda isn’t at all heavy and the standard 1.2 has plenty of poke for the size of the car. The fuel economy is great as well.

All modern cars will be heavier but the insurance may be cheaper than the 106 as they are often used by high group people.

All the recommendations so far have been pretty much spot on. Only other thing I can think is the 1007 which may be good for bikes but is a bit odd. The 107 is useless though. Can get 1 mountain bike wheel in the boot and that is it.

Berlingo Multispace.

Right back from lunch. Current state of affair is a 800kg car with a 80bhp motor. It work just fine. Weight to power ration is just good enough to get to the top of the hill at a decent speed, and over take brits (who btw have the nasty habits of braking when the road isn’t straight) without the need of a 400 m long straight line. As for the suggestions, most of them are ruled out due to weight (as for a car to get the same weight to power ratio it will need more than a 100bhp) or practicality (the so has a micra tattoo “SPORT” with 85 bhp and it’s a pig and funny enough is nowhere as practical as the 106).
I concur to the thousand fold with Mr poddy about the demise of practical cars. Honestly luxury cars for me have a remote central lock, electric windows and a 1/3 2/3 folding back seat.
I’ll try and see how practical a yaris or a fiesta is. Anyone know if I can get to a car dealer with a bike and try to fit it on the boot..?

If your bikes clean most wouldnt mind.

Fiat 500?
I bought te Mrs one, and it’s ace..
Cheap as chips to run, and insurance is buttons.. 🙂

I took my bike round when buying a car, only BMW had a problem with me seeing how it would fit inside. Those days of very lightweight 4 seat town cars have gone. As said above a very basic panda is as close as it gets. I would have a yaris my friend has one and it’s been faultless if a bit dull.

Can you find a 2.0 Focus diesel? Slightly bigger, but gets you 130bhp, pulls strong from idle, and hopefully not as expensive to insure as a hot petrol hatch.

Slightly bigger

Erm have you looked up in the dictionnary for the word “slightly”? Focus is massive!!!
Thanks for the bike thingy I’ll take mine when I shop around 😀

fiesta 1.4tdci

juan – Member

Erm have you looked up in the dictionnary for the word “slightly”? Focus is massive!!!

Nah, still a small car, just not a tiny car. But still fits in almost all the spaces that knobbers think are too small for their cars, and will give you a ton more space inside.

Juan…if you try the Fiesta, try a Fusion! It the same car underneath, just an estate style body and an extra 10cm in length. They are a world apart if you want to load bikes in the back.

My mother-in-law swapped her Fiesta for one after seeing ours as her large dogs had to be lifted into the Fiesta, in the Fusion they hardly need to jump 🙂

Get an old EP3 civic. Roomy, nippy and great handling cars. Plus will run more reliably than a Peugeot ever will 🙂

I can fit 2 bikes in the back of a ’03 Yaris with the wheels off.

The Jazz is a much bigger car inside but probably weighs more for it.

I often wonder if people would buy a new car built the ‘old’ way, but better. i.e. Strip out all the electric crap, aircon, all the acres of plastic, fit skinny tyres, steel wheels, and loose the power steering, stick a nice simple eight valve (cheaper) petrol engine in it (Which with modern technology would do 50mpg+ without the weight to haul around) and build it plain and simple, but sturdy and stylish. Give, say, 2 colour options and flog it for half the price of anything else on the road….

I think the closest to that is the Elise. Mew ones have a 1.6 engine that gives nothing away to the old engine in 0-60 and does over 40mpg.

OP – is insurance that much of a big deal that you need to obsess over weight / engine? I trust your over 18 🙂

Have a look at the first model Mazda 2 – basically a Ford Fusion but better looking and cheaper. I had one for a while and the only car I’ve ever had since with more space for lugging crap around was a Volvo V70