A Car for Mother

[purplebargeken]

Micra gets my vote. Seemingly indestructible (touch wood based product). 1997 K11, albeit manual. Povvo spec and going strong from new with just basic, regular servicing. Probs: needed a clutch last year and the HRW switch bulb doesn't work anymore.

[catsinthewelder]

but the Micra doesn't come with much chrome as standard

 

 

 

[J-T]

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-Starle ... 53f4a65134

 

The criteria:

> Automatic - this is a must, can't be full or semi manual

> Small engine, 1.3 at most

> Age range mid-80s up to 2000ish

> 5 doors preferred (I don't know why, she'd only be using the front seats)

> Splash of chrome

> Not Vauxhall (she's not comfortable in them)

> No sporting pretentions

> Hatchback

 

I claim my five pounds.

 

 

That's what I'd be looking for. I've never driven an auto, but my friend had a grandma hand me down manual for 10 years, and it never went wrong. It drove really nicely too, the 1.3 was quite peppy. When we'd all just passed our test that was seen as the poshest of our lot as it had power steering and brakes that actually stopped the car in reasonable time

[Barry Cade]

My local driving instructor, who taught me to drive over 20 years ago, always had Starlets. I remember driving his RWD auto when I was about 8 at the Lomond Centre Gala.He never had any issues with them at all.Now he is teaching my daughter to drive, but in a Hyundai i20 . I learned in a 1991 Starlet and now own a 98 5 door S. Basic, but still has PAS. Surprisingly fast too, with plenty of wheelspin if you are heavy footed

 

Just a good car, nothing more, nothing less.

 

[eddyramrod]

Another vote for the Starlet. Andreas over in Cyprus has a couple, the last of about 15 or so that he bought years ago for his rental fleet. He and Mrs Andreas have been using a white 5 door auto as long as I've known them, in addition (and often preference) to their other cars. It's been serving them very well, and this is after a career as a holiday rental! I've been given lifts in it, and can't find fault.

 

If you can find one (and they do turn up on ebay) a 1980s Daihatsu Charade would be worth a look. I and my sister had one (81 and 84 models; different bodies), both manual but excellent little cars. Autos are available, and usually giffer-owned low-mile examples. With new styling they were made right up into the 90s on the same formula.

[richardthestag]

Doesnt like driving

Airy cabin

3 door means more room to get in and out

Fix it with a hammer

Not vauxhall

No sporting pretentions what so ever - would she know what a 6r4 was?

 

Save this from a mini fate worse than hell.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1989-Austin-M ... 257a7fb27f

 

A chum had one of these for some reason we were never able to get to the bottom of, nippy round town in a sluggish kind of way but somehow seemed desperate for an extra gear at anything over 60mph. Quite a challenge i think for an automatic gearbox to be both geared too high and too low.

[garycox]

I love A series Metros, but the Auto gearboxes are rubbish.

 

Rover 200/25?

[Bobthebeard]

I love A series Metros, but the Auto gearboxes are rubbish.

 

Rover 200/25?

 

Had totally forgotten until now that I once bought (for £50) a Mini automatic. Was around ten years old when I got it in the late 70's if memory serves. Absolutely dire.. Lots of noise and very limited forward motion. Horrid thing!

Maybe it was all a bad dream.

[Rocket88]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1989-Austin-M ... 257a7fb27f

 

My mother had a VDP version of one of these, at the time I had a 5 litre Mercury Monarch....................which was more economical. The gearbox in the Metro [AP?] seemed to change up and down in a completely random fashion, even though the hateful thing was brand new.

[MikeKnight]

Toyota Starlets are wonderful cars, the only reason I didn't buy one close to where I live (and went off and bought the Honda instead) is that they're a very.. erm.. how should I put this.. feminine car.

[vulgalour]

While the GT6 is clearly a paragon of butch masculinity...

 

Top suggestions, chaps! Here's some more criteria I have learned just to mix things up a bit:

> Likes soft tops and interesting ragtop/sunroof combos

> Loves pink (I did not know this) and purple (I did know this), also happy with other lairy hues

 

Seems to be that a lot of the soft tops that meet the other criteria (except 5 door, but that's a given) don't come with an auto box.

[Lord Sterling]

There is the K11 Micra cabrio, they mostly (or all, from what I have seen) come as autos:

 

 

However, most of them are imports so will rust like buggery, and they are pretty hard to come by, any that are available seem to go for £1k+

 

So that's a pretty useless suggestion then......

[purplebargeken]

Understatement of galactic proportions:

 

they are pretty hard to come by]

 

I have NEVER, EVER seen one of these things, didn't even know they existed. A 3 cylinder Micra diesel would have been bloody brilliant.

[Spiny Norman]

There is the K11 Micra cabrio, they mostly (or all, from what I have seen) come as autos:

 

Or even the K10 Micra cabrio, available in a wide range of ghey colours.

[Joseph]

A suggestion from myself...

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-VW-Polo- ... 27ce2460c7

 

Don't be put off by the price. You'd get one far cheaper than this example any day.

[vulgalour]

I can't buy Mum a Figaro because I'll end up stealing it... there is no good reason why I like the Figaro, but I do. The other shortfall with the Figaro is the number of seats, apparently my Mum has quite a few friends, and that's the reason for a five door over a three as they're all similarly wobbly and can't be doing with clambering over folded front seats these days.

 

Polo open air suggestion is a good one, it does tick all the boxes and I know Mum would like it. I think the only reason the Polo might not be suitable is that while she'd like it, she wouldn't love it like she would the Sirion, Starlet or Figaro because of its bland Teutonic face. OMG Mum, you're so superficial!

[Spiny Norman]

Is this going to be another one of those threads where, after much deliberating and many suggestions on what would be a suitably sensible car she ends up with a Saab 900 Cabrio a la Cheggers?

[garycox]

[freebird]

The title of this thread does suggest that Norman Bates is looking for some wheels.............

Have a look at a Toyota Starlet.

My daughter has a 92 Model, cost a whole £375, no rot, starts first time everytime, even in minus 12 conditions here a few weeks back.

Its basic, comfortable and the cabin is airy .Hers is a 1000CC carb model which is bloody good on fuel and nippy. It sailed through the last MOT, only needing the sunvisors fixing and a wiper blade.

Im buggered If i can work out why Nissan Shitecras are higher up the food chain ( or seem to be) than a Starlet.

The build quality is brilliant, its a brilliant car.

She has absolutely no desire to change it for something more modern because its one of those lickle cars you give a name to and keep more as a cuddly pet than a chunk of functioning metal, christ, its even got me saying that she will NEVER be sold, ever!

[vulgalour]

Gary, is your suggestion a Subaru Vivio? I can't work out what else it might be if not. I've only ever seen photographs of Vivios, I've never seen one in the wild. Another vote for the Starlet too, I see. I think I'm veering quickly towards Japanese cars as the solution from what's been suggested and that I've looked at on the marketplace at the moment. You can get a surprisingly good little car for surprisingly little money, which means there's more in the pot to make whatever I get hold of absolutely tip top.

[skattrd]

Thats a Mazda 121 Angyl - a good call I reckon as well.

[garycox]

Yeah it's a 1994 Mazda 121 GLX.

 

Used to be mine, it looked a bit odd but was great to drive with nicely weighted PAS, and had an electric full length fabric sunroof, as well as electric front windows etc.

 

Mine was a manual but you can get autos. The standard steering wheel is horrible though, mine had a nice leather Momo thing.

 

I think they're all 1.3s (1342cc IIRC)

 

 

I miss that car.

[vulgalour]

Having seen the interior shot I think I could well be looking into Mazda 121s more now. Mum loves funky fabrics and that interior looks right up her street, combined with the rag top and the cutesy-quirky styling I think this could be a strong contender. It has all the bits of a Micra she likes, but it looks a lot more like something she'd pick for herself, which is really important in getting this right I think. Yesterday, my brother and I were discussing Mazda 323s as a possible contender, but I think the 121 is just that bit better for what Mum would want.