Tight Arse Motoring Options?

[gtd2000]

I like the look of the Kelisa but thought they were like similar low capacity Daihatsu cars with higher emissions and higher road tax. Couldn't believe my mates mums Copen was £190 per year!

[gtd2000]

I like the look of the Kelisa but thought they were like similar low capacity Daihatsu cars with higher emissions and higher road tax. Couldn't believe my mates mums Copen was £190 per year!

[gtd2000]

The 106/Saxo is a good option but my feet are too large for the foot well. Fine if you are a ballerina of course

[gtd2000]

I'm using Tapatalk to reply and can't see an option to quite or reply directly.

 

I'll reply to other posts when I get into the PC....

[gtd2000]

Watch those picantos , on some the cambelt spkt wears the end of the crank away

Yeah - I know all about that fiasco - went through it with KIA UK about 4 years ago now - finally got it all resolved at their expense after about 3 letters.

[gtd2000]

The problem with suzukis and some of the Korean stuff is that the parts prices can write cars off so easily . If you can get them at all

I've not had any trouble with stuff for KIA and Hyundai so far but it does tend to be more expensive than some domestic brands.

 

I tend to see the other side of it that you normally don't have to replace many parts with Korean or Japanese brands.

[robinmasters]

£2,000 means not all the depreciation has happened, so worrying about tax brackets and slight differences in MPG is a bit of a waste of time.

 

Get a ZX/306/Saxo/106 dizzler for <£500.

[gtd2000]

How often are you likely to be in the country, and for how long at a stretch?  And where?  Surely some nearby Shiter can meet you at the airport with a cheap snotter in exchange for some folding, which you can then flog on to another Shiter as you leave, thus ensuring you have transport to/from your flights to boot.  On those terms pretty much anything with MoT will do, won't it?

 

It varies really.

 

I can be here for a few months or several times per year.

 

I'm in Galashiels area (South East Scotland) transportation to and from the airport in Edinburgh is easy enough - I even took the bus home last time - first time ever. They now even have an option to take the train now that part of the Waverly line has been reinstated!

 

My insurance is cheap as chips - usually £130 fully comp and the thought of paying £20 for a year and letting somebody use the car occasionally while I'm away appeals, rather than taxing and cancelling each time I come home.

 

I'm looking at this mainly as an easy way to have a car "road legal" at any point in the year - the only possible hassle might be for an MoT but I'm fairly decent at buying cars and wouldn't just get any old rustbucket or banger needing regular fettling as that would be defeating the purpose.

[gadgetgricey]

I thought I was doing well with an R8 214sli with multi point LPG conversion.

Works out about 12 quid a tank.

 

However does not have air con, so do like the look of that Ashtray.

[gtd2000]

£2,000 means not all the depreciation has happened, so worrying about tax brackets and slight differences in MPG is a bit of a waste of time.

 

Get a ZX/306/Saxo/106 dizzler for <£500.

 Of course yes, that's very true but 2K was just an upper figure - I've spotted a 59 plate KIA Picanto on Gumtree locally, with cheap tax, for £950 ono which could be a good candidate and there wouldn't be much depreciation on that if it was kept for a few years as I suspect that's quite a bit below the usual price.

 

I've got a mate that has owned a 405 estate for quite a few years now and he spends about £250 to get it MoT'd each year and then a further £230 on the road tax.... I've advised him to get something more financially viable but he just can't see it.

[andrew e]

I can't help on the car, but when you get it pop to Halfords for the in-car entertainment:

 

 

Chance purchase this morning - will be going in my daughters first car

[mat_the_cat]

I was thinking about buying a very cheap low capacity car that does mega MPG and has ridiculously cheap road tax, almost at small capacity motorcycle levels.

 

Small capacity petrol, and run it on LPG for equivalent of 100+ mpg? Better still, find one that's already converted although more tricky over here. Apparently in Italy though, it's more common to run smaller cars on gas as if you can afford something larger, the expectation is you can also afford to fuel it!

[gtd2000]

Small capacity petrol, and run it on LPG for equivalent of 100+ mpg? Better still, find one that's already converted although more tricky over here. Apparently in Italy though, it's more common to run smaller cars on gas as if you can afford something larger, the expectation is you can also afford to fuel it!

When I was working in Holland a few years back I was seriously tempted to do an LPG conversion but it never happened.

 

I'm all for saving money on fuel duty but I suspect I wouldn't do enough miles in the car to justify putting it in myself.

[Kiltox]

1.5 DCI Clio that has been well looked after and has whichever of the 3 power outputs that's least problematic has to be worth a look

[rml2345]

First gen Toyota Yaris? There's loads about, peanuts to run and reliable. Unlike tiny Citroëns they were designed with normal people in mind so there's decent room for the driver as well.

[Lacquer Peel]

Some early Toyota Yarises are really rotten now, watch out for the fuel filler pipe and fuel tank.

 

Maserati Quattroporte III.

[bigfella2]

If it was me in your position I would be looking at old Honda civic saloons, practically worthless to buy, but will always be reliable and start first turn of the key when you return. If your not in the UK much, mpg is slightly irrelevant and so is tax as you can pay that as an when your here. Then spend the left over on hookers, drugs/ale etc.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I've never heard of the Astra ECO4, that's an interesting one. I wonder what real-life mpg you get in those??

[Albert Ross]

P205 1769cc NAD, or the thoroughly miserable 1999-2004 Hyundai Accent 1.5D (three potter) 82hp and 137ft/lb. Rather pedestrian.... but bland enough to be out of "falling in love with it" range.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Three pot diesel Accent???? WHERE DO I SIGN

[RobT]

Mk3 Astra or Cavalier. Still cheap, tax it when you need to using the monthly DD thing, and they take abuse (or the Cav does in my experience). Mine keeps on going despite just basic maintenance. Doesn't mind being sat for ages either and will start first time, unlike moderns that don't like being sat and will drain their batteries. So if you're not using it much I reckon you're better off with something older and simpler but still with parts availability.

[Barry Cade]

1974 Mini 850. Free tax, classic insurance at 60 quid a year, find one at 2 grand and it'll make you money.

 

or......

 

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C693025

 

[doobietoo]

Mrsd has a Yaris 1 litre vvt thingy ..... she has had it since 2005. It goes in for its mot and service every year always passes never seems to need anything else doing to it in 3 years I think its needed the brakes adjusting and a back box..... 50mph if you drive it like miss daisy and it does wiz along once its above 4,000 revs....its even got a slidey rear seat so you either have a big boot or good legroom. Its a bit noisy though but if you are thinking of an Axiam its quiet and refined in comparison

[New POD]

Mk3 Astra or Cavalier. Still cheap, tax it when you need to using the monthly DD thing, and they take abuse (or the Cav does in my experience). Mine keeps on going despite just basic maintenance. Doesn't mind being sat for ages either and will start first time, unlike moderns that don't like being sat and will drain their batteries. So if you're not using it much I reckon you're better off with something older and simpler but still with parts availability.

I think the OP needs to look a COST per Mile rather than focus on Mpg/tax alone.

 

Lets say you only do 1000 miles

 

Ask questions about the depreciation.

 

For instance mk3 astra price £500 MAX, Unlikely to go less if the right spec. Cost per mile 0p

Insurance £220 (based on being 40 and only doing 2000 miles a year - probably) Cost Per Mile ? 22p

Fuel 12p a mile

Tax 245 quid a year 24p a mile

Mot 50 quid 5p a mile

Servicing / repairs £50 quid 5 p a mile

 

Cost = 68p a mile.

 

Take it to 2000 miles and that becomes 40p a mile.

[gtd2000]

The main focus for me is, cheap as possible road tax, excellent MPG, good reliability and good rust resistance.

 

An excellent little car, is the Honda jazz which excels on MPG but falls down on 140 quid road tax.

 

Ive got an automatic KIA Picanto that I might sell to fund the "new car".

It's more a case of changing from the auto Picanto which has 125 quid road tax to say one that has 20 quid road tax and improved MPG.

 

In Scotland rust is a serious issue so an older car is much more likely to require repairs unfortunately.

[gtd2000]

I think the OP needs to look a COST per Mile rather than focus on Mpg/tax alone.

 

Lets say you only do 1000 miles

 

Ask questions about the depreciation.

 

For instance mk3 astra price £500 MAX, Unlikely to go less if the right spec. Cost per mile 0p

Insurance £220 (based on being 40 and only doing 2000 miles a year - probably) Cost Per Mile ? 22p

Fuel 12p a mile

Tax 245 quid a year 24p a mile

Mot 50 quid 5p a mile

Servicing / repairs £50 quid 5 p a mile

 

Cost = 68p a mile.

 

Take it to 2000 miles and that becomes 40p a mile.

 

My costs are already much cheaper than these figures.

Road tax 125

MoT 25 or 30 when booked online

Annual servicing 15 for oil and filter DIY

Insurance this year was 128 including free MoT from Kwik Fit.

[skattrd]

Don't forget to add in depreciation if buying something in the newer lower tax bracket.

 

Buy a Sera for 0 depreciation and old school low tax bracket.

[garethj]

I didn't think road tax was very important, when I'm sad enough to do a spreadsheet for a change of car all the other things knock it into the "lost in the noise" category.  For example if the prospective purchase needs two new tyres, a set of pads and a balljoint then that's more than the difference in road tax.

 

For my own motoring I do a lot of miles so mpg and running costs are most important, if you're the opposite then fixed costs are more important and road tax is one of them, but initial purchase price and depreciation are probably more significant than road tax?  You won't know for sure until you work out all the costs, then you can go shopping for something imaginitive.

[stripped fred]

Road tax doesn't make that much difference unless you are doing very few miles. Depreciation more of a factor I would say. Also, on anything older being able to fix it yourself makes a lot of difference so you don't have to pay garage labour rates.

[Lacquer Peel]

Three pot diesel Accent???? WHERE DO I SIGN

 

Designed by shite diesel heroes VM as well - http://www.vmmotori.com/3-cilindri/automotive-en/3-cilindri.html