Small car petrol only £2000 to £3000. Advice!!!!

[Matty]

Mates looking at cars. Wants small and petrol. I've advised a panda, a jazz and a Yaris and quite rightly she hates them all. She's currently looking at a 04 plate polo low miles 1.4 petrol or an 07 swift 1.5 petrol. Can't see major problems with either long-term but I'd away to the swift.

However I have no prior experience of either so I'm throwing it over to the brains trust. What do you lot reckon? Hugs, kisses and gratitude in advance! Ta...

[mrbenn]

Invacar?

[Jim Bell]

Swift's are a decent shout. I've often fancied trying one. I'd take a Swift over small VAG toilet any day.

[mrbenn]

What about a Lupo? I've never had one but I like the look of them.

[egg]

Invacar?

Too common.

 

Hyundai i10?

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Smol Kia or Hyundais are excellent shouts.  My brother's 12-plate i20 is very good at just being a car.

[mrbenn]

Too common.

 

Hyundai i10?

 

Ooooh, good shout.

 

*Cough*

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/34551-modernshite-2011-hyundai-i10-12-active-auto/

[Rocket88]

Another vote for a Swift........

[carlo]

Don't spend £2,000-£3,000, spend £1,000 on a Fiat Panda.  Delightful to drive, simple, cheap to buy and incredibly cheap to run.  Have character too.

 

Keep the rest in the bank.

[Tamworthbay]

04 plate Polo? Surely they aren’t in the £2-3k bracket? I would have thought they were sub £1k. What about a Fester? £3k should get a nice one.

[Rusty_Rocket]

Swift is good. Yaris would be my choice though.

[Uncle Jimmy]

Corolla innit.

[bigstraight6]

Polo is a good choice, they are well made reliable cheap to run and don’t rust like many of the contemparies. I’ve had my Diesel 02 plate 9n for 2 and a half years and it’s needed nothing other than routine servicing and it has no corrosion anywhere, one of my sons has had a year 2000 6n2 1 litre petrol for nearly 3 years and again it’s been the same scenario. The only downside is the stigma of being on here and owning a VW!...

[John F]

I'd spend no more than £1200 on something Japanese, Korean or Malaysian, then blow the change on a large consignment of Black Jacks and/or Fruit Salads.

[Aston Martin]

Mates looking at cars. Wants small and petrol. I've advised a panda, a jazz and a Yaris and quite rightly she hates them all.

 

 

...

[purplebargeken]

Hmm, i10 you say? You did say, yes? Follow the previous linky

[cort16]

Don't spend £2,000-£3,000, spend £1,000 on a Fiat Panda.  Delightful to drive, simple, cheap to buy and incredibly cheap to run.  Have character too.

 

Keep the rest in the bank.

 

 

That's not my experience! Buy something Japanese or Korean.

[Mr Laurence]

I’ve got an 07 plate 1.4 Polo, save for the facelift, essentially the same as an 04. I quite like it, it’s been pretty reliable so far, everything seems properly put together on them - as far as I know there’s no major common issues either. It’s also got far more space than a Fiesta/Corsa of the era. For something this size and age, the fuel economy isn’t amazing (I average somewhere between 42-45mpg), but by no means awful

 

Really my only criticisms are the laughably tiny glovebox and how boring they are - everything is just really grey, dull and predictable.

 

Before I got it, I was actually after a Lupo/Arosa. Probably slightly too small, but generally much cheaper, and little more exciting and just as well made.

[Dan_ZTT]

Chrysler Ypsilon

[Matty]

...

Well what exactly is there to like about well made reliable non-trendy cars which do a job well??? (Smiley face can't make emojis work)

[HMC]

2008- fiesta? Does the job, no fuss, loads to choose from, invisible street furnature yet is actually a decent steer.

[Matty]

2008- fiesta? Does the job, no fuss, loads to choose from, invisible street furnature.

Just going to say that. Mk6 for the win according to uncle mechanic indestructible and cheap to mend when they do have a fault.

[Matty]

Thanks everyone for making the effort. Problem is she doesn't want Japanese or Korean ect cos perceived image. I'm reckoning Mk6 fiesta/ MK2/3 focus

[Cavcraft]

A 2004 Polo really ought to be quite well under £1,000 even with low mileage. For £2,000-£3,000 I'd humbly suggest something Japanese, Korean, Vauxhall or Ford. 

[Ghosty]

Pre emptive strike...

[dome]

Another vote for a Swift. Good wee cars.

[Uncle Jimmy]

Ghosty has repetitive meme syndrome.

[Waderider]

My wife had a 1.5 Swift for a while and it was blinking brilliant to drive. They look good too.

[1duck]

My friend had a swift, was nowt but grief. Which is odd because I expected bulletproof Japanese, suppose he might have had the only bad one.

 

For 2-3kk surely just about any small car is do-able? Ibiza \ fabia to save a few quid over the polo perhaps? I quite liked my lasses fabia 1.4, it took some serious abuse too, with it being a company car that was a bit long in the tooth.

 

How about a corsa? There are tons of those about and they look alright, especially the newer ones, although personally I'd rather have a fiesta.

[leanycan]

Previous model Mazda 2. I had one and loved it.