Supermini shite... which is the best?

[ashmicro]

Good call Hirst. My mate has a Hyundai Accent CRDi, 2003, and I keep it "right" for her. Cheap parts, easy to work on, not a bad looking car and it isn't terrible. Mingebag motoring - I put new pads on the front 2 weeks ago - £13 for Apec. It has the second-narrowest powerband of any car I have ever driven mind you. CRDi GSi for that year has PAS, leccy front windows, Panasonic Stereo (although that may have been a Hyundai NI promo) alloys (5).

Is that the 3 cylinder engine?

Yes mate.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

I was about to say "I bet that sounds nice*", but it sounds quite cool! Better than a 4-pot diesel anyway.

[eddyramrod]

This looks ok.... Mrs will think its a new car, you know it's shite...

http://i.ebayimg.com/15/!B)ww3p!!2k~$(KGrHqEOKm4EvyFnhzgGBMO3)OSgOQ~~_12.JPG

+1, should be megacheap and totally capable. Might try looking for a Proton too, we had one, no complaints at all (for me to say that about a FWD 1.3, that's something!)

[Polystratus]

I'm kinda drawn to the Daewoo Matiz, as they seem to be mega cheap to buy, dont look like the go rusty and i'm guessing they are pretty reliable too.

 

 

The sills on the Matiz can rot out, also older ones can suffer from power steering failure, also the engine management unit can die too. (Thats from someone I know who's had one for 10 years)

[woolleyiain]

Fiat Panda 750? Or a Sisley? Punto? If you can find one with a decent Head Gasket. Cinq Sporting? Why can I only think of Fiats? Or that weird fridge shaped Daihatsu thing?

[Lankytim]

It needs to be a 5 door really, so old pandas and stuff are out.

 

The Atoz/Atos is my fave at the mo, Think the wife likes em too! I think ill have to sell my Audi though, as it doesnt fit in with "the grand plan", I.E Allegro for sunny summer days and a pair of small daily drivers for me and Mrs LT.

[M'coli]

Thumbs up for the 106 here too, and they're featured in this month's Car Mechanics. The 1.1 is nippy enough but the 1.4 would be preferable.

[peter9000uk]

Suzuki Wagon R?

[wuvvum]

A mate has just bought an '03 plate Perodua Kenari with bags of T&T and 68K on the clock for £350. Aside from looking faintly ridiculous, it doesn't seem like a bad car at all, although I can't see it being the best motorway cruiser on the market. Lots of space for such a tiddly car though.

[M'coli]

On the Hyundai front, what about the Getz? I'm nearly tempted myself...

[wuvvum]

On the Hyundai front, what about the Getz? I'm nearly tempted myself...

I had a Getz as a hire car in Oz. I thought it was absolutely vile.

[dollywobbler]

A mate has just bought an '03 plate Perodua Kenari with bags of T&T and 68K on the clock for £350. Aside from looking faintly ridiculous, it doesn't seem like a bad car at all, although I can't see it being the best motorway cruiser on the market. Lots of space for such a tiddly car though.

Blimey. Who said there was no such thing as cheap cars anymore?! A friend has just bought a facelifted Saxo for £288, though that at least needed a little fettling.

[AlsoMike]

I'd be giving this one a look I think.

[woolleyiain]

Daihatsu Charade! That's it - it's been bugging me all day, that.

[Lankytim]

I'd be giving this one a look I think.

Yes, I had seen that before. Looks to fit the bill perfectly! Im not in a position to buy immediately though, but it proves the right car is out there.

 

The Getz is probably a bit too modern and therefore expensive for our price range (e.g pennies)

[Negative Creep]

The Matiz is pretty grim and has a minuscule boot as well. Drives like a filing cabinet on castors. We had one as a pool car and I really wouldn't

[Lankytim]

I had a Matiz as a hire car in Crete, I thought it was great... well better than I expected it to be.

 

A friend of the family has a 55 reg panda, hes owned it for a couple of years and has already put a big dent in the drivers door- putting it into the shite category. Ill put a word in for when he wants shot of it.

[ashmicro]

I had 2 Getz's, a 1,4 Diseasel and a 1.1 GSi.

 

The diseasel:

 

 

3 banger derv:

 

 

1.1 GSi - had PAS, aircon, power windows, vented discs and MP3 cd player:

 

 

Nice inside, but the gear knob came off once!

 

 

 

Nice cars to drive, diesel is mingebag-tastic on fuel, quite torquey. 1.1 was very quiet, thrifty if a little gutless. Reasonable rear legroom, boot very small. 8/10 I'd say.

[AnthonyG]

I had a Getz as a courtesy car, seemed fine as a runaround, but I doubt you'd get one for £500 unless it was a salvage cat C or D job.

 

If I was looking for a cheap supermini, I'd be looking for a Fiesta Mk4 or Ka, but I can well understand most in this price range will be shonky wrecks. However you might get lucky with a one owner job in the local newsagent's window for £750 on near offer. Take a magnet with you!

[ashmicro]

Ka's are nice (had one of them as well!) but they are VERY small. For example, the boot will not take a standard baby buggy.

[pandamonium]

Perodua Nippa.

 

No, seriously!

[Formula Autos]

Get a Yaris.

 

Seriously good cars, and you might just manage to pick up one of the first for 500 notes. It'll be leggy, but it's a Toyota, so no problem.

 

Failing that a late 205 diesel should be good, economical fun. They don't rot much either.

 

Or how about an Ibiza TDi? A Polo in disguise, with all the good things that entails. They eat wheel bearings, but that's about it.

 

If you want something shite, an Atoz would be perfect though. And reliable.