Reply With QuoteA cheap car can be an expensive thing. £700 is about where the good stuff starts.Originally Posted by lewie
Morning all - having slept on it I’m going to look thoroughly at lease deals to see if we can manage one.
A cheap car can be an expensive thing. £700 is about where the good stuff starts.
Maybe look st something like this has 12 months mot.
Few years ago I just needed a car 2 days a week so I bought an 04 mazda 3 with
12 months mot. Nothing fancy a petrol with no turbo cost £250 to buy and has just sailed through its mot again.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...?atmobcid=soc4
Last Tuesday in Shaftesbury I saw a 14 reg Kia Picanto, 10k miles, seven year manufacturers warranty, zero road tax, £3,995. It's wheels, and cheap.
If you haven’t been recently there are road closures, concrete blocks around government sites and half of the buildings in central London are empty shells covered in scaffolds. And craters, craters everywhere, it’s like Blitz all over again.
Fas est ab hoste doceri
My Honda CVR cost £1700. Lower then average miles, unmarked interior and service history. I did need to spend £350 on new lower arm bushes a anti roll bar link though - all the same, a perfectly presentable, comfortable and spacious car for just over £2K that should manage another 60K without too much hassle.
Last week I flattened the battery by leaving the lights on (light on alarm wasn't working - its now been fixed) and had to call the AA. He jumped started it and all was well, he said that he doesn't get called out to Honda's very often not even older ones and he thought that they were one of the most reliable cars available as long as they are serviced regularly.
I recommended a similar CRV to my eldest daughter (who's current Vauxhaul Corsa is way to small to cart her children and dog around) without hesitation.
In real terms its never been a better time for cheapo motoring. When I look back to the 70's and 80's and the constant struggle to keep the kind of rot boxes with dodgy electric and unreliable engines going that you could buy sub £1K there is no comparison. You can almost treat some cheaper motors like disposable commodities - buy cheap, use for a while, discard when needing anything expensive doing, buy another.
I second that...... I remember my dad had a hinda civic from 2001 to 2008. Appart from the battery which faltered once I don't remember anything else ever going wrong. I think he gave it away to a charity.
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I bought a brand new Honda Civic in 1999 for the wife. She averaged 8000 miles a year in it. In 2010 she gifted it to one of our sons and he still uses it today. So it's 20 years old.
It has never broken down or refused to start. It did blow a light bulb when it was 3 months old. Nothing else has ever gone wrong.
It goes in for a service once a year.
It has never once failed a MOT.
I used to drive Jaguars when I was working and my one concession to cutting costs when I retired was to sell the Jag and buy a new Civic for myself. My current one is 2016 model and it, like the old one, has given flawless service.
Hondas are a brilliant car.
Ian and Mick - thanks for the Honda recommendations. I'm having a look now.
I don't know how many kids you have got, but don't discount the Jazz. They are slightly more reliable than the Civic and very spacious inside with a good fold down system for the occasional luggage overload. They are bit like a Tardis in that they are much bigger inside that what you would first think.
The only disadvantage is their image, the average age of a first time buyer is 63. However they tend to be well looked after for obvious reasons.
Thanks Mick. We're two adults and two kids and we're all tall. I'm attracted to the Jazz on price (I know what you mean about the old person's car!) but it'll depend on interior size.
And probably low milers?
All I can add is don’t buy a French car and buy something Japanese! - when we lived in London we ran 1 car and I used public transport for work - the only practical solution but I hated every minute of it. Now in Norfolk, everything is cheaper, but public transport is almost totally non existent. Houses are cheaper but you need a car, it’s just a necessity. Depends so much on where you live - although our quality of life per £ is hugely better away from London, even running 2 cars. Hope you get it sorted
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Older Toyota Corolla. Both my mother and MIL drive them. Have both owned since new and minimal issues apart from the usual wear and tear items. Should get a good one for under a grand.
Or Toyota avensis if you need more space. Just be careful and do a HPI and M.O.T history check if buying a cheap diesel one as they were a favourite of Taxi firms so some will have done mega miles... on the up side taxi firms used them as they are capable of mega miles without issue.
I’d be inclined to get it tested at an independent as already suggested then get the work done.
You’ve £250 in the PRS25 you bought recently so even if it does cost £500 to fix, you’re half way there. You must be able to raise the additional £250 or you’d not even be considering buying another car or leasing one.
That said, leasing a really small car at sub £100/month may indeed be your cheapest option overall.
I personally believe that £500 is better spent on the car you own and know rather than risking it on another car costing £500.
Dave the Honda Jazz is a great car for reliability. Forget the age thing, my daughter had one (in her 30's)and loved it. I borrowed one from my Honda dealer whilst my Civic 1.8S was in for servicing.
The other one too consider is a Toyota something .. maybe Yaris? Probably the most reliable car on the road.
Thanks again for all the fantastic advice. Having mulled it over the plan is to sell the Smiths Everest to one of the people who contacted me when I bought it in case I ever sold it, get a couple of independent quotes for the repairs and find the difference to get it fixed.
It drives brilliantly so, as some of you have said, better the devil you know.
Truly TZ at its best!
Good luck mate
Im currently 3 years into a 1996 ford galaxy bought for 425 with 12m test on it its currently on 247000 miles.
Past couple of mots have been under 200.
Due again end of oct
In my care its needed
A relay at £7
Brake master cylinder £20
Couple of tyres.
The cambelt is 18m overdue and im just playing roulette on that if it goes bang the car owes me nothing in reality.
Car will go over the weighbridge for £200 which would go towards the replacement.
The key to running a shed/banger is being able to do most of your own work.
I'm thinking this is probably the most cost effective motoring ive ever done.
Op in your shoes as mentioned id get it to a good indie and get the work done.
The car you already own is usually in the long run the better/cheaper option to fix and by the sounds of it the little ones would be the hardest hit by going car less.
That’s the right thing to do 👍
Definitely your best bet. Changing cars means new insurance and tax which is all extra money, so stick with what you have got.
Personally I rather spend £500 on a nice pair of shoes either for myself or for missus than on a rustbucket car. Five hundred quid doesn’t buy you a car, it buys a headache and bottomless pit where good money will be thrown after bad.
Fas est ab hoste doceri
I think he was taking the pi55 based on the OP's SC history.
I see, I wasn’t aware of that.In which case I retract my comment.
I'll give another shout out to Honda.
I picked up a 2009 Accord last year for just under £3k which I use a lot.
It's just smashed it's way through 175k on the clock and it's remarkably nice to drive still, especially on the motorway.
Fully loaded with gadgets and convenience features.
I'm told it will cost me £350 for a new shock absorber come MOT time, but it's pretty much trouble free, high mileage motoring.
OP - Renault are offering 0% on the new Clio at the moment. Could well be worth a look.
https://offers.renault.co.uk/cars/cl...tion?offer=631
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