I know these threads can be popular but unfortunately this is not about my next sports car or mx-5. With the kids getting older my wife no longer needs a big car so wants to get rid of her S-Max and is looking for something smaller.
Requirements:
Petrol
Efficient
Manual
Small-ish
£8k budget (could go up a couple of £k if it makes sense)
Specifically doesn't like: Mini
I wondered about a BMW 1 series, but that's only as I've had BMWs for a while. It's not really a bit of the market I know much about, and my wife would literally just buy the first thing she sees with 4 wheels (apart from a mini!) so thought I'd tap into the collective TZ knowledge to come up with some ideas for her. Thanks in advance!
Well it has been a couple of days since the last type of thread
Prepare yourself for every brand of car under the sun to be recommended. And tales of woe and tales of delightful stories for the same car/brand. Good luck deciphering all this.
I miss the washing machine thread.
p.s. a Ford Fiesta will probably do.
Possibly don’t reply then - just a thought
Maybe an Up/ Citigo if that’s not too small
Sense of humour failure.Originally Posted by lewie
Toyota Yaris Hybrid from around 2015'ish.
Boring. Very boring. But a decent small car and quite spritely and economical.
Honda Jazz
z
^^^ Thread ends here ^^^Honda Jazz
z
I had a VW Up and was very happy with it. I had it for 7 yrs and nothing went wrong during that period.
These cars are no longer made nowadays. They came on the market in 2012, I remember that I sat in one during the London Olympics; it was brand-new then. W
Some things to consider when you buy a VW Up: there was an upgrade around 2018 I think. When buying the pre-upgrade model: check for signs of waterleaks in the footwells. Some had it, some not. It goes back to the iffy amount of glue used to keep the windshield in place. Always have the g/box oil replaced and refilled. VW poured in the bare minimum. Same goes for the airco. A car with full service history is a must; which should be easy. There must be tons of cars for sale.
I would not hesitate to buy one again.
Honda Civic
My son just bought an Alfa Romeo MiTo.
Fun little car, very stylish, £0 RFL and surprisingly roomy.
If I didn't need more space, I'd think of one for myself and my wife now wants one as well!
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Toyota Aygo! my grandson's black box in his caught him doing 86mph and cancelled his insurance😁 Nippy & economical.
My 2004 Mk1 Skoda Fabia is one of the best cars I've ever owned.
I can't vouch for the later models but they didn't half get it right with the first ones.
"A man of little significance"
Honda Jazz is the answer.
I look after a few Honda Jazz, one of thems a 10 plate with 60k on the clock and it drives and runs like new. No oil leaks on the thing and i see it once a year for the last 6 years. The lady has had it since new and its never let her down or needed anything apart from tyres and brakes.
Thanks for the suggestions so far, a good starting point for research. Honda Jazz seems popular so will look into those.
Would they be OK on the motorway? I'd worry they're a little small but Mrs RV likes the look of them.
It is a 1.3 naturally aspirated petrol engine (which is why it is so reliable) so will feel pedestrian if coming from a German turbo diesel or the like. But it is adequate, just can’t be afraid of getting the revs up if you need a bit of speed. If I was doing 20k on the motorway a year I wouldn’t get one but for most people, just fine.
Size wise they are a bit of a tardis, very clever use of space especially with the “magic seats”.
Sounds like you know my MIL then!
Yes, but only by the over 70s.
Honda Jazz is incredibly well reviewed. My elderly mum has one and it is a bit characterless and personally I can’t bear the design of Japanese cars so wouldn’t have one. My son had an Up and it was a great little car but a bit gutless. It was far roomier inside than the Jazz is, my eldest son and I are both 6 foot 2 and I could sit behind him with ease. Also had a full size spare wheel and a decent size boot. Would be my choice in spite of the lack of oomph!
Had my 2004 Toyota Echo RS (Yaris) for 16 years before I sold it. Loved that car and was going to buy the newest model until they announced a Mazda partnership and didn't bother.
Spotted some regular Yaris models (couldn't find any RS models) with low mileage and within your price range
My mother and aunt also liked the car as seats were chair height (mine were back and forth only - no height adjustment) and it made it easy for them to get in and out when I had to pick one or both of them up.
One added mention - 4 door hatchback - not the sedan
Last edited by DONGinsler; 1st April 2023 at 13:37. Reason: change
My wife loves her quite old now 2010 Yaris, does everything she wants from a “white good” as she treats it car.
Have asked her about replacing it with something newer but she’s always said no.
The equivalent model Yaris in the UK was the T-Sport. I loved mine, it felt surprisingly nippy for a warm hatch.
I had one of these for years. Much closer to an original mini (my first car) than the BMW range. The scream of the engine as it gets up to 50 in second gear 😂. Great fun.
As with some others I'll chip in with the Up!/Citigo/Mii option.
Bought one ex-dem for the lad when he passed his test 7 years and it has been superb. I can squeeze over 70mpg from it and he can manage under 30mpg so consumption depends on the driver, but the driving position is very spacious and driving is exceptionally easy. The "standard" suspension and sensible tyres mean that it's the most comfortable car in the family for navigating the dreadful local roads. Our Yaris, MX5 and Superb all have sports suspension and low profile tyres and are suffering because of it; the Citigo rides like a Rolls Royce by comparison.
The only frustrating thing for a buyer now is that it cost £5,500 at 6 months old and they still tend to sell for that.
Skoda Fabia, reliable, good on fuel and cheap to tax. Also very comfortable
Sent from a technical device.
The UP! is a great car , worth the premium over the MII and Citygo imo , much bigger than you think and plenty of poke , sits on the motorway well
The Yaris is a good bet as well , the Jazz is simply awful , best left to pensioners but even my 75yr old mum thought it was dire and bought a Polo
Best car at this budget by far is the Hyundai i20 , the 1.2 is bulletproof they are £30 to tax, and will do mid 50's mpg in general use and mid 60's on the motorway . £8k will get a 17 or 18 plate with sensible mileage
setting aside the turbo versions, the naturally aspirated versions of the UP! etc came in 2 power levels from the 1.0 engine; 59bhp and 74bhp.
The way they achieved the difference was simply to limit throttle opening on the lower power version so they fundamentally work the same until 5,000 rpm and then the higher power version continues to build power while the lower power one flatlines. Having watched the rev counter in day to day use, the car is very rarely above 5,000rpm
The remap dyno graph from Superchips shows it well
The 75bhp versions are geared slightly differently too, so they are running lower rpm for any given speed. Which means that they are slightly less responsive at motorway speeds than the lower powered versions... unless you change down and get the revs up
Suzuki Ignis. Like a Tardis, all day comfortable cruising on the motorway, masses of rear leg room (even with the rear seats in the forward position its fine), 65mpg, squeezes into parking spaces others can only dream of, cheap insurance and servicing, Japanese reliability, mini suv styling (awd an option), hybrid so ulez compliant (free in Birmingham on our trip last year). Love ours.
Not a Vauxhall.
Never a Vauxhall.
After that, what others have said.
Jazz is great, was our family car for over 10 years. Never a reliability problem, easy to drive, as has been mentioned, a true Tardis too.
I've an old Aygo now as a runaround and love the thing, like someone said it pulls great from low down, love embarrassing Chelsea tractors not expecting me to fly away from standing.
Would greatly recommend both, Jazz is much bigger, proper boot, a few more mod cons etc.
Another thumbs up for the VW Uo.
Bought ours new in 2017 for £8250 with the intention of passing it on to our daughter when she passes her test.
We use it as a runabout, mainly for short journeys, and it’s been brilliant. I’ve used it for a couple of 300 mile round trips with which it has coped well.
It’s roomy enough for the three of us and handles well. Easy to park too.
Couldn’t recommend it highly enough.
Well Op, I think I alsmost nailed this one, lol. You have the following recommendations;
Up!
Mii
Citigo
Yaris
Aygo
Fabia
i20
Polo
Ignis
Jazz
Civic
But defintely not a Vauxhall
Ironically nobody mentioned a Ford Fiesta. So that is my recommedation just because it is one of the last small cars standing.
Good luck and let us know what you buy.
Sent from my SM-X200 using Tapatalk
Yeah i've driven four different power levels but even the lowly 59hp is enough for most of the time, a lot of manufacturers map the throttle nowadays, quite a few performance cars have throttle restricted in the lower gearssetting aside the turbo versions, the naturally aspirated versions of the UP! etc came in 2 power levels from the 1.0 engine; 59bhp and 74bhp.
The way they achieved the difference was simply to limit throttle opening on the lower power version so they fundamentally work the same until 5,000 rpm and then the higher power version continues to build power while the lower power one flatlines. Having watched the rev counter in day to day use, the car is very rarely above 5,000rpm
The remap dyno graph from Superchips shows it well
The 75bhp versions are geared slightly differently too, so they are running lower rpm for any given speed. Which means that they are slightly less responsive at motorway speeds than the lower powered versions... unless you change down and get the revs up
I owned the GTI myself these are destined to be a future classic i reckon
I'd still take the i20 though on the OPs requirements
Has somebody locked the elephant in another room?!
Exactly why is MX5 not the answer this time?
You missed the MiTo off your list.
The rest read like the nine circles of hell in motoring form to me... (Yaris GR excepted).
Beige personified.
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Who you kidding.
Think they’re embarrassed? ;0)
What is the 0-60 in a Toyota Aygo?
13.4 - 15.0 secs
Toyota Aygo (2014 - 2022) Specifications
They don’t review very well
My daughter and I both have 1.25 fiestas (mk 7 and 7.5)
Both very reliable pretty roomy and performance is ok
😁
Mine's is older, maybe they were quicker in the past 😆
Mrs Rod had one 2 yrs ago and slipping onto the A1M from our junction surprised me how quick it was, leaving some much bigger cars on the outside lane in it's wake.
Plus none I bet had the mpg she was getting I bet. 😁 A nippy car!
Current model of Polo is a notable upgrade on the Jazz but may stretch budget. The Fiesta is also a really nice car to drive
I take reviews with a pinch of salt.
Fiestas are pretty good, though. Better than most suggestions, I think.
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
My mrs has the 1.0 fiesta eco boost turbo surprisingly quick a lot quicker than her old 1.25 non turbo
I had an Aygo to go to work, 60 miles round trip every day around country lanes, was absolutely brilliant very much like an old school mini to rag around at high revs. Would certainly have another, but it’s certainly not to everyone’s taste as you have to work it to play. Bonus was it cost very little to buy and run.
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
I looked at the Eco boost when I bought mine but some stories around that Eco boost engine
Parts and bits are plentiful - I’ve ‘pimpled’ mine (as my kids say) Sony head unit with nav, sports interior ST steering wheel etc
It was known as the Eco boom but things have moved on and they are much more reliable these days.
One of daughters had a 1.0l eco boost Fiesta which was very nice to drive. Another has a Fiat 500 and absolutely loved it. I drove it from Canterbury to Bourne when she first got it and was highly impressed. The third daughter had both model Argos (08 reg and 18 reg). She liked them but I wasn’t so impressed when compared with the Ford or Fiat.
Last edited by Dave+63; 14th April 2023 at 18:36.
I think we're narrowing it down to a Polo or Ibiza.
Model I'm looking at is Volkswagen Polo1.2 TSI BlueMotion Tech Match
Here's an example
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...ceDeposit=true
I've always liked the look of the Suzuki Swift. Don't know anything about them, though.
We had one of the new Vauxhall Corsas (basically a Peugeot now) as a loaner last year, and it was actually really nice. Nippy, if not actually rapid. It was that sort of burnt orange colour, we nicknamed it the 'Flying Carrot'. FWIW, I don't like Vauxhalls either, usually.
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