I have £6000 for a fun, economic and reliable car - any suggestions? | Ask Honest John

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I have £6000 for a fun, economic and reliable car - any suggestions?

I have about £6000 to spend on a used car. I'll use it for a daily 25 mile commute in rush hour and, as my wife has a Volkswagen Up!, it will be our main car for longer journeys. I'd like a balance of fun, good fuel economy (at least 30mpg), comfort (for those dark, icy days) and reliability. I'm thinking a Ford Fiesta 1.6 petrol Or a Honda Civic Type S. Or an older MINI Cooper S/DS3 THP. Which do you think I should I go for or can you think of any alternatives?

Asked on 27 March 2017 by Allleynian

Answered by Honest John

£6000 will probably get you a first generation Fiesta ST, which is a bit raw but fun. MINI generally aren't very reliable. The DS3 1.6 THP 150 is fun and comfortable but can have timing chain problems. The Civic 1.8 i-VTEC SE makes more sense than the 3-door Type S and does over 40mpg.

Tags: reliable comfortable cars fuel economy buying a used car buying and selling commuting mpg economical used cars fun to drive consumer advice £6000 budget

Dear Honest John,

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