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Mid size manual - max 4k miles per year - dazzabeezer

Hi

Looking for a mid size manual for my Mum. She does mainly local driving - up to 4k a year - with the occasional motorway drive once a month. I was looking at the Jazz but got put off by the high rate of catalytic converter thefts (especially in my area).

What would you recommended?

1.2/1.4 manual petrol engine, £6k budget.

Thank you

Mid size manual - max 4k miles per year - skidpan

What would you recommended?

Simple, Fabia TSi. 1.0 preferably but many like the 1.2, I didn't.

Mid size manual - max 4k miles per year - Xileno

I am sure plenty of suggestions will follow but one of my favourite is the Fiesta but only with the 1.25 Yamaha engine. Lots to choose from and you should get a nice one for your budget.

Edited by Xileno on 14/05/2021 at 20:27

Mid size manual - max 4k miles per year - badbusdriver

Agree with the Fiesta 1.25.

But as well as that, I'd also throw in the Mazda 2 1.5 as you can get in to the first of the current shape (2015/2016) for that budget. Lovely little car and very reliable.

Also, Suzuki Swift, Hyundai i20 and Kia Rio.

Also thinking of the Toyota Yaris (1.33), but not sure how vulnerable to cat theft the non hybrids are?.

Mid size manual - max 4k miles per year - SLO76
Later Mk II and Mk III examples of the Jazz have the catalyst relocated under the bonnet same as my old Mk IV Honda CRV in order to stop this. The bulk of thefts, in fact every one I’ve heard of has been on cars with it located underneath the car. Just verify before buying as I’m not sure exactly when this occurred and I’d avoid the hybrid versions which are more attractive to thieves and to be honest it’s not worth the extra money over the normal models.

A Jazz makes an excellent and utterly reliable used car but they’re pretty drab to drive, not that this is really of much concern to most buyers. I’d expand the search to include the following.

Ford Fiesta 1.25 petrol
Mazda 2 1.3/1.5 petrol
Suzuki Swift 1.2 petrol
Toyota Yaris 1.33 petrol