He needs to pick something with no demand.
Demand for crappy small cars like Fiesta is very high for under £1000 as they are ideal first cars - so ones in good nick command reasonable money.
Buy something like an old Mondeo, Cavalier, etc. People dont want them, so you can get one worth having for under £500.
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He needs to pick something with no demand.
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The Hyundai Accent ( coupe 1.3 ) has given Mrs S. no trouble at all so far (I wish I hadn't said that)
This model was tipped to me as having no badge snobbery built into the price and certainly for a '98 car with 13 months ticket it was cracking value at £650.
Easy to work on too (apparently)
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One mans junk is another mans treasure
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Pug205. Are they reliable? Ideally he's looking for a diesel engine so I'm sure he won't mind going for it but Peugeots are not known to be reliable isn't it?
Hyundai Accent. I'm sure he'll be able to get one for under 500 and they're meant to be reliable (I've heard they've got Mazda engines) but aren't they thirsty?
How's diesel corsa or how about a Micra (they must be reliable and are plenty around)?
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Skoda Felicia?
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Skoda Felicia: Parkers have given it 4 star rating and they come in diesel as well so I'll definitely suggest it to him.
Does anyone know much about Seat Ibiza diesels?
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Pug diesels of that generation are probably the best around. The 205 handles very well (thought the 1.8 lump won't give you much chance to find out), and all the parts are at breakers and available fast from factors. Diesels from VW, Ford etc of the same age are horrible.
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Mark II golf? Favourite of the bangernomics brigade.
--
Dr Alex Mears
MG BGT 1971
If you are in a hole stop digging...unless
you are a miner.
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Thanks for all your input so far guys!
Sounds like even for such a small money he's got so much to choose from.
So let me narrow our search so we could narrow down the choice to 2 or 3 max.
Reliable, cheap to run and small car (like fiesta or golf sized).
What you guys think of Corsa 1.5 diesel? It'll be definitely cheap to run coz engine is small and road tax would be cheaper too but how reliable is it?
If he goes for Pug 1.8 diesel (I think that's the only diesel available in them?) what should he look for?
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The small cars you mention can be in demand a bit as cars for kids first cars and/or university dueto the low insurance groups. FOr bottom price you need unpopular cars.
If he's going to be using it for "deliveries" I'd guess the business insurance would be a lot more than the cost of the car??
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If it's only being used for deliveries, the mileage probably won't be high, so don't worry about fuel economy.
I'd have thought that the two most important costs are going to be
a) how long will the car last before needing anytnhing other than minor repair (cos it'll be a write-off if the bills top a few hunbred)
b) how much is the insurance?
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Insurance isn't an issue for him because he's going to work for Dominos and Dominos's own insurance covers all the drivers while they're at work.
He's 27 and would be driving this car part-time so he's going for 3rd party fire and theft for personal insurance.
What car(s) would you guys suggest then? What's the un-popular car he'll get for this much money which would have couple of years life left in it? Also he'll be doing approx 15000+ miles per year on this car all driving round town and on countryside roads.
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I'd go for a 205 1.8D- you should be able to pick up a decent one of these on an M/N reg for around the £500 mark (205 diesels of this age all have power steering). Keep your eyes peeled to Autotrader and local newspapers as there aren't too many decent 205 diesels around these days so looking for one may take a little while. Insurance wise I think they are group 7 or 8 but don't quote me on this. The 1.8D is fairly nippy being a small lightweight car- better still if you can get your hands on the TD version and fuel economy is around 50mpg combined.
Alternatively, I'd recommend a Citroen ZX, preferably the 1.9 TD- £500 should get you one of these about M reg but are likely to have relatively high mileage but as long as they are in good condition and have been serviced correctly, these cars are good for 200k plus.
I would recommend a 306 1.9TD- same as the ZX under the skin, but finding a decent one for £500 would be tricky I think, but not impossible. The normally aspirated diesel verions of the ZX and the heavier 306 are rather sluggish but they do the job and will get you there!
Martin
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Martin thanks for your suggestions mate.
Originally we didn't think about Pug205 but it looks like that's somethig we're interested in. We'll be looking for diesel one. Based on my previous experience with French cars (Pug 306 TD/Megane) I'm really worried about reliability. What should we look for when viewing 205 and what should we avoid at any cost? Are they more reliable than 306 because I had 306 with 110k miles on it and head gasket went and then I had to replace head which was quite costly.
Thanks for all your suggestions guys.
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205 diesel - ace.
Very little to go wrong, it has all the complexity of a knife and fork. Check all electrical gadgets work, if fitted.
Check for general wear and tear.
Check for cambelt change, regular oil anf filter services.
And smile, whilst putting your fingers up to drivers of complex common rail diesels.
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tinyurl.com/hxeuk - looks like a good example, and in a good colour.
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Citroen ZX 1.9D 89k on ebay £500 only 57 mins to go
cgi.ebay.co.uk/1996-CITROEN-ZX-1-9D-SX-RED-NO-RESE...m
--
Phil
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Don't forget the 309, diesel or petrol.
simple car, cheaper and slightly bigger than the 205.
H
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He should definatly consider larger cars eg escort megane etc, as they can work out cheaper due to less demand, as said above. French cars do seem to be going particulary cheap recently, myself and 2 family members have all bought french cars in the last year and chosen them because they were cheaper than the ford/vauxhall equivelent. Also I found that a bigger car with a slighly larger engine dosn't always cost much more to insure.
eg 1.0 nova £700/year
1.4 Renault 19 £750/year
Although definatly shop around for insurance, one company quoted me £800 for the nova and £1250 for the R19. (I unexpectedly changed cars 2 weeks before renewal and had already started shopping around for insurance.)
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We're seriously thinking about Peugeot 106 1.4/1.5 diesel. There're plenty around and I'm sure we'll be able to pick one up within our budget. He doesn't want a medium sized car because he's got a family car and just wants a small banger for deliveries or driving locally. How are they like? My cousin used to have one and had quite a few problems with it. Any common faults on it and are they better or worst than Pug 205?
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If he's working for a pizza delivery firm, surely you should consider a petrol car as well? I didn't think diesels were particularly good until they warmed up. There will be a lot of stop start, short journeys in his work, not long legged motorway stuff, so I wouldn't automatically assume a diesel will be cheaper to run over the long term.
It would also need servicing/oil change twice as often as a petrol car negating any fuel savings.
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Choices, Choices and more choices.
If I was to go for a small petrol car which is economical and reliable what would it be? Micra seems the right car to me? What others would you suggest? How reliable Fiesta and Corsa are and which one of these would you go for? I think we'll go for something that's common because it means we'll be able to find the parts from the nearby scrap yards pretty easily when the need to be changed.
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>Based on my previous experience with French cars (Pug 306 TD/Megane) I'm really worried about reliability. What should we look for when viewing 205 and what should we avoid at any cost? Are they more reliable than 306 because I had 306 with 110k miles on it and head gasket went...<
205 diesels to my knowledge don't tend to suffer from head gasket problems in the same way as the 306TD's do. To be honest, I've never come across a 205D with a failed head gasket yet I've heard of numerous cases of head gasket failures on the 306's- mine went at 150k and ended up replacing the engine which cost me £550 of my hard earned cash. So I would probably say that the 205 is more reliable than the 306 based on knowledge and experience. When viewing a 205 (or 306/ZX/106 diesel) make sure the car has been serviced at the correct intervals i.e. oil,filters,cambelt, coolant etc. Also make sure there is no excessive smoke on starting and also carefully inspect the radiator and the condition of the coolant in the header tank. When taking the car for a test drive, make sure that the heater works and keep an eye on the temperature guage to make sure the engine isn't overheating. Also make sure that there is no excessive pressure in the coolant header tank as that would point to a failing head gasket.
Martin
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If you must have a 106, make sure it's the newer and slightly better 1.5 engine. I once drove a Metro with the same 1.4 engine, grim beyond description. Accerlation? No, none of that. Overtaking? Forget it.
A good 205 is a far better car IMO.
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"Sounds like even for such a small money he's got so much to choose from"
Certainly true. Most of what has been said is also true. The main point is that most cars more than about 9 years old are all worth under £1000, which means that if you are careful you can find a really nice one. Take time and be choosy.
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Had a petrol 106 for two years and 20,000 miles. Not particularly well made, but totally reliable.
I would have another.
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I've seen couple of Fiestas and Corsas which I want to view but I don't really know which one if better from these two? How do they compare for reliability and economy? What are the common faults on these and which one would you personally prefer from these two?
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I wouldn't want either.
You will do much much worse than find a nice 205, they do exist if you look hard enough. It was 'Car of the Decade' a while back and for good reason.
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Agreed, good 205s can not be beaten.
Here's a cheapy - tinyurl.com/eve7f, but I'd stretch the budget to this - tinyurl.com/zlk9d - it's a spanker!
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If you're after a small cheap car, how about a Toyota Starlet or a Mazda 121 (rare)?
Going by your screen name, maybe you already thought of the 121!
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If you're after a small cheap car, how about a Toyota Starlet or a Mazda 121 (rare)? Going by your screen name, maybe you already thought of the 121!
Sprice I would have Toyota Starlet or Mazda 121 anyday. My dad drives Toyota Starlet and its very reliable and nippy to drive but they both are rare so its hard to find parts. So ideally I'm looking for a car which is common so I could go to any scrap yard and get a part whenever needed because obviously an old car on a tight budget of around £500 won't be 110% reliable.
(I've got Mazda 323 and I really like it, I'm always looking forward to drive it!!!)
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Guys I really like diesel cars and would love to have another one but I'm not entirely sure about 205 after having 2 really bad experiences with 306. If 205 is as reliable as 306 then I'm not even touching it but I hope because it hasn't got any electrics and old Pug diesel engines aren't as complicated as new ones it'll be a bit more reliable than utterly unreliable 306?
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Cavalier. 500 will get you a mint SRI on J plate (last ones before cats came in).
Unbreakable, goes like stink and you can get a double bed in the back.
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Nope but as MichaelR says people pay big money for small crap like Fiestas.
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I agree but the OP states "He just needs a small cheap to run car for deliveries."
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Guys looking for a small car, fiesta sized with nothing more than 1.2/1.3 petrol engine but won't mind a larger diesel engine if its well worth it.
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Micra? Chaincam engine so no belt to worry about.
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Definitely Cavalier diesel with 1.7TD Isuzu. With a bit of looking you should be able to find one with CD trim with toys, and decent looking mid-90s facelift model.
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Er, it's not a small car.
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"not entirely sure about 205 after having 2 really bad experiences with 306"
I (and my family) have owned three 306s and about a dozen 205s, and never had what I would call a bad experience with any of them. Having said that, only a couple of the 205s were bought for under £1000 - if you concentrate on Bangernomics territory it follows that you are buying cars probably with several parts that are almost time-expired. Such as stop-solenoids on a diesel, clutch cables, that sort of thing. All you can do is look for a car with evidence that Proper Maintenance (in the sense of preventing failures) has been done. I would like a nice 205 myself, but as they are all over 10 years old now, with high mileages (unless automatic) it gets harder and harder.
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I agree, which is why I was very pleased to snap up an immaculate, low mileage, one owner 205 GRD last year.
And it's not for sale - ever.
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My personal opinion is that the Hyundai Accent, Skoda Felicia and Citroen ZX are good choices at this price range as mentioned above. At this price condition is everything, brand is less important. Hyundai, Skoda and Citroen are makes that tend to be ignored by most people, all three cars have a relatively good reputation for being reliable and they cost next to nothing to buy.
One other, if it's big enough: Kia Pride. OK not trendy by any stretch of the imagination but these are identical to a 1980s Mazda 121 (the Mazdas were made under licence by Kia for Mazda, and Kia continued making them after Mazda discontinued them). They can be picked up for peanuts, and are endlessly reliable mecahnically.
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"immaculate, low mileage, one owner 205"
nice one, Xileno. If LoveMazda lives on the southern edge of Britain, he can look on Ebay now and find several enticing 205s for sale - an XT and a cabrio to name but two, all with 40-60K on the clock. There is even a 1991 GTI 1.6 in Wakefield with only 28K ... But sadly not many bread-and-butter 205s.
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