My daughter has a 9 months old son. Its time the 3 door Corsa to go and now she is looking for a 5 door 1.3L or under, biggish boot for the pram etc.
I want to find her one thats been looked after well with fsh etc.
Any recommendations?
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According to a fitter at a well known national Car parts and baby seat supplier, avoid 206's as many Child seats do not fit them (apart from the peugeot one).
You can get a pram in a Mark IV or newer fiesta (just), look for something with 250 litres of rear space or more as a minimum to get a pram in.
Edited by Saltrampen on 22/01/2008 at 09:54
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Pug 306? Plenty of room (particularly in estate form) - smallest engine is 1360cc Petrol, but even the 90BHP HDi is only Grp 5 insurance. £3k shouldn buy a nice one these days - even in diesel form!
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Nissan Almera - the 1.4 is a group 4 car, IIRC.
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I'd second the Almera, though perhaps try for a 2000 onwards car, with the 1.5 engine. Sizeable boot and dirt cheap due to low image. Perhaps also a Punto? But bit patchy on reliability.
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Almeras have a good reputation but they were never exciting enough to sell in great numbers when new. There are more Focuses and Astras around to choose from at this price level - maybe also see if you can find a Toyota Corolla.
Edited by Avant on 23/01/2008 at 00:06
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I'd agree re almeras & corollas. Can add 1998 on Mazda 323F? Kind of unexciting to look at, but hugely competent, great engine, excellent handling & nicely roomy. We've just bought a 2001 SE, delighted.
HTH,
Alex.
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I've put 40,000 miles on my MKII Punto from new, but I'd advise the OP to look elsewhere! While it's resonably reliable, the rattles, squeaks and groans would put anyone around the bend - not too good if you want to get baby to sleep!
AA
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Something otherwise fashionable but with a big boot that makes it unpopular. Is there a Jetta or Orion at the moment?
Or, spend under #1,000 on something a bit bigger - a Mondeo? Much less to scrap if it goes horribly wrong, and just as likely to be as reliable as a 3k car.
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Or looking at it the other way round - get a mini Quinny pram and keep the Corsa.
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Fiat Pandas in a variety of specs are now to be found around £3000. Their advantage is they are smaller than the Corsa but have 5 doors so seating the bairns in the back is easy. As these cars are only just out of warranty they should have FSH and whether they are well cared for or not is for you to judge.
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I forgot to mention the Honda Civic - the previous version started at Y-reg I think. Lots of room for Junior and a bit better to drive than a Nissan.
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Although the boot of the Almera is big, it is a funny shape. The 306, by way of a contrast, was shallow but a more 'useable' shape, and was certainly fine for our 3 wheel buggy. In this case I second the unfashionable saloon notion, as nothing has a bigger boot than the likes of the Bora/Vento/Jetta.
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