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Dodgy motors too many about!

There's certainly a shortage of decent sub £1k - £1.5k cars about due to the current climate and the fact they are worth more as trade in now due to the scrappage scheme. I was looking for a mate a few weeks ago and every one we rang had been sold within hours, leaving only the dross. They've all been snapped up and as such prices have increased slightly.

We ended up getting a tidy Volvo S40, T plate, with leather, 95k miles, 1.8 or 2.0 petrol engine, some service for £950. No dings or rust. A fair price.

How about a cheap Fiat? Cheap to run and insure and easy enough to fix yourself. My first car was an Uno 55S and didn't mind crashing it even. Is the Punto the replacement? I would stay well clear of anything the boy racers are likely to fancy (except a well looked after 205 maybe)

There will be something out there, you just need a little patience and be prepared to hit the phones and then travel. Good luck.
 
Fix It Again Thursday...

the newer ones may be ok but I wouldn't buy a fiat over a ford / vw / honda etc etc
 
How about asking some more searching questions on the phone before going to view? Ask them if the car is registered to them at the address that you are viewing + others about the history of the car - after you have made about 20 calls you will find the one that has been in the family for 5+ years etc etc - then get in your car and view that one quick!
 
the main sticking point for my friend is the insurance, 17 year old first car, 1.1 is £1800 insurance, even a fiesta 1.25 is £2200!! crazy!
Is that TPF&T? :eek:

As you've found out, the Corsa / Saxo / 106 etc are very popular amongst yoofs and therefore command a relatively high price for a rubbish car. As an alternative strategy, how about going for something that's less popular (say, an older Proton or Hyundai) for about £500 with enough ticket and tyres on it for 6 months motoring and then insure it TPO?

As an aside, my wife had a Saxo Furio 1.4i that I sold through Autotrader a couple of years ago. It was a one-owner car with FSH and about 43k on the clock. The first lad that came to see it bought it (well, his Dad handed me the cash ;) ) and I could have sold it 20 times over. Judging by the comments I received from those enquiring on it, it sounded like it was the only "honest" Saxo in the country :D
 
Re the Honda's....yoofs love em....especially the 1.4 or 1.5 3 door models as you get a cracking engine and cheap insurance.

Same goes for MG ZR 1.4's
 
Thanks guys for all the good words of wisdom, the main sticking point for my friend is the insurance, 17 year old first car, 1.1 is £1800 insurance, even a fiesta 1.25 is £2200!! crazy!

Why do youngsters seem to think that they should pay pennies for insurance? There is a damn good reason why they pay 'huge' premiums - they are novices, show-offs, prefer large stereos etc etc. (I am generalising btw, not stereotyping! I know not all young drivers are like this but that is how the industry marks them)

We were all there once and I say the same thing every time - take it on the chin, earn your NCB and try not to crash (too often!)

And shop around, HARD - use all the comparison sites then phone the best 5 and negotiate even HARDER.

Good luck!!
 
VW Polos generally better looked after and pretty bomb proof. Paid ~£650 for a 1.4 for my daughter in similar circumstances. Ran 2 to 3 years no problems and then sold it on. Son before her had a VW Jetta pretty much the same.
 
Careful with Polo's we looked at iirc an R-reg one & it didn't have any airbags & was very basic compared to a same age Saxo.

Try Rover 200/25's but make sure it's a Honda engine not a Rover one (parts issues already!) Amy who works for us has one, 1.9 TD and pays about £800 at 19yrs old! Jamie pays £1200 on a Smart fortwo but you will struggle to get a decent one for £1500 budget (although only 1 mate can have a lift at a time so less 'showing off' which we think is good!)

Good luck!

Kate
 
This is a story that has been running for years and years. Way back in the 70's it was the "shopping basket", the £50/100 A40's and the like except then Insurance was cheap and was available from a multitude of "agents", the Co-Op insurance was wonderful, "any car, not belonging too" etc.

Now, with all the damage/stolen/uninsured claims it is no wonder the costs off insuring young/inexperienced drivers has "gone through the roof".

When my eldest daughter passed her Test I offered to buy her a Mini Metro, I was declined with the words, "how embarrassing", so she got a Cortina as punishment, the Metro was graciously accepted a few weeks later. Its all image, don't you just lov'em.

The reason I bought my S500L, Image, int'it, If I had any sense I would drive a "smartie" in town!:doh:
 
The C class will be to expensive to insure.I know it might be a ladies car,but an A class would be cheap to insure

Whyever would you make such a broad sweeping statement as that?

Quite a few A Classes are owned and driven by men :)

I agree that they are cheap to insure :thumb:
 
Toyota Yaris - bought my granddaughter one 15 months ago - nice runner - had no problems until someone decided to run over the roof and leave his/her footprints on it....runs fine and pretty bomb proof....also the mark 1 Nissan Micra....both cheap to run / insure etc etc
 
ok finally got one! had to travel nearly 200 miles to telford to get it

peugeot 1.1 on a 2000 W reg, 1 owner from new, 60K, FPSH with reciepts to back all the stamps up, all prev MOT`s, original user manual, both sets of keys, HPi clear, mint, £1100, only thing it needed doing was rear brakes (£20 from ecp) which we only realised on the way home.
 
Sounds ideal and it's £100 under budget too :)
Congratulations.
 
Result! I take it that it is a 106? French engines are generally pretty good although I have found the bodywork to be somewhat thin but at least the paint is generally flexible too!
 

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