Small car advice please

I would be thinking practical classic rather than something newer that you have to get serviced once a year. You can get some decent 80's - 90's motors for next to nothing, as we know go earlier and no Tax to pay at all.

 

i'm still toying with ford 1.4 tdci £30 a year tax and 60mpg the engine is fitted to a fiesta or fusion, the ka or other small petrol cars are at best £100 to £135 a year tax, and obviously less mpg, however they can be found for less money so it's swings and roundabouts.

 

old cars (pre 2001) are high tax band at £220 a year and i doubt reliable? although i suppose there is still a gem to be found......a pre 73 car is not gonna be efficient enough to warrant the free tax i guess.

 

Can't fault a fiesta diesel IMHO if you're after an economical & cheap to run little car. I sold my Octavia 2.0 petrol VRS last year, and got a Fiesta 1.6 tdci..90bhp in a little car & only £30 road tax...and very nice to drive too..

 

spongebob that's probably a bit too new for me - some of the newer ones are free tax but realistically in the price range i anticipate i'll be looking at a 7 plus year old car i think.

 

True, mine's a '58 but I think the 1.6tdci started in 2005..friend at work has a 1.4tdci and is equally impressed..

 

i did have a 2003 1.4 tdci about 8 years ago when i was a lot better off lol, i was ok with the mpg/performance but it was a problem car and forever cutting out due to fuel sensor and crank sensor faults, i got rid of it after it turned off at 60mph which obviously made it loose power steering and braking assistance, previously to this it would sometimes not start at all, i think i got a dodgy one.

 

Have to check to make sure you would fit in one of those Rick!.. Or take out the front seat Police Academy Style

 

As i say i'vehad many fiestas and 3 ford ka's - they aren't exactly comfy long distance but plenty of room inside for me.

 

After all the VW bashing, I bought my 2000 golf tdi at 60,000 miles. It's done 150,000 now at 60+mpg and all that's gone wrong is the windscreen wipers seized with rust. New VW part for £30 and other than servicing every 10,000 miles that's been that. Very comfortable for long journeys.

 

Our Fabia Estate is 12 years old with 130k miles on the clock. It's a good car, mpg about 35 driving it fast, 3 pot 1.4, the newer 1.2 is more economical. With a small petrol, keep a light foot and change up early gets good mpg (which we don't do!). Quick warm up is good for short trip mpg, ours is blowing hot air 1 mile up the road. Small petrol engine has a lot less to go wrong as well - no turbo or particulate filters. The only real weak spot is front springs breaking, but not that expensive to fix. They don't rust either - never seen one around with poor bodywork. We like ours, she's called Gladys.

 

Oh, tish, pish Stan. My Mk 6 diesel Golf is the most reliable and well-built motor I've ever had, and also the cheapest to run. The missus's 2000 Polo also never packs up.

 

in fairness i haven't done a bean to the 2001 beetle only put fuel in it.

 

That sounds more like it. My old Mk 4 Golf did 200k on the original clutch.

 

just been looking at diesel golfs, if you get a late 2001 onwards the tax is only £120 a year, i may look at these now.

 

Hi rick i agree with spongebob as i had lots fiesta reliable ,cheap and can get spares anywhere

 

The old girl has a Golf tdi on a 05 plate I really like the drive, great car and has plenty of go go..

 

The older VW 1.9 TDI in the Golf is a good reliable engine. The later 2.0 not so good.

 

I'm not totally bashing VW. That's why I drive a 96 mk3 Ragtop. 112k and it goes on and on and on. It's just that VW don't have the reputation they once had when they made our beloveds.

 

A lot of new cars seem to be more unreliable but I think it has more to do with them having more and more electronics. The faults I've had with my cars have all been electrical and never mechanical.