Alternative transport

[VeryDisco]

I'm going to purchase a cheap little car as an alternative to driving the Disco everyday. I'll be starting a new job in January and my daily milage will increase from 20 miles a day to 70, so I'm looking for something quicker, and more economical, but not too difficult to work on if it goes wrong.

I was thinking about a VW Golf or a Renault Clio.

So could I ask for your ideas or recomendations?

[LR90]

Good question. I'm doing 50+ a day in the Disco and keep wondering if there is a better option.

Trouble is I'm not sure I'd want to be running a third vehicle (more insureance, tax, mots, maintenance to bother with) and unless you go for a small diesel the benefits in mpg are not great.

Everyone in our family rather likes the smart car but it doesn't have three seats and the new smart four four doesn't look as nice (and fridge will like this) is actually longer than my 90 so I couldn't buy one of those on environmental grounds

[TJ101]

Fi

Forget the Clio,, out of the 2 go for the golf,, more reliable, so more time to fix the Disco

all depends on the spare wedge you have to spend ??

Tim

[VeryDisco]

Well I'm not looking to spend more than £1500, so I guess the smart car's out of the question. There's only me, so I don't have that much spare cash!

Someone said the VW spares were expensive, I suppose that's relative though, more money but less time fixing it.

[robhybrid]

VW spares are more expensive but if you never need them then it isnt a problem

Just look lr spares on the othr hand are cheap as chips in comparison

[Tonk]

Just look lr spares on the othr hand are cheap as chips in comparison

but need them more often

[honitonhobbit]

Well I'm not looking to spend more than £1500, so I guess the smart car's out of the question. There's only me, so I don't have that much spare cash!

Someone said the VW spares were expensive, I suppose that's relative though, more money but less time fixing it.

Go for the latest reg Diahatsu Charade you can afford, with the 1000cc 3 cylinder. No one wants them as they are the blandest car ever made, howvere they don't go wrong (ever) and they seem to make petrol! The seats are comfortable, they are nippy as hell and will hold M-way speeds nicely. Insurance is cheap as no one will steal them.

[VeryDisco]

Fiat Punto - what about them?

Ooh - posted when you did David - sorry - off to go look at a - hold on is that a joke?

[geoffbeaumont]

For that sort of mileage, what about an old repmobile - you could pick up a decent mondeo for a few hundred, probably even get a tidy turbo diesel within your budget.

Have to say I'm still undecided whether to keep the Escort on the road one the Range Rover's fixed. I know it makes more sense, but I hate it with a passion. It's particularly galling since I worked out that in terms of fuel, both cars cost exactly the same to run (11p/mile)

Fiat Punto - what about them?

Cheap, reasonably reliable, economical. Only bearable on the motorway, though.

[white90]

avoid the Clio

I crashed into one at less than 30mph

the driver/passenger went to hospital and the car to the scrap yard.

folded completely and there wasn't even a scratch on mine.

[will_warne]

I wouldn't buy a Clio. they drive quite well but they fall appart very quickly.

[Michele]

A (real) Mini?

So to keep 2 British cars!

[PeterW]

Cheap, reasonably reliable, economical. Only bearable on the motorway, though.

Errr...?? A Punto...?? Reliable....??

Its Italian through and through... Looks great, but shocking engineering.....!

Cheers

Pete

[darthdicky]

Rover 200? Plenty available at that price, pretty nippy and parts are fairly reasonably priced, or available in scrapyards all over the place.

Mine is the older "Grandad" type but I'd still rather have it over a Fiesta etc. as it's so much more comfortable and roomy inside. Newer types are available for under £1500 now too so you don't have to wear a flat cap whilst driving it!

I get 40mpg however I drive mine (1.4). Not sure what the diesels are like though if you want more MPG?

Richard

[Countax]

Rover 200? Plenty available at that price, pretty nippy and parts are fairly reasonably priced, or available in scrapyards all over the place.

Mine is the older "Grandad" type but I'd still rather have it over a Fiesta etc. as it's so much more comfortable and roomy inside. Newer types are available for under £1500 now too so you don't have to wear a flat cap whilst driving it!

I get 40mpg however I drive mine (1.4). Not sure what the diesels are like though if you want more MPG?

Richard

I second the Rover 200 or R25. Either the original grandad car from the early 90's or the newer bubble shape from the mid 90's. Basically underneath its a Honda body design with a great little 1.4 rover engine which is cheap to tax. R200's from 1998/9 now going for <£1000 on Ebay whilst the early ones go for just a few hundred pounds and can have a very high spec. Very little rust problems and providing the K series engine has had timing belt and coolant changed regularly it should not have many mechanical problems. R25 was voted 3rd most relaible car by one of the well known surveys earlier this year. 1st and 2nd were both Hondas.

Nigel

[GBMUD]

Rover 200? Plenty available at that price, pretty nippy and parts are fairly reasonably priced, or available in scrapyards all over the place.

Mine is the older "Grandad" type but I'd still rather have it over a Fiesta etc. as it's so much more comfortable and roomy inside. Newer types are available for under £1500 now too so you don't have to wear a flat cap whilst driving it!

I get 40mpg however I drive mine (1.4). Not sure what the diesels are like though if you want more MPG?

Richard

Sandbag has one the newer shape than your Dicky, a 414. The head gasket went after an AA man dislodged a cooling pipe (sadly I was not in a position to prove this) and it overheated. I changed the gasket, did the timing belt while I was there (at 59k anyway) and it has been fine. We had one your shape before that and it was only a complete lack of maintainence that casued it's demise.

I third Dicky's statement, Rover 200 and 400s are reliable, economical, bearable on the motorway, cheap to buy and run. They are however, dull as dishwater... but sensible for all the reasons listed above. It is also common to find them with low miles as they tend to be driven by grandads and only ever go to Tesco and the bowls club.

Chris

[white90]

try this

[FridgeFreezer]

I second the "unfashionable but reliable" school of 2nd vehicles (although obviously the Primera is just so far ahead in the fashion stakes no-one's caught up yet ), you don't *have* to buy small to be a cheap runabout, often larger cars are cheaper to buy because everyone wants the smallest engined ruabout they can find.

What about a pug diesel? There's a reason the taxi drivers love them...

Or a Series 2.25 diesel - you'll never lose your driving licence

[John_T]

Yep...another vote for Rover. My wife cares not what a car looks like as long as it goes and is cheap. She has a Rover 400 diesel (as used in the early Freelanders). Goes well, does 50 mpg and has never gone wrong (3 years of ownership so far) because they are seen as old peoples cars they are not in demand and hence you get a lot of car for your money.

[bishbosh]

I went throught this process about 4 months ago albiet with a larger budget (£4k) and ended up with a diesel focus.

The thinking was diesel for economy and Ford for easy repair and cheap parts. Also anyone can work on them if you cant do it yourself.

So far so good.......

[honitonhobbit]

Rovers are great - cheap and reliable.

I bought SWBOWOFOE a 420Gsi a while back and it is the dogs nutts - worth sod all as well as they are not fashionable

[Turbocharger]

Well, I'm doing 70 miles a day and went through this process too:

1 year x 350 miles = 18,000 miles

Ninety = 15p a mile (more than Geoff's V8 estimate) = £2700 in fuel

£1000 car + £500 to insure/tax it + £1350 in fuel (if it uses half as much - optimistic) = £2850.

Result - I'm betting on my £1000 car dying within a year and I'm driving the Ninety. At least I know what's wrong with the Ninety - there's no guarantee a £1000 car will last a year. Equally, it might live forever and cost nothing, but I've got nowhere to park it.

[white90]

same maths as John for me

car offered for £500 known previous owner etc all ideal for commuting

but £500 for car-£170approx tax £250 for insurance as a guess 35mpg

mine insured already taxed mot'd

20mpg safer than any tin box

opportunity to go laning on the way home

So I use my 90 when I have to go to the office.

[FridgeFreezer]

Sticking biodiesel or veg oil conversion on the Disco might be a way to go, the tax is 27p/litre so if you can find a source of waste oil it's well worth it, even using bought stuff it's a saving.

[geoffbeaumont]

I went throught this process about 4 months ago albiet with a larger budget (£4k) and ended up with a diesel focus.

The thinking was diesel for economy and Ford for easy repair and cheap parts. Also anyone can work on them if you cant do it yourself.

So far so good.......

Cheap parts? Not if it's electrical bits They're all custom Ford, available only through the dealers and at pretty steep prices too. Column stalks have seen better days on the Escort - £94 to replace them. The whole car only cost me £250... Stripped down the old ones and they're staying there until they're properly dead!

Focus is probably rather better built, but there're a few electrical niggles on the Escort, and they're pretty much 'standard issue' so scrapyard parts don't seem to be worth it.