Help choosing small car

Capri86

Hi,

I own an 07 Volvo S40 and an 04 Ford Focus. Both are 1.6. I am looking to trade in the Focus to a dealer for a much smaller car. Either 1 litre or 1.2. I don't plan on spending much money so the car must be cheap but mostly reliable and cheap to maintain.

I was thinking along the lines of a Fiesta or Micra. I had a corsa before and it wasn't the most reliable. Has anyone got any suggestions? Or what I should look out for in particular with the Fiesta or Micra.

Thanks

If you are doing it to save money then a 1.0L yaris 99-05 is one of the most reliable out there.

Alfa Quadrifoglio

FIAT Panda is a good choice, very underrated, very reliable and very economical. Bought an 04 Panda before Christmas with 57k on clock for just e1,350 for my daughter and its a gem, easy to drive and more room inside than most small cars. Not as trendy or fashionable as a FIAT 500 not as common as a FIAT Punto but a better car than both imo. This is a piece from wikipedia:

"Top Gear Motoring Survey in 2006 ranked the Panda 8th out of 152 cars surveyed for reliability, craftsmanship, ownership costs, driving experience and service received. (One of the show's hosts, James May, went on to purchase one). Traditionally, Fiat have ranked at the lower end of this table, showing that the Nuova Panda is reversing the trend and suggesting a rise in quality standards for Fiat.[19]"

colm_mcm

Sell the focus privately first.
Also do the sums on what you'll actually save

shooter88

Go with fiesta as its easy and cheap to get parts,good no juice and pretty reliable

JohnBoy26

The only two cars small cars worth considering imo are a Toyota Yaris or a Daihatsu Sirion. Both are highly reliable and cheap and easy to maintain. you won't go wrong with either.

Capri86

Thanks for the replies. I probably won't save much initially but the tax is a killer. It will be my girlfriends car and she just doesn't need a 1.6 since she won't be working so far away any more. The yaris would be a great car for us actually.
I reckon I will need to trade in the focus as it's not going to be the easiest to sell and I can't afford a new car without part exchange.
I never thought about the panda. Interesting choice actually. The fiesta was the obvious choice for me as I have a soft spot for fords but they seem to rust badly. The amount I've seen lately with rotten sills and rear arches.

JohnBoy26

Capri86 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. I probably won't save much initially but the tax is a killer. It will be my girlfriends car and she just doesn't need a 1.6 since she won't be working so far away any more. The yaris would be a great car for us actually.
I reckon I will need to trade in the focus as it's not going to be the easiest to sell and I can't afford a new car without part exchange.
I never thought about the panda. Interesting choice actually. The fiesta was the obvious choice for me as I have a soft spot for fords but they seem to rust badly. The amount I've seen lately with rotten sills and rear arches.

The 02+ New model fiestas seem to have good rust protection. I have yet to come across a rusty example. The older model on the otherhand is a rot box.

If your considering a yaris, A second generation Daihatsu Sirion should be consider as well. These are the same car mechanically as the second generation yaris so should be highly reliable.

The Pontiac

Capri86 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. I probably won't save much initially but the tax is a killer. It will be my girlfriends car and she just doesn't need a 1.6 since she won't be working so far away any more. The yaris would be a great car for us actually.
I reckon I will need to trade in the focus as it's not going to be the easiest to sell and I can't afford a new car without part exchange.
I never thought about the panda. Interesting choice actually. The fiesta was the obvious choice for me as I have a soft spot for fords but they seem to rust badly. The amount I've seen lately with rotten sills and rear arches.

The Focus are an easy car to sell.

Don't understand when you say "can't afford a new car without part exchange.". It's always makes more economic sense to sell your privately, always.

Capri86

Because it means I have to sell my car first to afford the new one, therefore I have to be without a car while looking for a new one where we both work and need our cars.

The Pontiac

Capri86 wrote: »

Because it means I have to sell my car first to afford the new one, therefore I have to be without a car while looking for a new one where we both work and need our cars.

Fair enough. The difference in cost would be fairly substantial.

I always buy the 'new' car first and then sell my old car privately. I understand this isn't always possible due to funds available. Maybe buses, lifts to work etc. ?

Nothing worse than trading in a car. You'll usually get raped.

colm_mcm

Capri86 wrote: »

Because it means I have to sell my car first to afford the new one, therefore I have to be without a car while looking for a new one where we both work and need our cars.

Dealer will give you buttons for the focus and you lose your haggling power.
We went to see a rough 02 yaris that a dublin dealer wanted 3950 for.

Sell the focus cheap, take your time and buy a clean yaris privately.

Trouble is an 04 yaris is worth way more than an 04 focus. We paid 2000 for a 00 yaris so you have to buy into the whole idea.

So the thing is, do you spend money along with the focus to get a smaller car, and how long will it take to make that money back with lower tax, and is it worth it

Capri86

Tell me about it. I've always sold privately before but money is tight. So buying the new car first might not be possible . If I can I will though.

colm_mcm

Sorry, i just edited that last post and added more onto it

shooter88

colm_mcm wrote: »

Dealer will give you buttons for the focus and you lose your haggling power.
We went to see a rough 02 yaris that a dublin dealer wanted 3950 for.

Sell the focus cheap, take your time and buy a clean yaris privately.

Trouble is an 04 yaris is worth way more than an 04 focus. We paid 2000 for a 00 yaris so you have to buy into the whole idea.

So the thing is, do you spend money along with the focus to get a smaller car, and how long will it take to make that money back with lower tax, and is it worth it

Why sell the focus cheap and then wait for a clean yaras,why not sell the focus for what its worth and have a better pick of car after!!

colm_mcm

shooter88 wrote: »

Why sell the focus cheap and then wait for a clean yaras,why not sell the focus for what its worth and have a better pick of car after!!

I mean relatively cheap but still more than he'd get as a net price from the dealer
As in if you price the car well it'll sell.

The Pontiac

shooter88 wrote: »

Why sell the focus cheap and then wait for a clean yaras,why not sell the focus for what its worth and have a better pick of car after!!

Sell it privately then, and cut out the middle man. It's the only way you'll get "what its worth".

It's called market value, not necessarily cheap or anything. Just cheaper than the main stealer.