Best small car

Bigdig69

For a newly licensed female driver, age 24, which is likely to be the best /most reliable/economical small?

Car petrol engine 1 or 1.2ltr. Money around absolute max €5500. Likely usage around 12000km per year.

Cars under consideration are
Polo
Fabia
Fiesta
Yaris
Clio

Also what is negotiating scope on cars advertised at around €5900, is it realistic to get the price down to €5500 or lower?

I have no recent experience of buying older cars and I don't want to buy a whole heap of trouble.

Open to suggestions.

colm_mcm

Rule out the Polo and Fabia. The 1.2 engine on them is soft.

Of those listed I’d go with the Fiesta.

Bigdig69

colm_mcm wrote: »

Rule out the Polo and Fabia. The 1.2 engine on them is soft.

Of those listed I’d go with the Fiesta.

Thanks for that. Have you any other suggestions ?

colm_mcm

Kia Rio if the newer (2012?) model comes into budget.

bazz26

Suzuki Swift is worth a look at too.

Might be just outside your budget but worth a try negotiating this time of year:
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/suzuki-swift-1-2-sz3-5dr/23115961

Dia_Anseo

You could do a lot worse than a Peugeot 208 below

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/peugeot-208-1-2/23498119

Or a Dacia Sandero (this one even has a radio)

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/dacia-sandero/23391821?campaign=8

ba_barabus

bazz26 wrote: »

Suzuki Swift is worth a look at too.

Might be just outside your budget but worth a try negotiating this time of year:
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/suzuki-swift-1-2-sz3-5dr/23115961

Suzuki Swift is a great choice tbh

flazio

Honda Jazz?

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/fantastic-find-/23502813

tinofapples

Hyundai i20 perhaps ?

astrofool

Young female, Polo all the way, comfortable, reliable, looks good, try and get one with aircon, fiesta next best.

Bigdig69

Will look into all the suggestions. If anyone posts links to particular cars here, please say if you have an interest in the sale of that vehicle, that is only fair to anyone readng this thread.

Bigdig69

What is the negotiating scope on cars advertised at around €5900, is it realistic to get the price down to €5500 or lower?

I have no recent experience of buying older cars and I don't want to buy a whole heap of trouble.

Open to suggestions

xl500

flazio wrote: »

Honda Jazz?

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/fantastic-find-/23502813

+1 for Honda Jazz Great small car ultra reliable

colm_mcm

It really depends on how competitively priced the car is to start with, but yeah you’d generally have a bit of wriggle room on asking prices.

colm_mcm

Suggestion
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/kia-rio-for-sale/22426432

AulWan

I have no experience of the cars you mentioned, but thought I'd throw a a citroen c3 into the mix. I had one for over 10 years and I loved it, it gave me very little trouble, always started, economical to run, etc. I switched to a micra last year and I hate it, and I will be getting rid of it the second its out of warranty.

I'd go back to a C3 in a heartbeat, especially if they brought out an electric version. You'd get a lovely used C3 for your budget.

flazio

For clarification, I have nothing to do with the Jazz I linked to. It's in Dublin and I'm based in Galway.

Dia_Anseo

Dont post in this thread again.

Heres Johnny

Bigdig69 wrote: »

What is the negotiating scope on cars advertised at around €5900, is it realistic to get the price down to €5500 or lower?

I have no recent experience of buying older cars and I don't want to buy a whole heap of trouble.

Open to suggestions

Absolutely you'll get most cars advertised for 6k for 5.5k.
If you're eager to get the very best deal you can offer 5k for a 6k car. You might have to come back up a bit but meeting in the middle is defo achievable and everyone walks away happy.

Bigdig69

I will check that one out.

mickser42

In my experience in the trade for that kind of budget you are better off with either a honda jazz or toyota yaris, and you could throw the suzuki swift into the mix ...
The jap cars tend to be far more reliable as they age a bit.

MM

Paddigol

+2 for Honda Jazz. Savage amount of space in the back with the seats folded down is a nice bonus.

starlit

I would agree either a Honda Jazz or a Yaris be a good buy as the Yaris is generally reliable and has good trade in value after a few years. You need to research and go for an older car that’s deprecated a good bit to get a car of that value within your budget. I would avoid a Peugeot based on other people’s experience. A Nissan micra be a good option aswell.

colm_mcm

Micras are dirt.

starlit

Surely the micra that’s updated is a bit better than the older versions?

colm_mcm

They are, but the newest ones in the OPs budget are the crappy older model which are pretty much all ex rentals.

zilog_jones

starlit wrote: »

I would avoid a Peugeot based on other people’s experience.

Peugeot had a bad phase for a decade or so, but the 208 seems like a solid car.