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Cheap / Small / Reliable / New - What to get?

  • 02-04-2012 09:28AM
    #1
    Jimmy Bottlehead
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,942 ✭✭✭


    Hey.

    My girlfriend's granny is going to be buying a new car soon - I've advised her to consider a used car (even one year old) but she wants a new one.

    Anyways, she wants a car that is cheap enough to buy and run. She lives in Belfast, so the budget is about £8,000 - £10,000. It should ideally have good MPG & low to non-existent road tax (some of the cars there are exempt).

    Secondly, it should be reliable - she's had a Hyundai Getz and has never had any issues with it in six years apart from door seals and the usual maintenance.

    Can you guys give a shout about which cars are suitable and which are particularly worth considering?


«1

Comments

  • #2
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 23,497 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    500_big.jpg

    I'd nearly drive one myself tbh :)


  • #3
    Jimmy Bottlehead
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,942 ✭✭✭Jimmy Bottlehead


    Nice, hadn't thought of that! But I've just been informed that it has to be a 5 door. Back to the drawing board... :/

    The current contenders are:

    Nissan Pixo
    Kia Picanto
    Kia Rio
    Ford Fiesta

    But I'm not sure if I'm missing any from there....


  • #4
    Eric Cartman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,242 ✭✭✭✭Eric Cartman


    considering shes probably doing low miles a small petrol hatchback should suffice.

    One of hyundai's i10 / i20 , or the kia equivalent - i think its the rio

    cheap enough to buy, really long warranty, cheap enough to service, decent on fuel


  • #5
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 23,497 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »
    ................... But I've just been informed that it has to be a 5 door. Back to the drawing board... :/

    The current contenders are:

    ..............

    But I'm not sure if I'm missing any from there....

    Kv-Panda.jpg

    :pac:


  • #6
    Mycroft H
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,306 ✭✭✭Mycroft H


    panda

    /thread


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  • #7
    Farmer Pudsey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,326 ✭✭✭Farmer Pudsey


    If she had a hyundai I get her to get a hyundai again when people are getting on in age and still driving confidance is a big thing what ever car she gets make sure wiper/hazards/indicators/light are all in the same side other wise she will be going around for a couple of months turning on wipers instead of lights or indicators. Not a big fan of older people changeing car makes


  • #8
    Sleepy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 24,808 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    Not sure on reliability or owner's experiences but I had a modern Ford Ka as a rental last year and found it actually put a smile on my face. Great fun to drive due to the short wheel-base. Believe it shares it's origins with the Fiat 500...

    Boards.ie need your help to survive, subscribe here



  • #9
    bazz26
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 51,849 ✭✭✭✭bazz26


    Sleepy wrote: »
    Not sure on reliability or owner's experiences but I had a modern Ford Ka as a rental last year and found it actually put a smile on my face. Great fun to drive due to the short wheel-base. Believe it shares it's origins with the Fiat 500...

    The Ka is only a 3 door though.

    OP, the new Kia Rio is worth a look at, comes with a 7 year warranty too.

    media?xwm=y&id=daf7c189-87b9-47e2-8358-bc67e9166e45&width=400&height=300

    Kia and Hyundai are sister companies and the Rio and i20 are pretty much the same car underneath.


  • #10
    Deson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41 ✭Deson


    New KIA Rio or Fiat Panda


  • #11
    knowit12
    Closed Accounts Posts: 63 ✭✭knowit12


    Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »
    Hey.

    My girlfriend's granny is going to be buying a new car soon - I've advised her to consider a used car (even one year old) but she wants a new one.

    Anyways, she wants a car that is cheap enough to buy and run. She lives in Belfast, so the budget is about £8,000 - £10,000. It should ideally have good MPG & low to non-existent road tax (some of the cars there are exempt).

    Secondly, it should be reliable - she's had a Hyundai Getz and has never had any issues with it in six years apart from door seals and the usual maintenance.

    Can you guys give a shout about which cars are suitable and which are particularly worth considering?

    VW polo... Easy and cheap to run, there not bad looking and extremely reliable. Cheap tax, petrol etc. Parts are also cheap for them.

    Stay away from FIAT


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  • #12
    Deson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41 ✭Deson


    knowit12 wrote: »
    VW polo... Easy and cheap to run, there not bad looking and extremely reliable. Cheap tax, petrol etc. Parts are also cheap for them.

    Stay away from FIAT

    Why?


  • #13
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 23,497 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    knowit12 wrote: »
    .............
    Stay away from FIAT

    Why?
    Do you reckon a new VW is more reliable than a new Fiat?


  • #14
    bazz26
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 51,849 ✭✭✭✭bazz26


    knowit12 wrote: »
    VW polo... Easy and cheap to run, there not bad looking and extremely reliable. Cheap tax, petrol etc. Parts are also cheap for them.

    Stay away from FIAT

    This old chestnut again. You been listining to the man down the pub again. VW are so confident in the reliability of their cars that they only offer a misserable 2 year warranty on them whereas Fiat offer 4 years. And the last time I checked VW parts were not cheap.


  • #15
    dgt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,978 ✭✭✭✭dgt


    knowit12 wrote: »
    VW polo... Easy and cheap to run, there not bad looking and extremely reliable. Cheap tax, petrol etc. Parts are also cheap for them.

    Stay away from FIAT

    I'll be very interested to know why. I had a Polo at one stage myself so I know what they're like...

    Exhibit A

    Exhibit B


  • #16
    Deson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41 ✭Deson


    RoverJames wrote: »
    Why?
    Do you reckon a new VW is more reliable than a new Fiat?

    I wouldn't know which is more reliable tbh but I would presume VW is. I haven't driven any new VW but we have a 2010 Bravo and it ain't too bad.


  • #17
    bazz26
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 51,849 ✭✭✭✭bazz26


    Deson wrote: »
    I wouldn't know which is more reliable tbh but I would presume VW is. I haven't driven any new VW but we have a 2010 Bravo and it ain't too bad.

    Why do you presume it's the VW? Seen the adverts on TV? The marketing folks at VW are very good at that. It's all about perceptions, Fiat's perception in Ireland is poor, whereas Average Joe thinks the likes of VW,Toyota, etc are the pinnacle of motoring.


  • #18
    dgt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,978 ✭✭✭✭dgt


    Deson wrote: »
    I wouldn't know which is more reliable tbh but I would presume VW is. I haven't driven any new VW but we have a 2010 Bravo and it ain't too bad.

    There are various threads in motors that document common VW problems eg wear on camshaft buckets, DMF failure, failing oil pumps, injector issues, weird electrics, sensor issues etc... Just search, I'm sure there's plenty more ;)

    Fiat got a bad rep in the past but have been terrific since the mid 90s. A well documented issue in recent times is the hg on 1.2 8v engines, caused by not renewing the coolant ever 2 years or wonkey electric steering motors, both of which are found in mk2 Puntos and common as muck.


  • #19
    Deson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41 ✭Deson


    bazz26 wrote: »
    Why do you presume it's the VW? Seen the adverts on TV? The marketing folks at VW are very good at that. It's all about perceptions, Fiat's perception in Ireland is poor, whereas Average Joe thinks the likes of VW,Toyota, etc are the pinnacle of motoring.

    Just from past experiences really. I've got a Bora with just under 300k miles and it ran great. Don't get me wrong though, Fiat are decent cars and will do a fair bit of mileage if treated correctly.


  • #20
    Henry Ford III
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 18,175 Mod ✭✭✭✭Henry Ford III


    Fiesta 1.25 16v. Best in that class by some distance imho.


  • #21
    dgt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,978 ✭✭✭✭dgt


    Henry Ford III wrote: »
    Fiesta 1.25 16v. Best in that class by some distance imho.

    And I had one of those too :) I did like it however some issues did arise...

    Exhibit A

    Exhibit B

    Exhibit C


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  • #22
    Henry Ford III
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 18,175 Mod ✭✭✭✭Henry Ford III


    dgt wrote: »
    And I had one of those too :) I did like it however some issues did arise...

    Exhibit A

    Exhibit B

    Exhibit C

    Any 15 y.o. car will develop faults don't you think?


  • #23
    dgt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,978 ✭✭✭✭dgt


    Henry Ford III wrote: »
    Any 15 y.o. car will develop faults don't you think?

    True, but the gearbox and clutch slave cylinder are common enough wouldn't you agree? Not limited to mk4/5 Fiestas either... ;)

    Don't get me wrong, I do like them. Mine was very quiet, not a rattle from it :)


  • #24
    knowit12
    Closed Accounts Posts: 63 ✭✭knowit12


    Deson wrote: »
    I wouldn't know which is more reliable tbh but I would presume VW is. I haven't driven any new VW but we have a 2010 Bravo and it ain't too bad.

    Have driven 2 Fiats and had nothing but problems with both them - was always one thing after another. And it was always big problems like enginee , cluth, gear etc

    My mam and sister also drove Fiats - likewise they had nothing but problems. I was the last out of my family to drive one.

    NEVER AGAIN - hense why there so cheap.

    Never hear of the term : Fiat - Fix it again tomorrow


  • #25
    dgt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,978 ✭✭✭✭dgt


    knowit12 wrote: »
    Have driven 2 Fiats and had nothing but problems with both them - was always one thing after another. And it was always big problems like enginee , cluth, gear etc

    My mam and sister also drove Fiats - likewise they had nothing but problems. I was the last out of my family to drive one.

    NEVER AGAIN - hense why there so cheap.

    Never hear of the term : Fiat - Ferarri in affordable trim

    I don't see any problems with Fiats in general.

    Nothing major with the cars once looked after. Sounds like they were mistreated and abused with the old "its a Fiat, it'll breakdown, I won't bother" attitude :rolleyes:

    Not being very specific on what went wrong either, "engine" could be anything... :rolleyes:


  • #26
    Deson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41 ✭Deson


    knowit12 wrote: »
    Have driven 2 Fiats and had nothing but problems with both them - was always one thing after another. And it was always big problems like enginee , cluth, gear etc

    My mam and sister also drove Fiats - likewise they had nothing but problems. I was the last out of my family to drive one.

    NEVER AGAIN - hense why there so cheap.

    Never hear of the term : Fiat - Fix it again tomorrow

    Yes I have and its just bullsh*t. Every car will have problems regardless of the make. If a car is serviced correctly and on time you'll have no problems with it.
    Although the majority of Irish people fail to do so..


  • #27
    Henry Ford III
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 18,175 Mod ✭✭✭✭Henry Ford III


    dgt wrote: »
    True, but the gearbox and clutch slave cylinder are common enough wouldn't you agree? Not limited to mk4/5 Fiestas either... ;)

    Don't get me wrong, I do like them. Mine was very quiet, not a rattle from it :)

    No idea, but Fiestas consistanly appear is the "best used buy" recommendations of various media.

    Generally good to own, drive, and not too expensive to maintain.


  • #28
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 23,497 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I reckon a Fiesta is out of budget for the OPs criteria.


  • #29
    Eric Cartman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,242 ✭✭✭✭Eric Cartman


    knowit12 wrote: »
    VW polo... Easy and cheap to run, there not bad looking and extremely reliable. Cheap tax, petrol etc. Parts are also cheap for them.

    Stay away from FIAT

    waiting for that one to come up, tbh VW and fiat would both be at the bottom in terms of brand reliability out of every car listed here


  • #30
    Deson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41 ✭Deson


    RoverJames wrote: »
    I reckon a Fiesta is out of budget for the OPs criteria.

    Maybe a bog standard one?

    EDIT; Nope, nothing there.:o


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  • #31
    knowit12
    Closed Accounts Posts: 63 ✭✭knowit12


    QUOTE=dgt;77906146]I don't see any problems with Fiats in general.

    Nothing major with the cars once looked after.
    Sounds like they were mistreated and abused with the old "its a Fiat, it'll breakdown, I won't bother" attitude :rolleyes:

    Not the case at all - I am a true believer in getting your car serviced at least every 6 months. Every time I did bring it to get serviced there would be a fault or something needed replaced.


    Not being very specific on what went wrong either, "engine" could be anything... :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]
    Deson wrote: »
    Yes I have and its just bullsh*t. Every car will have problems regardless of the make. If a car is serviced correctly and on time you'll have no problems with it.

    That's true , but there is cars out there that are going to cause more problems then others.

    Although the majority of Irish people fail to do so..


    Just speaking on my , and my family experience on driving a Fiat.
    Not gonna lie at the start I taught it was my driving, but have had NO problems with the VW and driving that almost over a year and a half.


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