Best looking 1L Car for under 1k?

choons · 22-06-2012 11:47AM #1

Need a cheap car to last me for my final year in college. I'd like to stay a good bit under €1000.

Currently driving a Polo and I'd be happy enough with another one but want to try something different. I'm avoiding the Micra and Yaris.

Can only afford to insure a 1L :mad:

All I care about are looks! Any suggestions?

andyseadog · 22-06-2012 11:54AM

the polo is probably the pick of the 1.0 litter looks wise. i'd imagine changing to a yaris or micra you will find things a bit less entertaining, what year polo do you already have?

get a few insurance quotes, if you could broaden your perspective to 1.2's and 1.3's the world is your oyster, much better looking cars available and running cost differences as regards tax and fuel would be minimal.

choons · 22-06-2012 12:17PM

Current Polo is a '97.

Upping to a 1.2 increases insurance by about 30%:

1L => €600
1.1L => €720
1.2L => €780
1.3L => €800

Might have to splash out in the end

Any experience with the Seat Ibiza? Same as the Polo it seems!

andyseadog · 22-06-2012 12:21PM

if you were basing thing purely on looks and nothing else, within that budget my money would be on a 3dr mk2 punto. looks well, plenty of kit and they seem to sell for nothing. reliability is probably not near as bad as its cracked up to be either.

i think they are 1.2's though but i feel it may be worth the compromise.

Sleepy · 22-06-2012 12:25PM

The 106 was a pretty little car...

colm_mcm · 22-06-2012 12:27PM

andyseadog wrote: »

if you were basing thing purely on looks and nothing else, within that budget my money would be on a 3dr mk2 punto. looks well, plenty of kit and they seem to sell for nothing. reliability is probably not near as bad as its cracked up to be either.

i think they are 1.2's though but i feel it may be worth the compromise.

Punto is 1242cc so taxed ap 1.3

If you need to stick with 1.0 then the ibiza hp worth a look. A bit neater looking than the polo

andyseadog · 22-06-2012 12:27PM

Sleepy wrote: »

The 106 was a pretty little car...

yeah, pretty **** :pac:

Rowley Birkin QC · 22-06-2012 12:28PM

Best policy if you are trying to keep cash together is keep your current motor. Why are you changing?

choons · 22-06-2012 12:43PM

Rowley Birkin QC wrote: »

Best policy if you are trying to keep cash together is keep your current motor. Why are you changing?

Nct is on Wednesday and I don't have much hope. Will need new tyres and a few other bits. I'm guessing about €200 to pass the NCT.

I'm half thinking of not doing the nct and putting the €55 towards a new car?

It'll cost €255 to keep on the road anyway.

Lets say I bought a Punto for €800 and sold the Polo for €300 then I'ts costing me €500 to change, Only €250 more than putting current car trough the NCT.

What do you think?

andyseadog · 22-06-2012 12:47PM

choons wrote: »

Nct is on Wednesday and I don't have much hope. Will need new tyres and a few other bits. I'm guessing about €200 to pass the NCT.

I'm half thinking of not doing the nct and putting the €55 towards a new car?

It'll cost €255 to keep on the road anyway.

Lets say I bought a Punto for €800 and sold the Polo for €300 then I'ts costing me €500 to change, Only €250 more than putting current car trough the NCT.

What do you think?

you said it yourself, it'l cost you 250 more to change car than to keep your current one on the road.

and thats fine if you kind of fancy a change of car anyway, no harm in that, but changing car as a cost saving exercise wont work. you must remember whatever car buy in the sub 1000 euro price bracket will also probably need some attention, wont have much NCT and probably wont be taxed so things will get rather expensive rather quickly.

if i were you, i'd send the polo for the test and see what it fails on and price things from there, its just speculation until then.

Tea 1000 · 22-06-2012 12:48PM

andyseadog wrote: »

the polo is probably the pick of the 1.0 litter looks wise. i'd imagine changing to a yaris or micra you will find things a bit less entertaining, what year polo do you already have?

Nothing is less entertaining than a Polo.

sean1141 · 22-06-2012 12:52PM

you want to spend 250 to save 55euro?

why not run it in for the test see what it fails on. if its going to cost a bomb sell it on. if its a cheap fix get it passed the test and then either keep it or sell it for a good bit more with a years test.

choons · 22-06-2012 12:55PM

andyseadog wrote: »

if i were you, i'd send the polo for the test and see what it fails on and price things from there, its just speculation until then.

Yeah, probably the best plan for now.

I suppose you can't really worry about €55 when trying to keep a car on the road :rolleyes:

Tea 1000 wrote: »

Nothing is less entertaining than a Polo.

Ahh now, the Polo's great craic :P

choons · 22-06-2012 12:58PM

sean1141 wrote: »

you want to spend 250 to save 55euro?

why not run it in for the test see what it fails on. if its going to cost a bomb sell it on. if its a cheap fix get it passed the test and then either keep it or sell it for a good bit more with a years test.

I'd prefer to spend €250 and have a new car to play with rather than give €55 to the NCT test centre to tell me what I already know!

I do agree with you though, I'll run it through next week and decide then.

andyseadog · 22-06-2012 01:05PM

out of interest are you commuting to college or in accomodation? how much work will the car be doing i mean?

CianRyan · 22-06-2012 01:11PM

Buy a Suzuki Cappucino!
Sweet looking yokes, ment to handle like a dream and they're only 660cc.
And best of all, no roof!

Rowley Birkin QC · 22-06-2012 01:15PM

choons wrote: »

I'd prefer to spend €250 and have a new car to play with rather than give €55 to the NCT test centre to tell me what I already know!

I do agree with you though, I'll run it through next week and decide then.

Not being smart but with that kind of budget and insurance restrictions there won't be much play time to be had! :P

Send it for the test, see if it fails and if it does you have a shopping list to price up.

I bought tyres from here lately and found them to be exceptional value for money: http://www.tyreland.ie/

choons · 22-06-2012 01:21PM

andyseadog wrote: »

out of interest are you commuting to college or in accomodation? how much work will the car be doing i mean?

Working two jobs at the moment :rolleyes:

Live in Kildare during the week but have to travel to Dublin at the weekend to second job. So untill end of September -> 200km per week minimum.

During college, live in Dublin and 10km away from College -> 100km per week minimum.

Between 7 and 8000km a year I'd guestimate.

choons · 22-06-2012 01:23PM

CianRyan wrote: »

Buy a Suzuki Cappucino!
Sweet looking yokes, ment to handle like a dream and they're only 660cc.
And best of all, no roof!

Yes please!!! Find me one under 1k :cool:

sf80 · 22-06-2012 01:28PM

I'd also go with putting the Polo through the NCT see how bad it really is. A year or two older with extra no claims you can start looking bigger; use the Polo as a leg up for as long as you can and get something great later, don't jump around among little 1L cars wasting your money.

Tea 1000 · 22-06-2012 01:58PM

CianRyan wrote: »

Buy a Suzuki Cappucino!
Sweet looking yokes, ment to handle like a dream and they're only 660cc.
And best of all, no roof!

Or a Honda Beat for some mid-engined fun! And only around 850cc!

CianRyan · 22-06-2012 02:02PM

They turn up cheap every now and then.
There's one on DD now for €1700. I'd say you could take it for €1400-€1500, worth the saving, IMO.

choons · 22-06-2012 02:08PM

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3523988

Looks like great fun! I'll keep an eye out for these in the future

Francie Barrett · 22-06-2012 02:18PM

What about a Nissan Figaro?

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Nissan/Figaro/FK10-02D/201219208166757/advert?channel=CARS

choons · 22-06-2012 02:38PM

Francie Barrett wrote: »

What about a Nissan Figaro?

Can anyone make out the licence plate on this ad:

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2952465

I'd like to get an insurance quote out of curiostity!

91 D 4****?

Edit: Put it through the old fashioned way - €700 :pac:

Alanstrainor · 22-06-2012 03:20PM

OP, where on earth are you getting these insurance prices from????

Insurance is not purely based on engine size, so I would suggest you talk to your broker/insurer before doing anything.

My insurance only went up marginally after buying a 2.5 litre, from a 1.4!

And as has been said, I think you'd be mad to get rid of what you have already. 55 quid for the test and see what's needed, even if it is 200 you know the car, and you know it is relatively reliable and should be good for a year.

Buying a sub 1000 car is a risk, and you could buy something that ends up costing you a lot more to keep running.

choons · 22-06-2012 03:33PM

I'm with Axa at the moment so just using their 'change car' facility online as a guide.

Unfortunately for a 22 year old, engine size is the main factor. Most places won't even quote me on a 1.8.

Anyway, I've taken the advice on board and am going to do the NCT next week. I'll price out what needs to be done and go from there. Most likely keeping the car as long as I can.

Thanks for all the replies!

I completely forgot about the Mini! Maybe we should start a thread titled 'Small cars that are fun to drive'

Alanstrainor · 22-06-2012 03:37PM

I'm 23;)

I think you should who around!

mitchaul · 22-06-2012 03:43PM

Opel Corsa not a bad option for a 1 litre, agree with others though, get yours through the NCT and then make a decision. For a car that old, better the devil you know...

2150881_01_product_detail_large.jpg?1335204023

2150881_01_product_detail_large.jpg?1335204023

http://www.buyandsell.ie/motors/cars/kildare/opel-corsa-for-sale-34

choons · 22-06-2012 03:44PM

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I'm 23;)

I think you should who around!

Would you mind me asking who you're insured with? How much and what's your ncb?

Alanstrainor · 22-06-2012 03:45PM

choons wrote: »

Would you mind me asking who you're insured with? How much and what's your ncb?

First Quote is the broker I went through, Aviva underwrites the policy and 2 years NCB, only renewed last week.

EDIT: 1100 was the quote. High compared to what you're paying, but it's also a 2.5 litre BMW coupe, so to be expected. Cover was fully comp, with all the bells and whistles, third party was only 50 quid cheaper.

Best looking 1L Car for under 1k?

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