I guess this has been asked before so maybe a thread would suffice as an answer. We are looking to buy a run around, the social lives of our children demand frequent 10-12 mile trips to town and it's costing us fortune in diesel in the Smax and when two are going in different directions the Landy 110 gauge can be seen moving! Our eldest is also approaching 17 and we need a car for him to learn on.
The requirement therefore is: Economical, 3 door, low insurance group, cheap 2ndhand (maybe not so cool but too bad) budget £2-3k. Have looked at the Colt ,if this is the answer then which model, any other ideas.
We live a good distance from Auctions centres but are happy to buy there would an auction car buyer be the best option and how much commission do they charge
{Volume in header LOWERED!}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 08/10/2008 at 14:45
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Sounds like a Corsa 1.0 12 valve to me. For a 17 y/o provisional boy no insurance group is too low! Anything higher than Gp3 might be ridiculously expensive.
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Spend a grand on the car, insure it properly and put a few quid away. I drove past an eight year old Ka today parked up and for sale, £999. Looked OK - if it is, why spend 3K?
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Lots at £999, though there is a price bubble for all low insurance cars - they are often more expensive than an equiv. age Mondeo.
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Look for a Seat Ibiza. Very low insurance on the 1.2s. Look for a mark 3 ".cool/s" variant and you'll get aircon too. Same mechanicals as a VW Polo and cheaper to buy, often with better equipment.
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Thanks for the advise. What age ibiza would that be
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About 2001-02.
Your budget may even get you the later shape mark 4 model, in which case the base model 1.2 or 1.2S will be the ones to go for, IIRC even the base models had aircon as standard in the mark 4 (these are from a 02 or 52 plate onwards I think, and I bought 2 brand new on 03 plates, 1.2 base models with aircon and RCL as standard, which was quite nice I thought). These are better looking cars and also much sharper drivers, and more solidly built than the mark 3. This would be my preference if you budget allows. Group 2 insurance on the 1.2.
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Thanks Alanovich, Hj in car by car suggests mk3 02 and mk 4 06 on can you clarify date of launch of mk3 & 4
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Thanks Alanovich Hj in car by car suggests mk3 02 and mk 4 06 on can you clarify date of launch of mk3 & 4
Mark 2 ran from about 1995 and was facelifted around 99/2000. That facelift is wat I was calling mark 3 and included a new interior as well as an improved exterior. A whole new model was launched in 02 (this is the one I owned), and was facelifted in a very minor way in 06, in which the interior wasn't changed and only some minor styling upgrades happened to the outside. This year a whole new model has been launched.
If I've got my official "marks" muddled up I apologise, however HJ seems to be ignoring the facelift on the mark 2 and applying a "mark" to the faclift of the 02-08 model which came in 06.
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At this end of the market condition matters more than make. The advantage of Fords and Vauxhalls over SEATs and Colts is that there are more to choose from, but you might include Yarises and Micras in the search.
There should also be some ageing but sound Polos around, but you might have to look at an older one than you would a Fiesta or Corsa. Famously a particularly persuasive member of this forum a couple of years ago managed to get £1,500 for her 10-year-old Polo.
Edited by Avant on 08/10/2008 at 23:45
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