Have you thought about buying new? In particular a Dacia Sandero, no bells or whistles, but think of it as a cheap Clio.

Have a look at a Dacia: it would be a basic model, so if you want a few more bells and whistles, your choice of Fiesta and Mazda 2 are good ones, as are the VW Polo, Skoda Fabia and Toyota Yaris. Go for the bigger engine size if possible: each of these cars has particular characteristics that may suit you depending on your priorities, and all of them are better than another Corsa.

You can find good used French cars, but it's more of a gamble as they are more vulnerable to neglect or abuse by a previous owner.

I'd go for a petrol if I were you: a dlesel of the same vintage is likely to cost more, and when they go wrong it's expensive.

Never buy brand new unless you feel that you must have a full warranty - unless you know someone in the vehicle business who can fix an insider price. Let the rental companies handle the initial depreciation for you. There should be a good choice of 10K-mile+ cars at a reputable supermarket e.g Fords of Winsford - check their website.

All modern small cars are basically styling variations on a simple theme, so go for whatever badge you don't feel embarrassed with. Oh - and for that level of use, petrol unless you are environmentally green.

Edited by Andrew-T on 19/03/2013 at 15:15

Wife Bought a 3 year old mazda 2 1.3TS2 petrol for around 5k.

Its a nippy car, if my requirements were different I wouldnt mind having one myself.

Around town it gets around 40mpg and motorway driving between 70-80 it gets around 47mpg.