Was i right to suggest getting a used car with the 8k rather than using it as a deposit?

Yes, you were absolutely right.

The first car is a difficult sell, because the new driver wants something really nice, completely overlooking the fact that are likely to bend the thing in the first year, the odd scrape on a concrete post in a multi storey if the car is on PCP will have to be fixed properly before its handed back, if the car is hers and it accumulates a few knocks over the years it won't matter.

She wants this car to be reliable, presumably reasonable on fuel, fairly quiet and comfortable and to last 5+ years.

Toyota Yaris 1.3 fits the bill nicely, and i wouldn't be spending anywhere near £8k on it, i'd suggest she spends a maximum of £6k and keeps that £2k back for a rainy day, maybe an Auris or even Avensis if she wants something a little bigger, but she may have to go up to her budget for an Avensis.

Toyota petrols tend to be among the most reliable of cars, do not let her be talked into an MMT auto box (Toyota) and do not let her buy any automated manual or twin clutch auto box, any of these things are very likely to give trouble, and they will all be expensive to fix when not if they go wrong.

Suggest she avoids Diesels completely, and to help for quiet and comfort find a car sitting on decent normal profile tyres/wheels, she definately does not want anything on 18" wheels.

Presumably your sister won't be awash with cash as she trains up, so getting something decent, but second hand is probably the best option (being in debt when your trying to save up for a home, etc can be quite a burden if you don't need to be).

Does she have a reasonable idea of the annual total mileage, the type of daily journey and roads driven on, e.g. essentially all urban, lots of short hops from one patient's home to the next with (say) 10-30 mins in between trips? More rural setting driving on country lanes at all times of the day and night, etc etc.

Where they live may also factor into what type of engine is needed as well as the distances covered - as you may have read in the news, many cities are now thinking of either financially penalising (via daily charges) or outright banning older (non-Euro6 compliant) diesel-powered vehicles (I wouldn't worry about petrol cars - Euro3 petrol cars are quite old indeed, around the 15+yo mark). The Euro6 compliant cars started appearing around 2014/15.

Does she need it just for going from A to B, i.e. transporting other people around often, or reasonable sized loads that might need a bigger boot and perhaps a slightly larger car or bigger engine. Does she have a budget for insurance, fuel, maintenance and other ongoing costs per year?

Comfort is rather subjective, as often cars feeling fine when new to a year or two old can start to feel rather firm to drive (even if new tyres are fitted) in subsequent years as the suspension wears. This is particularly true of cars shod with larger wheels and low profile, wide tyres.

As such, and to save on the purchase and running costs (fuel, insurance and repairs/replacements), I'd go for a base spec car or the next one up (lower-mid range trim level) with a minimum of 55 profile tyres (preferably 60-65) which help the comfort and tyre/suspension wear by using the greater air in the tyre to cushion the ride. Base spec small cars often come with steel wheels, and coupled with the smaller wheel diameter and higher profile tyres, they are far more resistant to damage from kerbing and potholes.

Standard sizes for such tyres save you quite a bit when the need to be replaced. I looked up what the most common smaller sizes of tyre are:

205/55/16;
195/65/15;
215/55/16;
175/65/14;
185/65/15;
195/60/15;
165/70/14.

The 14in and narrower 15in tyres are normally found on lower spec superminis and city cars, the wider 15in tyres and 16in ones on the lower and mid spec mid-sized cars such as a Ford Focus, VW Golf or suchlike. Some car makes offer cars in variants of these sizes that are far less popular (especially the latest cars) and may cost a lot more when they need to be replaced.

Once you've narrowed down general requirements, we'll have a better idea of what might suit them as far as comfort and reliability. Some cars may meet on of those two, but may not on the other for them. If they narrow the choice to certain trim levels (the lower spec ones are more reliable as they have less gizmos to go wrong), then this helps as well. Aircon is normally available on the trim level above base spec on many standard (non-luxury) cars.

20k a year could perhaps justify a diesel, but as you said she particulartkly needs a quiet car so petrol is probably the way to go. If she wants a Focus-sized car, I'd suggest a shortlist of:

Focus itself (lots to choose from)

Toyota Auris good chance of being reliable, 5-year warranty)

Kia Ceed (7-year warranty)

Honda Civic (the 1.8 petrol has a bit more power - likely to be reliable, but the looks aren't for everyone and the view out of the back is very poor)

Mazda 3 (don't go near a diesel; petrols are reliable but there aren't so many of these around).

Edited by Avant on 02/02/2019 at 23:46

Edited by SLO76 on 02/02/2019 at 22:42