Is the KA you tried a 1.3L?
I would have thought that size of engine in one would have given it plenty of power.
I know you say that residual value is not an issue, but KAs do seem to hold their value. I've not seen a 2nd hand one for less than £3500 and that was a P reg I think. The new price starts at just under £5k (or is that for a 1.0L).
Anyway, these car hold their value for a reason, often reliability.
As for the Metro, I sold my aunt's for her about 4 months ago, FSH and 40,000 long MOT(a J reg base model). I advertised it for £650 and only had one phone call. I could only get £500 for it, and that's before the 2nd hand car market really plummeted. It was in very good condition. I would be very dubious about paying £1K for that M reg. I would offer £700 based on my experience, assuming it's OK. I suspect it's on a dealer's forecourt.
Alternitively, go to your local auction and just see the prices that cars go for there. Don't go to buy just now, Just go and have a look. I think you'll be in for a surprise!
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For me this would be any easy choice. The metro and put the other £6000 somewhere else. Though I wouldn't pay £1000, plenty out there cheaper. No depreciation to speak of, service and repair yourself or get a local garage to do it rather than be forced to go to a main dealer to keep up the warranty, relatively cheap bits, probably cheaper insurance. Despite the bad press, they're pretty reliable just watch out for rust, but you know that already. New cars are getting relatively cheaper all the time so if you think you do want one then the longer you wait the better. Personally I think anyone who buys new either has too much money or is soft in the head. Let some other poor so-and-so lose all that depreciation in the first few years. The only time I might consider new would be if I was going to keep the car forever and run it into the ground. But I'm not sure you can do that with modern cars economically as in middle to old age most will develop a fault that will cost more than the value of the car to fix.
Others will disagree of course, you pays your money and you takes your choice! I can think of loads of fun things to do with £6k rather than spend it on a boring everyday car. That's a good MGB, or a superb Series 1 XJ6, or half way to Daimler SP250! or ...or ....
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Some very good replies for you Ridgemont. As I read down them I kept changing my mind after each one.
I think finally i would go for the Metro and save a bundle of money.
The Micra is very tempting but after thinking of the things to go wrong, keyless entry, AC, EW etc I think of the the things to go expensively wrong and this would deter me for a second car only.
There's a certain peverse pleasure in having a car such as my wife's Maestro which can be parked anywhere with little worry about getting it scratched, stolen or whatever, and no fancy electronics for the dealer to get rich on.
alvin
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"Personally I think anyone who buys new either has too much money or is soft in the head. Let some other poor so-and-so lose all that depreciation in the first few years."
Personally I think there are too many remarks like this in the Backroom. Of the 'If you don't think like me you are an idiot' variety.
I suspect most of us started our motoring with bangers. Then when we grew up we accepted that spending £7K on a car was not a definition of having 'too much money', 'being soft in the head' or a 'poor so-and-so'
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Mixed response here cardew, as I can understand both yours and Nick's points.
Personally I think that those who have the money to do so, should be allowed to buy whatever car they want to, without criticism from anybody.
I do agree though, that there is little gained from the assumption that 'anyone who thinks differently to me must be wrong'.
Some of us still have to go for bangers. And some of us 'still having to go for bangers' people don't resent the ones that don't have to anymore.
As I said, mixed feelings. But people who can afford to do so should be able to spend their money on whatever car they choose, without criticism from anyone.
Having said that, I would hate to put an end to a debate...........
HF
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Don't be so prickly, Cardew. My comment wasn't a personal attack on anyone, just a light-hearted expression of my views. I wouldn't buy a new car unless I had no better use for the money (in my view). If others do then that's fine and I can understand their reasons for doing so. People have different priorities and tastes. Surely we are grown up enough not to take offence at a remark that was obviously tongue in cheek? I like old cars and I'm happy to tinker with them, anyone can call me a nutter if they like, and I'll smile, as long as they accept that my opinion is as valid as anyone else's.
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You can get high mileage Kas from 2 grand privately.
They're good little cars, I used to have one, I'm not sure how they stand up to high mileage reliability as mine started to have things go wrong with it at 4 years old and 62,000 mostly motorway miles. Eventually I traded it in and got 3 grand for it.
They are nippy, in the words of one Ford mechanic who serviced mine, "they need a good rev" to get the most out of the engine. It will cruise at 90mph on the motorway happilly though.
mike
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Thank you all for your replies, there seem to be a number of very different views. I think that is because I don't believe that there is a hideously bad choice that could be made from those that are on offer.
Interestingly I have really struggled to get a 3 year old Yaris, Ka or Micra at a realistic price, I think about £3200 or lower would be about the mark when at £5K new. The cheapest Yaris I have found was at £4200, but at just £800 below what can be bought new it doesn't seem worth it, they do seem to have marginally better sec.
Just try convincing my wife that a 3 year old car is better value than a nice new shiney one!!!
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I think a lot depends what you want the car for.
If you are likely to carry back seat passengers more than once in a blue moon, think carefully before going for the Ka as they are very tight in the back.
If your driving is mainly around town with little long distance or motorway journeys, the Micra is a good bet. It's really nippy and easy to drive in town, but gets harder on longer runs, plus it's not as crashworthy as some modern alternatives. It sounds like it needs plenty of servicing but should keep going for ages. Also consider that the old-style is being flogged for £5k new, so 2nd hand prices will have dropped a lot.
The Yaris is more of an all-rounder. I've had 5 people in mine in comfort, done long distances with no problem and still got good consumption. However, this is one of the few cars it's better buying new if you can afford it, due to the low depreciation. Unless you are looking at T or V reg models you won't be paying that much less than list so are better going for new and benefitting from the full warranty etc.
As for the cars being underpowered, the Micra seemed OK but I didn't drive it on a motorway, I can't comment on the Ka, but the Yaris isn't bad at all. You've still got bags of power to accelerate at 75 on the motorway and while it's not in the same league as bigger cars, it's not half bad for a 1.0. You could always go for the 1.3, but I think that would only really be necessary if you were doing lots of longer trips.
Don't forget that there will still be a price difference in 5 years - the Ka and Micra will have lost a lot more value than the Yaris. However, if the Metro will do and you're not bothered about running an older car with the potential for more problems, then it seems like the most cost-effective option...
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My Uncle's 125k H reg Metro GTi still has plenty of life in the engine. Gearbox went at 90k though and in the past I think the other major let-down was the alternator. However, it does deliveries of meat (he's a butcher) and once was driven from Liverpool to South France at no less than 100, pretty much constantly, in the middle of summer. Id say they're good if looked after. Have been several in the family and the basic mechanics are OK. Uncle's first one (OK we start to laugh now at his obsession with Metros) was a Y reg MG that did 160k. Mums on the other hand, is not looked after, and she doesn't believe me when I say the clutch is goosed and its using water.
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From personal knowledge, I have little regard for the Metro. This is primarily on the grounds of their poor protection in an accident - I've seen too many injuries per Metro and wouldn't recommend one. I agree, also from personal experience, that the 1.0 litre Yaris is not impressive out of town compared to the 1.3 or the diesel versions. The Micra isn't exactly built like a tank but better than the Metro, and can be found cheaply - probably more so than the Yaris. Why not try one of the importers or Supermarkets for a Yaris or Micra and aim for the lowest price.
KB.
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As an owner of a Micra 1.0 (last car) and a Ka (current car) I can confirm that Steve H42 and others make made some good comments.
The Micra is a nice little car but suffers from a poor image, looks a bit cheesy inside and is not a speed freaks choice. Well built though, decent economy and easy to drive. I liked mine a lot. Sadly I tended to get hassle from other drivers who regarded a Micra in front as an affront to their manhood.
The mechanic is correct about the Ka. Drop a gear and it will go: it will easily do 70 in third though it is not for speed freaks. It is a lot more stable than the Micra on motorways and when buffeted by side winds. It corners much better too. But it is hard to get in to the back. If you don't do lots of short journeys it should do ~48mpg dropping to ~40mpg if you do short journeys. (I get better than the manufacturers figures.)
As for buying second hand rather than new, I came to the conclusion that superminis are in demand and so the second hand value is not that good. An awful lot of people like them. Plus superminis don't last like bigger cars. My Micra was 8 year olds and needed underbody welding, and a replacement air management unit both of which cost a good whack.
I came to the conclusion that a new car cost me upfront but saved in terms of reduced servicing. In other words the cost of depreciation plus servicing costs is not much more for a new car, and might be less. Certainly my Micra bought 2nd hand cost me more than a new Micra would have if you factor in all costs. Bear in mind that I do ~18K miles per year, most on motorways.
So if you have the money then new is good, but if you need to get a loan than you pay a lot in terms of interest charges on the loan.
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