Whats the cheapest car evAr to own/run?

[Lankytim]

The rovers MOTs up in a couple of months, Major tin worm in the back arches, a whining fuel pump and rusty petrol tank will probably consign it to the scrap heap (Hence ill be breaking it soon) Anybody got any opinions on what cheap car around the £500 mark will provide the best value for money in terms of reliability, safety and running costs? under 1500cc for cheap tax, unless its a frugal diesel, around M/N/P reg, similar size to the present daily driver Rover 214.


I know its a bit cheeky to trawl like this, but any personal opinions on what to look for and what to avoid would be much appreciated!

[impmann]

If you for slightly older, you can't beat VW Golfs... my J-plate 8v GTi cost just £300 with plenty of T&T. Its wicked! Parts are cheap & easy to get, built like a tank plus its bloomin quick. I love it.

My wife has a Fiat Cinq sporting (N-plate) that came with losts of T&T for £350. Not everyone's cuppa, but the parts are pennies - PLUS it does 55+mpg no matter how its ragged. Oh and they are tardis-like inside.

[daverapid]

Favorit or Felicia....bet you knew I'd say that! ;D

[jiminwatford]

I would say get another 214!

[Marc]

Pug 309 diesels you can't give away now. Seriously, you could get one off eBay for around a ton with a few months T&T on it. Reliable, practical and bits are pennies.

[dimebar]

Be different so Malaysian wibblepoo

[arthurbrown]

Cheapness... well there's a thing!

I've had a few cars with T&T for £0.00 (incl. a lovely ToyoTAT Carina in dog-curse word brown)
But they are rarely cheap to run, long-term.

Best for 'value' I have had was a Mk3 Astra 1.4 LSI HI-TORQ.
I bought it off a mate for £650 with a kippered radiator (this was a few years ago!)
It was in otherwise immaculate condition inside and out.
I fitted the rad and drove 25,000 miles in just over a year, with the occasional oil change and grubby bit all that was needed.
It averaged 40mpg, and never once let me down.
I sold it for £690.
In many ways the best car I ever had, and much better than the newer vaux's we had concurrently and to replace it.
Very slow though, and absolutely ZERO street cred mind.

[ishan]

Seconded was pugboyracer said. Also 205 n/a diesel's

[Hirst]

Proton Persona?

This one is buy it now for £500, can't be too bad: cgi.ebay.co.uk/1999-PROTON-PERSONA-XLI-BLUE_W0QQitemZ270110641156

[dugong]

306 TD FTW. N or P reg XUDs proper cheapo.

Very cheap and the engines especially as NA units go on and on. If you service the turbo D with decent oil (minimum Halfords 'gold' 10W\ 40 semi syn Diesel... made by Esso and way better than any of that gay Castrol wibblepoo) every 6000 miles they keep goin'.

Things to watch for:

Turbo seals \ bearings especially on the Garrett T2 get a bit manky at 120,000 miles and start to leak boost.

Worn track rod ends \ wishbone bushes (easy to tell, car drives like a piece of curse word), especially of the latter on TDs, the geometry means they 'lean' on the bushes like the 205s. Higher mileage cars also can be gippy around the torsion bar mount area, and also check for where any chav scrotes have lowered the 'bars badly and piddled around with the brake bias valve while they're at it.

If the stereo has been changed make sure the fuse (14 i think) has been taken up from a 5A to a 10A, mine popped and the whole car was immobilised but for a 10 p blade fuse (very simple fix)

Sticking remote buttons (these drain the twin 2025s, just pick all the rubber out to expose the switch and this won't happen again).

Hope that's of some use.

[dugong]

DP but Rialtos cost curse word all to run, parts are cheap, and will do 75mph on the motorway.

A friend has one, we've done it and I'm never driving it again.

Scary.

[dollywobbler]

Watch the central locking on Pug 306s as well. Can often give trouble.

My left-field tip is a Citroen C15 van. Practical, stupidly cheap to run and very tough. Can be had for peanuts (and they'll run on peanut oil!). Well, I guess so. Dr Diesel first ran his engines on peanut oil (a nugget for you there folks). The French really knew how to do diesels and they know a thing or two about neglecting motors too!

[Lankytim]

Lots of good ideas there! I had been looking for a felicia estate but the missus hates them cos "a smelly old guy at work has one"

I have been considering another 214. Very pleased with this one apart from reliabiltiy issues and rust. a 218 looks tempting, Rover with a honda body and running gear and French diesel engine but clean ones fetch good money.

MK3 astras also look tempting, a few people who have owned them swear by them and carsurvey.org contributors rave about them, especially the 1400. Ive got a 1700 diesel in a garage but its had its chips and is going to be pressed soon.

[jdmini]

you've got loads of options...i'd say a 306 diesel, a mk4 escort or a punto.

cheap cars and not too shabby either

[mitch]

No competition! Morris Minor, classic insurance costs me £56 fully comp, free tax, 40mpg, parts are dirt cheap and readily available and theres still some in the breakers. £500 buys you an mot'ed one, another £56 for your insurance and your away!

[PhoenixC]

I would go with the pug/citroen diesel majority, if its a cheap reliable daily that you want and you are bothered about it being a retro.
205, 309, 306 or a citroen ZX with the non turbo XUD engine work out cheaper to run than the turbo and quick enough for most daily driving. 306`s are probably the most expensive out of that lot and I would probably go for a ZX the 306`s ugly sister but just as good a car. A lot better made than earlier citroens.
My dad has an M reg ZX he has ran as a daily for 3 years, it was my sisters for 2 years before that and my uncle had it from 97 until she got it.
Apart from routine servicing (service parts are dirt cheap as well) it had an exhaust 4 years ago. Handbrake cables and rear axle subframe bushes for the MOT last year (£7 each). A wheel cylinder new self adjusters and an anti roll bar droplink before it went for MOT this year and thats all its had in ten years.
Which isnt bad for a car that has averaged 12,000 mile a year.
The 306 my wife used to run was more or less the same, bought it as an ex police car with 100,000 mile on the clock (1998 car bought in 2001) she put 85,000 mile on it in 2 years and the only things it needed was a clutch at 180,000 mile and an alternator belt tensioner other than that just normal servicing (which on this used to be every 4 to 6 weeks just because of the mileage she did.)

[reanimation]

For me, The well serviced Polo I got given was cheap to run, cost next to nowt in parts ins tax petrol. but if you are as lank as your name suggests, like me you are better off with summat bigger, I tried a golf MK1 to find the cockpit same size. Got lucky with my sapph, which has been very reasonable not as good on juice but still affordable and of course tax is more which is a bit unfair.

[spacekadett]

I'll second the Astras Bought an absolute minter from BnD for £100, only needed wipers for a test and a good valet. Pretty bombproof and cheap parts too.

Personally tho, the best car I had was a Mk2 Metro. £600 with nearly a years tax (this was about '97/'98) and loads of MOT. I think the only non consumable part I fitted in the 3 years I owned it was an unleaded head and had the bashed front panel sorted. Drove it everywhere flat out and it only failed to start once and that was only a loose wire. Don't think I even had to get the welder out once, unheard of for any Austin!

[samyboy]

mk1 fiesta

[hairnet]

punto nononononononononononono

is recommend zx diesel turbo or not

xantia as above - had since 96 had 70k on it done 120 k now 1 susp pipe 11 quid plipper 120 and coupla tyres all its ever had bar servicing

1.0 polo mk4

205 diesel (ask bolox)