I am looking to get a car soon and am going to get a bank loan to purchase one (far cheaper than finance). I am looking at borrowing up to 2k.

I really want a ford KA but if I can I would rather purchase something a bit cheaper.

I looked at clios because I can get a nice one for 1k-1.5k However after speaking to a few people I'm not too sure.

I have been told that the upkeep of a Clio will work out far more expensive than a KA and that I should splash out that bit extra and get a KA.

Anyone have any ideas about a car that is nice looking, small, economical and cheap to run? All this for less than 2k?

Get a scooter:D

VW Polo's are quite good in that respect!
Not sure on the cost though.... or there is always a Saxo!

Looked at saxo's but they are a bit boy racerish I think.

My heart is set on a KA but at a minimum of 2k I'm a bit worried about taking on that much debt and would rather get something a tad cheaper.

I did fancy the idea of a clio, wish I'd not mentioned it to anyone now! :D

I like scooters and If the wether was sunny all the time I'd have one but I really don't fancy driving about in snow and rain! I'm such a girl! :D

In that price range for a small car I would be considering

Rover 200 Mk2/Mk3, Very reliable, don't rust and economical.

Skoda Felicia, Built by volkswagon so definitely reliable, but are still associated with the old skoda brand, so prices don't reflect the reliability.

Mini, just because they are fun to drive, small and can be easily fixed if anything goes wrong. Unfortunately they suffer from the dreaded tin worms.

If you are looking for economy, I would also be considering looking at Diesels.

Skatie

I can't recommend small french cars enough. Myself and all my friends have them. Find a mechanic that you can trust, and it'll be kept running for ages.

French :shocked:

Whats wrong with british cars nowadays? :banana:

Have a look at a VW Polo 94 - 98 very reliable cars when looked after. The 1.4 is economical and nippy.

British cars are rubbish at that sort of price bracket.

Originally posted by Skatiechik
French :shocked:

Whats wrong with british cars nowadays? :banana:

There aren't any left...

Originally posted by fnkysknky
There aren't any left...


Which world do you live in? In my world there is MG-Rover, who are doing quite well, quite suprisingly seeing as most people have forgotten they exist.


How are British Cars rubbish at that sort of price bracket?

I dont know many other cars, where you can get a luxury low mileage motorway car with all the toys in (600/800)

Also take a look around when you drive home from work tonight and see how many Rover 200 Mk2's you see around you. These cars are very good value for money, and reliable.

There are few truly British cars left.

MG Rover are rubbish on the whole.

Land Rover, Jaguar, Aston Martin - All owned by Ford
Bentley - owned by VW
Rolls Royce - owned by BMW

That leaves us with Noble - built in South Africa, using a ford mondeo engine,

Lotus - Honda Engine, cant remmber who currently owns them, if anyone

Morgan - very british except for the BMW engine

And then we're left with TVR, Invicta, LCC, Caterham, Westfield, Ariel, Marcos and a few other also-rans.

TVR are, in my opinion, the only true British Motor company left, making all their own parts.


And you cant get them for 2 grand. (a reliable one anyway!)

It was meant as a joke Skatiechik, personally I think MG Rover are past it, they basically make hairdressers cars now. They haven't been much cop since before the Germans got hold of them.

Jackthedog summed the rest up very nicely saving me some typing :)

I can recommend french cars too - I have a peugeot 106, and although pretty small it goes pretty well, and I've known people to have them years and still going. fairly economical too (though sometimes when it's full and I have to drive up hills I wish I had a bigger engine! - no danger of speeding I suppose)

Personally I wouldn't touch a french car. I don't think I will be owning any car other than a British one.

Plus MG-Rover have produced some very good cars in the last few years, post BMW era.

I would love the MG-ZT Diesel, if only I could afford it :(

Skatie

Originally posted by Skatiechik
Personally I wouldn't touch a french car. I don't think I will be owning any car other than a British one.

Plus MG-Rover have produced some very good cars in the last few years, post BMW era.

I would love the MG-ZT Diesel, if only I could afford it :(

Skatie

A mate has one at the moment, came in last week, think it's horrible. Each to their own tho :)

As for French cars I'm not exactly a fan either - the old Peugeots weren't bad but the styling of the new ones along with the entire Renault (minus the Clio V6) and Citreon ranges are unbelievably nasty. They are pretty reliable though and Renaults stand up particularly well in crash tests.

French cars do fall to bits. Wing mirrors fall off, door handles snap, seats disintegrate, they leak, the windows stop winding etc, but they just keep on going, due to simple mechanics and basic construction.

You'll not be driving a pretty car, or a cool car, but it'll stay faithful longer than just about anything else IMO.

If you buy an old motor with all the electric goodies etc, you've got loads of stuff to break and cause expense.

Buy a simple, humble French car and you cant go wrong.

Of course, if your buying a new car, then dont buy French. Only go for a Frog if your buying old and cheap.

Originally posted by jackthedog
Of course, if your buying a new car, then dont buy French. Only go for a Frog if your buying old and cheap.

Aye, unless someone offers you a Clio V6 and then buy it just for a laugh :D

Yeah, if you wanna end up backwards in a ditch! :)

If reliability is important to you, go for something Japanese. I'd be looking for a Nissan Micra, ideally one owner, with lots of evidence that it's been serviced regularly. KAs are pretty good too. The chances of something going wrong are higher if you buy French.

As jack stated the old Peugeots may fall to bits inside but the engine will pretty much stay together for a hell of a long time.

Originally posted by Skatiechik
Plus MG-Rover have produced some very good cars in the last few years, post BMW era.

I would love the MG-ZT Diesel, if only I could afford it :(

Skatie

Cool an MG-Rover fan.... I would like an MG-ZT Diesel too, but due to house purchase I had to settle for a late escort turbo diesel and wished I hadnt bothered now, at least Rovers start on cold mornings 1st time. I think at lot of people are anti Rover because of bad motoring press e.g twits like Quentin Wilson mouthing off. Basically BMW have ripped off Rover and stripped it of its assets.

I do a lot of motorway miles and see loads of older Rover 200's thundering up and down, and its always newer cars that I see broken down on the hard shoulder.

A quick search on Autotraders website (http://www.autotrader.co.uk) and I found this:

1997 FORD Ka 1.3, 1997, P
reg. 19000 miles, purple, tax March, MOT July, CD player, good condition,. £1,995

Very low mileage, and the photo looks good (can't post pics on here). Its in a rather fetching purple!

Have a search on Autotrader - there are many bargains on it.


Edit - also consider Fiat Seicentos. They are small and economical, not sure about reliability though. As for prices, I found a 1998 model with 36000 miles for £1695 on autotrader.

If you want to look at performance figures, reviews, fuel economy, etc, try http://www.parkers.co.uk . The magazine they sell for £3ish in shops is in its entirety for free online!

Originally posted by mega_monty
Cool an MG-Rover fan.... I would like an MG-ZT Diesel too, but due to house purchase I had to settle for a late escort turbo diesel and wished I hadnt bothered now, at least Rovers start on cold mornings 1st time. I think at lot of people are anti Rover because of bad motoring press e.g twits like Quentin Wilson mouthing off. Basically BMW have ripped off Rover and stripped it of its assets.

I do a lot of motorway miles and see loads of older Rover 200's thundering up and down, and its always newer cars that I see broken down on the hard shoulder.


Yes unfortunately i do feel it is the motoring press that gives MG-Rover a bad name, but least I am in the knowledge I own a reliable, cheap economical car that is BRITISH.

I purchased a Rover 200 Mk 2 last year, L reg. It has now done 35,000 miles since I bought it. All it has needed is some HT Leads, and a new thermostat, (and some tyres of course :) )

Skatie

I dont want to knock your choice of car at all, but why are you so keen on driving a British car?

Just interested! :)

Originally posted by jackthedog
I dont want to knock your choice of car at all, but why are you so keen on driving a British car?

Just interested! :)

The only reason I can think of is that perhaps he/she thinks they're the only ones where the steering wheel is on the right.:loopy:

Originally posted by max
The only reason I can think of is that perhaps he/she thinks they're the only ones where the steering wheel is on the right.:loopy:

I think that is a bit uncalled for Max!

What is wrong with being a MG-Rover Fan? I own five Rovers/Austins and would never touch anything other than British.


We are the only country that actually don't support our own car manufacturer. If you go over to France you will see them all driving Peugeots and Renaults. I think the majority of people don't think highly of MG-Rover due to the motoring press.

I mean if you watch Top Gear, all you ever see is BMW's most of then time.

Skatie

Do you own a monty by any chance mega_monty?


Skatie

I do hate the lack of patriotism (is that a word) that people express when buying a car, but when you compare what foreign metal you can get for your money, british cars just dont seem to compete.

I am a British car fan - dont get me wrong (i'm even on the 'British Car Films' mailing list - thats how sad I am) - but i'm not in the position to get the british car I want (Overfinch 580s), so for my price bracket i've got a better chance of getting what I want if I go Froggy. Or German, or Japanese etc.

Nice to see your so keen on your Rovers/Austins though.

Lets hope the new MG SV is enough cop to be a worthwhile car. So far it looks dissapointing, but the more extreme models should be quite lairy. We could do with a Porsche beater, nobody takes TVR or Noble seriously enough.

Originally posted by Skatiechik
What is wrong with being a MG-Rover Fan? I own five Rovers/Austins and would never touch anything other than British.

I don't have a problem with anybody being a fan of a particular marque it's when they bang on about buying British. What can people mean by British cars other than the happy coincidence that they were assembled here?

What other British products do you buy? Do you ensure that your clothes were not manufactured abroad or that your food is locally produced? If not, then why only cars?

Funny that innit. The Nissan Micra's been made here for years. Is that a British car? It was made by British people, on British soil.

Buying British means supporting British Industry, products and innovation.

In terms of food, we should also be supporting our British Farming Industry as well, where possibly I try and buy British meat etc, in the supermarket.

We are fast becoming a service nation, and losing our lack of patriotism for british products.

In terms of cars tho, there is a lot of history surrounding the British Car Industry and with MG-Rover doing there best to survive we should be supporting them. Plus I consider the cars that are being produced at the moment are strong contenders to other manufacturers. But that is just my opinion.

Can I ask why you feel British Cars don't compare to foreign ones JackTheDog?


Skatie

Originally posted by jackthedog
Funny that innit. The Nissan Micra's been made here for years. Is that a British car? It was made by British people, on British soil.


So have many other cars from foreign countries, in particular Ford. Doesn't mean it is a British Car tho as the company is not a British Company.

A lot of British cars not only compare, but completely outclass foreign cars.

Jaguar XJ, Aston Martin, Range Rover, Land Rover Defender, Rolls Royce, Caterham, Lotus: all are class leaders IMO, so they do more than compare to other foreign marques.

My favourite cars are all British.

But for the lower end of the market - the market that this thread was originally talking about - the foreigners just offer a better deal. On the whole, cheap British cars just seem to be left behind in style terms, and fit and finish, space and comfort etc.

It's a matter of taste I suppose, you're obviously well experienced with British motors, and if you could talk me into buying British, good on you. Cos i'd love to want to buy British :)

BTW, i'm not sure that you'd be supporting the British motoring industry a great deal by buying a 10 year old British car.

Do you seriously beleive that the MG ZR and ZS are strong competitors in the current car market?

I mean, the ZS is an ageing Rover 45 - one of the most uninspiring cars known to man - with a primary paint job and a plastic sill kit.

The new Rover Streetwise - Rebaged Tata. Terrible.
The new Rover 25 with the plastic stuff stuck all over it? The CityRover. What's that about?

It's just all too unconvincing.

The ZT is a very good car, i'll stand by that. That and the Rover 75. Both very nice cars.

Thanks for all your contributions.

to20 thanks for you site recommendations.

That KA sounds fab, apart from the colour but thats no big deal, I could always get it sprayed. Ideally I want a black one, I think I'm too fussy :D

I don't suppose it was near Sheffield though? I'll go have a look now see what I can find.

Thanks again!

Originally posted by Skatiechik
Do you own a monty by any chance mega_monty?

Skatie

Hi Skatie,

Nah I dont own a monty, but have a 1988 MG Metro Turbo, was me 1st car, had for 10years, take it to car shows in summer and won quite a few prizes with it. :D Not many Metty Turbos knocking about now. Second car is a Rover Metro GTI had that for about 6 years, top little car, quite quick with K series 16V in it. Will give most modern cars a run for their money, been very reliable taken it up to 87K now. Third car (everyday car) Ford Escort TD didnt really intend to get an escort, just sort of acquired it, used mostly for motorway trips, not as much fun to drive like metro. :(

If your interested in any MG-Rover car shows this summer, give us a shout and bring yours along, lol. ;)

Originally posted by Skatiechik
So have many other cars from foreign countries, in particular Ford. Doesn't mean it is a British Car tho as the company is not a British Company.

Another car to fall into this class is the BMW Mini, robbed from Rover, just wouldnt have one on principle or any BMW for what they did to Rover.

Originally posted by mega_monty
Hi Skatie,

Nah I dont own a monty, but have a 1988 MG Metro Turbo, was me 1st car, had for 10years, take it to car shows in summer and won quite a few prizes with it. :D Not many Metty Turbos knocking about now. Second car is a Rover Metro GTI had that for about 6 years, top little car, quite quick with K series 16V in it. Will give most modern cars a run for their money, been very reliable taken it up to 87K now.


Sssshhhh we don't want to enlighten these anti-rover people on how fast the MMM (Maestro Montego and Metro) cars can be. The prices might start to rise then ;)

Skatie

http://www.barchetta.cc/All.Ferraris/images/0619/group-b-mons-1.jpg

Find me one of those and I'd think about getting one :)

Ha ha, i'm with you there...

Mmmmmmmmm Metro 6r4 Yes Please!!!! :bigsmile:

Unfortunately I don't have a spare £30k :(

I will have to stick to racing them on Colin McRae instead. :)

Yeah would be nice but I'd probably kill myself anyway. Mind you having a mate that deals in prestige cars is amusing - he turns up in something different everyday and he usually has something a bit special lying about. It's like our very own version of Top Gear...

I'll get a slap for saying this but.. KA's were definitely suited and built for women due to the extra large bumpers.

:D

Originally posted by Skatiechik
Mmmmmmmmm Metro 6r4 Yes Please!!!! :bigsmile:




Yey now your talking Skatie, my most fave metty :clap:
Had a go in one around Silverstone a few years back, made me deaf and turned me pants a shade of brown ;) top fun though!

Was one for sale on ebay recently something like £21K.... ouch!
Only one I can afford is one for me scalextric, lol. Doh !!