I'm thinking about getting either a Peugeot 206 or a Fiat Punto. I don't want brand new ('cos I'm not made of money), so it'd be 2 or 3 years old. I don't want anything too flashy, just reliable, and relatively cheap to run.

Puntos are generally cheaper, but are they as reliable? Will I be laughed at in the street driving it? Can you suggest a nice little alternative?

Any comments from helpful forummers would be welcome. :help: :thumbsup:

What about a Corsa! parts are cheaper than fiat's & poss insurance as well.

How much are you wanting to spend?

Nah, I've had a Corsa before... it was OK, but I just don't fancy another. I think I want to spend about £5,000. Obviously less if I can!!

feargal...try this site for all the info you may need. Just put the make and model in for all the info

Car Reliability (http://www.reliabilityindex.com/)

I wouldn't buy a punto We had one (X reg so not that old) and it was forever in the garage being repaired, we were told after that they are cheap cos there not very reliable!!

The steering went whilst being driven, the electric also used to cut out when it felt like it after havin a brand new battery to solve this problem! I dont want to bore you with the rest of the problems we had but they end up generally costin more than there worth!

I'd go with the peugeot personally out of the 2 options x x x

We have a punto v reg and it has always been in the family, and has only had 1 trip to the garage (touch wood :huh: ) really quite reliable.

You know what Fiat stands for dont you?

Fix It Again Tomorrow!

Don't ask me darling. However, biased as I am , I would always say, Buy Most Wonderful..................:D

Don't by anything Italian if it doesn't explode, the electrics will fail or it will go rusty, all the time losing money faster than a bacon sandwich shop in Tehran.
Peugeuts are decent enough cars and hold their value, but beware of the cheap plastic trim falling to bits and when they eventually do go wrong they are expensive to repair.
Citroen's see Peugeut, same company same issues but a bit cheaper to own due to PSA's new pricing policy..
Vauxhall corsas are ok little cars and don't have any particular vices except their image as the chav's favorite, which makes them a target for thieves.
Small Fords are ok but tend to be a bit overpriced and you need to watch out for rust even on quite recent cars.
Renault clios are ok but don't have a particularly good reliability record, nothing drastic but something to watch out for.
Anything Japanese should be ok but watch out for insurance and spares prices some can be quite shocking.
There are some bargains to be had from the south east Asian countries, although they come with superb reliability records and don't as a general rule rust, not the more recent ones anyway, they do lose money quickly and aren't particularly nice to drive.
At the end of the day it's your money keep looking and you will find the right car for you, when you find it you will just know its the right one.

feargal, 5 grand is quite a lot of money and you could get a very decent small car with low mileage for that, including a GERMAN car such as a VW (reliable and don't devalue quickly).

good luck

Fergie, I've had a Punto and a Corsa, and both were fine. My ex had an old shape Corsa and they were horrid to drive; the new shape one is a lovely drive. :)

K x

Feargal - I am the queen of small cars having owned most or at least driven them as courtesy cars! (i'm easily bored). I am presently driving a renault clio on an R plate that I paid just over 2 grand for - It's a great little car, granted I have just had to have the cam belt replaced but its done 80,000 miles so thats to be expected I guess. It's lovely to drive and feels much newer than it is if you know what I mean.

However - If i had five grand to spend on a car I would undoubtedly buy a VW polo - Drove one as a courtesy car and it was by far the most beautiful car I have ever driven. Felt sturdy and safe and well made, insurance group is very low and the petrol the company had put in it for me last near on a week and I drive a fair bit daily. You'd pick up quite a new one for 5 grand i reckon...

I'd avoid, from experience, fiestas. I've had three and they all developed the same fault - engine would just cut out as I was driving along then randomly come back on 2 or 3 seconds later, apparently the focus does that too. Ford Ka's have poor visability and feel a bit cramped on the other hand I test drove a punto and it felt massive inside and a bit like a tin can - you also have to be careful which model of punto you buy because insurance groups really vary from a 1 to a 7 - wierd. A nissan micra would be another good buy, japanese made - very reliable. They are really nice to drive, owned an old shape and test drove a new shape - some nice gadgets to be had and the second hand market for them is good, depends if the design appeals to you though....

If you were prepared to go up a bit the citreon C2 is lovely to drive - some good deals with insurance on brand new ones for about £6,500. I really liked that - really sporty feeling but only group 1 insurance! I was so close to buying one when i got the clio but chickened out at the last minute - I'm not a fan of finance!

Hope that helps - I'm a bit obsessed with buying cars - i get bored after a year. I'm determined to keep my clio though until I can have my dream car - a yellow VW beetle:love: !

(as an afterthought - a good website to use is http://www.fish4.co.uk/iad/cars searches dealers and/or private sellers in a certain area - helped me find my clio!)

Peugeot 306's are quite nice. Good on petrol and insurance isn't bad. Plenty of space in a five door hatch as well. Incidentally I just happen to have one for sale!

Thought about a SEAT Ibiza?

Waht Car? Supermini Car of Year 2005: http://www.whatcar.co.uk/car-review-summary.aspx?NEW_USED=1&MA_TYPE=1&MA=38&RT=423

If you want a decent car buy a SAAB ( cos I drive one..lol. ) or get a Honda.

0ooh, aren't you lot clever?! Keep that info coming... I've now got too much advice and it's confusing me!

Thanks all! :D :D

VW is the only way to go. Even if you got a 15 year old mk2 golf it'd be far more reliable than any punto, peugeot, renault or ford...
Get yourself a newish Polo!

VW is the only way to go. Even if you got a 15 year old mk2 golf it'd be far more reliable than any punto, peugeot, renault or ford...
Get yourself a newish Polo!
Reputation of VW's ain't holding up against Ford anymore. They've lost their halo. At least according to recent Which survey....
from Which? extra website.....
"The chart shows how car makers fare, grouping them into excellent, good, average and poor for reliability. Breakdowns are the most serious problem, so these make up half the overall rating. Faults and niggles contribute 25 per cent each. Our ratings are based on information from Which? readers, who have told us about problems suffered by nearly 34,000 cars in the previous 12 months."

Ratings (Make & sample size) - figures published Aug '05:
Excellent
Ford 4358
Honda 2363
Hyundai 367
Lexus 203
Mazda 723
Suzuki 268
Toyota 2722
Good
Daihatsu 78
Kia 156
Mitsubishi 278
Nissan 1768
Proton 37
Subaru 285
Average
Chrysler 120
Daewoo 212
Jaguar 518
Jeep 95
Mini 155
Porsche 78
Skoda 742
Smart 49
Vauxhall 2783
Poor
Alfa Romeo 185
BMW 1372
Fiat 584
Mercedes-Benz 1210
Renault 1954
Seat 459
VW 2445
Audi 981
Citroën 1152
Land Rover 527
Peugeot 1873
Saab 517
Volvo 997

Reputation of VW's ain't holding up against Ford anymore.

I don't think that list proves much. I mean the new golf has had fantastic reviews, it's well built, rock solid, and like most modern cars, very reliable.
How can Fiat and VW compare??

The myth of German reliability is obviously alive and well. Don't know about the new Golf but the mark 5, and the later Polos, are absolute horrors in the reliability stakes. Mercedes are going the same way. The only German car worth the money is the BMW - and then only if you can bear to be seen in a car which looks as if it was styled by a team of chimps.

I'm running a 2003 Fiesta and a 2000 Punto - and both have never skipped a beat. I still wouldn't recommend the Punto though - it's true that there are many out there which were definitely built after a friday lunchtime on the vino rosso!

I don't know if they will have dropped into your price range yet, but I would be taking a good look at the Honda Jazz.

Reputation of VW's ain't holding up against Ford anymore. They've lost their halo. At least according to recent Which survey....
from Which? extra website.....
"The chart shows how car makers fare, grouping them into excellent, good, average and poor for reliability. Breakdowns are the most serious problem, so these make up half the overall rating. Faults and niggles contribute 25 per cent each. Our ratings are based on information from Which? readers, who have told us about problems suffered by nearly 34,000 cars in the previous 12 months."

Ratings (Make & sample size) - figures published Aug '05:
Excellent
Ford 4358
Honda 2363
Hyundai 367
Lexus 203
Mazda 723
Suzuki 268
Toyota 2722
Good
Daihatsu 78
Kia 156
Mitsubishi 278
Nissan 1768
Proton 37
Subaru 285
Average
Chrysler 120
Daewoo 212
Jaguar 518
Jeep 95
Mini 155
Porsche 78
Skoda 742
Smart 49
Vauxhall 2783
Poor
Alfa Romeo 185
BMW 1372
Fiat 584
Mercedes-Benz 1210
Renault 1954
Seat 459
VW 2445
Audi 981
Citroën 1152
Land Rover 527
Peugeot 1873
Saab 517
Volvo 997


Peugeot 206 or a Fiat Punto aren't really the most reliable you might end up paying for repairs.

I've got a toyota, their built to last. French and Italian cars aren't renouned for their manufacturing.

had a range of fiat started with 126, then panda, then 2 x uno's followed by a punto.
cant recommend them highly enough - as a small car they are very reliable & we never paid for more than tyres on all the cars we owned.
direct cars are doing brand new city rovers @ 3999 at the moment. & the kia picanto which is a very nice car is again less then 5k.
i've got an excellent suzuki juimny convertible for sale @ 4k which far outshines any of the above , but they dont suit everyone.

I'm on the look out for my first motor, but not really sure what type to get!?
Quite like Peugeot 106's, any advice on these??? Best place to look for one etc...