Jane Smart
The Queen
- Location
- Dunfermline Fife
Depends on your budget too. We have a lovely Chevrolet Avio for sale and it has only done 1000 miles, it is a lovely wee thing 
Best Small Car?
- Thread starter Melvil
- Start date
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threebikesmcginty
Corn Fed Hick...
- Location
- ...on the slake
Mrs 3BM used to have a VW Lupo - really solid, quick and fun to drive - I liked it.
Mr Pig
New Member
- Location
- North Lanarkshire
Is this new or used?
New, I like the Suzuki Swift. Avoid anything built by the French or Italians. Some are stylish but cars put together by people more interested in their lunch than their work are seldom reliable. I could fill a very large page with Renault and Fiat horror stories. Electrics are particularly bad.
Used, an unusual suggestion is the Seat Arosa. VW bought Seat just before they launched their own small car, the Lupo, and Seat had no new cars ready to go. So VW launched the Lupo as the Seat Arosa before they launched it as a VW. It's a very solid little car that drives like a bigger one, VW quality at a Seat price. They've proved very reliable too.
New, I like the Suzuki Swift. Avoid anything built by the French or Italians. Some are stylish but cars put together by people more interested in their lunch than their work are seldom reliable. I could fill a very large page with Renault and Fiat horror stories. Electrics are particularly bad.
Used, an unusual suggestion is the Seat Arosa. VW bought Seat just before they launched their own small car, the Lupo, and Seat had no new cars ready to go. So VW launched the Lupo as the Seat Arosa before they launched it as a VW. It's a very solid little car that drives like a bigger one, VW quality at a Seat price. They've proved very reliable too.
luplowe
New Member
- Location
- Bournemouth
Ive got a Peugeot 207 .. it seems decent , or the Peugeot 206 which apparently is another decent car. They only stopped selling them new a year ago and there price took a dive when the 207 came out ,
so possibly a bargain to be picked up there...
so possibly a bargain to be picked up there...
Night Train
Maker of Things
- Location
- Greater Manchester
I would recommend the Skoda Fabia TDi.
A good, reliable, well equipped car that is cheaper then the VW, Seat and Audi variants.
If you don't like it then go for the Toyota Yaris.
A good, reliable, well equipped car that is cheaper then the VW, Seat and Audi variants.
If you don't like it then go for the Toyota Yaris.
pubrunner
Legendary Member
My missus bought a new Daihatsu Sirion about 5 months ago - it is the only brand new car that we have ever bought. It is excellent for head, shoulder and legroom (very good in the back!); - never mind a Corsa, it is bigger inside than a friend's Vauxhall Astra. Sit in one and you'd be amazed.
It has loads of 'extras' as standard (Air Con, parking sensors, all electric windows etc) and is very comfortable to drive. It is of excellent build quality (built in Japan) and has a far better paint finish than my VW.
It is based on the Toyota Yaris, (same engine***) but is slightly bigger. It is also a fair bit cheaper than the Yaris and it comes with a 5 year warranty (3 years for the Yaris). It is very economical and we are very pleased with it. I strongly recommend that you at least look at one - and sit inside - you'd be amazed at the space. With the rear seat down, there is PLENTY of room for a bike !!!
http://www.expressandstar.com/2009/05/28/star-performance-from-sirion/
http://www.carkeys.co.uk/road_test/daihatsu/7753.asp
http://www.ciao.co.uk/Daihatsu_Sirion_1_0_SE_5dr__6598136
We have the 1.0 SE and it is plenty fast enough; I love driving it, cos it hardly uses any fuel - 60+mpg and is very cheap to tax. It is very comfortable on a long journey and there is plenty of room in the back for our 13 year old (a 6 footer) and our 5 year old in a child seat.
*** The 1.0 litre in the Sirion is shared by the Toyota Yaris, Citroen C1, Peugeot 107, and Toyota Aygo.
It has loads of 'extras' as standard (Air Con, parking sensors, all electric windows etc) and is very comfortable to drive. It is of excellent build quality (built in Japan) and has a far better paint finish than my VW.
It is based on the Toyota Yaris, (same engine***) but is slightly bigger. It is also a fair bit cheaper than the Yaris and it comes with a 5 year warranty (3 years for the Yaris). It is very economical and we are very pleased with it. I strongly recommend that you at least look at one - and sit inside - you'd be amazed at the space. With the rear seat down, there is PLENTY of room for a bike !!!
http://www.expressandstar.com/2009/05/28/star-performance-from-sirion/
http://www.carkeys.co.uk/road_test/daihatsu/7753.asp
http://www.ciao.co.uk/Daihatsu_Sirion_1_0_SE_5dr__6598136
We have the 1.0 SE and it is plenty fast enough; I love driving it, cos it hardly uses any fuel - 60+mpg and is very cheap to tax. It is very comfortable on a long journey and there is plenty of room in the back for our 13 year old (a 6 footer) and our 5 year old in a child seat.
*** The 1.0 litre in the Sirion is shared by the Toyota Yaris, Citroen C1, Peugeot 107, and Toyota Aygo.
Cathryn
Squire
- Location
- Marlborough, Wiltshire
We've got a Vauxhall Corsa diesel turbo 1.4... and we utterly love it. It's speedy, nippy, sleek and carries 2 bikes comfortably on the back. And it's called Cav.
As Mr Pig said, the new Suzuki Swifts look great and they hold their value very well. I had a Renault Clio Sport for 3 years and had no problems it was a fantasticly fun car, fast, comfortable and very safe (the top spec ones will be 5 star rated the rest are 4 I think) I am 6ft 4 and could get a child or small adult behind me no worries.
Shame the fiat 500 is too small as they look great, although others are right they may not last all that long.
Shame the fiat 500 is too small as they look great, although others are right they may not last all that long.
Had a new diesel Yaris as a hire car recently.
I have no time for small diesel cars, and not a lot of interest in comparing cars generally to be honest. But, I have to say the Yaris was astonishing.
Build quality was at least as good as my Merc. The drive was excellent both in terms of handling and comfort - drove like a big car. It was plenty fast enough, and economy was absurd. Radio was excellent too, and even the paroramic dash arrangement was good as it stops passenger/rear "interference". I think is was reasonably "fully loaded" - I don't know what their package options are, but I was very impressed.
Only downside was the rear luggage carrying arrangement, which someone has apparently stolen.
I have no time for small diesel cars, and not a lot of interest in comparing cars generally to be honest. But, I have to say the Yaris was astonishing.
Build quality was at least as good as my Merc. The drive was excellent both in terms of handling and comfort - drove like a big car. It was plenty fast enough, and economy was absurd. Radio was excellent too, and even the paroramic dash arrangement was good as it stops passenger/rear "interference". I think is was reasonably "fully loaded" - I don't know what their package options are, but I was very impressed.
Only downside was the rear luggage carrying arrangement, which someone has apparently stolen.
Ben M
Senior Member
- Location
- Chester/Oxford
A VW polo gets my vote. They seem far better built than your average fiesta/corsa. You pay a small premium for this, but they are reliable little things.
I'm not just saying that, I put my money where my mouth is and I drive one.
I'm not just saying that, I put my money where my mouth is and I drive one.
Ben M
Senior Member
- Location
- Chester/Oxford
furball said:
That is good service. Although it'd have to be a pretty tiny car to not fit a bike with the wheel off =
