My mums car failed the MOT yesterday, and to be honest it's going to cost more than it's worth to get it through...

So looking for something to replace it (Rover 214, My dad bought new 17 years ago - just done 52k miles)


Since my Dad died, she's now on her own and looking to buy her 'first' car, spending roughly £5k, for something smallish - biggest priority is needs to be reliable, but also good to get in and out of, i.e. fairly 'level', not something you drop down into, or climb up to.


We looked at a 2006 Yaris yesterday, seemed a nice car - anyone had experience of one ?

Or recommend anything similar ...

Yaris (suggest to go automatic !!) is a pretty good car. We use quite a lot of them in Lagos (manual) and they seem to hold up quite well, despite the serious abuse they get here. Make sure though that hers is in good nick before buying of course. If the previous owner(s) trashed it then it will cost a hell of a lot of course. But normally it should be fine to get a Yaris. MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

I had a conversation on PH a few days back about small car options as we would like to change MrsC's car, and the options which were thrown up were:

Merc A Class
Fiat Grande Punto Dynamic
Seat Ibiza
Honda Jazz
Skoda Fabia
Mitsubishi Colt

Budget was slightly lower than yours, up to about £4k. I think you can just about get into a current-shape Fiesta for £5k and they're supposed to be very good. Also my MiL has a Mazda 2 and likes that.

For your ma I think I'd start with the Jazz and the Colt from the list above, as they seem like they might be easier access?

We're contemplating the A Class at present.

You could try something like a Kia Picanto.

My MIL has one and it takes a lot of abuse from my kids when she looks after them, has numerous scrapes and battlescars on it and is still going strong and not had a single problem yet other than a punctured tyre

She tends to get cars from new and run them for 5-6yrs. She last had a VW Lupo but chucked it at 4yr old as it became unreliable but this picanto has been much better to her

Another option is a Citroen C1/2/3 they are good cars and with the HDi engines are frugal.
The senso drive gearbox's are strange but easy to get used to and they are cheap if things go wrong.

There are also some Peugeots that have good deals if she can stretch which include insurance, servicing... I think its called Just Add Fuel or something like that and is good for the money.

The Chevvy Spark has been rated as good by some people i know so maybe worth a try if there is a dealer near you as they arent that common on the road yet. FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll have a look at the Fiestas, I hadn't thought of them. The thing that concerned me about some of them, is the long term service/repair costs. I wonder if the Ford would be cheaper to look after.

I did try to talk her into an Auto (even let her have a drive of mine ) but like a lot of people of that generation, she doesn't like change - and somehow thinks she won't be able to control it. Shame really, as it's so much easier..

chevy matiz..the wife has one and parks it in the smallest of spaces..the seating is a bit higher than normal and no snow has stopped the missus yet...

Suzuki Jimny.
Great car for older people, they all have them round here.

Fiat Panda . . . . no comparison:

Easy to get in/out
Upright seating position
"City Parking" button to lighten steering
Wheel at each corner
Great fun to chuck about !

 Where do you go after one of these . . . ?

TugRR wrote:

Fiat Panda . . . .

Think Panda maybe a bit too small

Might go for a look at at this one -


http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/adv...?logcode=p

AUDI A2 get a nice 2005 tdi. Timeless and look cool. Present :2008 TDV8 HSE
Gone Audi A5 2.7TDI
Gone Discovery 3 HSE
Gone Mercedes CLK
Gone Range Rover 2.5 DSE

Honda Jazz, Cheap, reliable, very nice to drive and not as soul destroying as other small cars. 2006 Mercedes CLS
1991 Retro-style Mini
But really finding it hard to fight the urge for a S/C...

VW Polo
Audi A1 .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

Hyundai i10
Audi A2 TDi
Mini
Fiat 500 If you have nothing nice to say,say nothing at all.

For under £5k? 2006 Mercedes CLS
1991 Retro-style Mini
But really finding it hard to fight the urge for a S/C...