Small hatchback advice

[Pie-Roe]

Looking to get a car, primarily for my girlfriend to use in summer, but for my commute in winter as well, so a small not powerful hatchback for cheap insurance is required. She doesn't want to drive a kit car due to the amount of niggling and 'charactor' they have, which is fair enough.

So far got quotes of all under 1300 for

Punto 1.2
Fiesta 1.3
Clio 1.2
Corsa 1.0

This is with my as the owner and main driver 0ncb, driving 4 years, she passed a week ago.
Anything else I should consider?
Have looked at bigger saloons but it seems to be more expensive. Tried all sorts of cars that boy racers wouldn't normally have but still seems these four are the best to insure.
Tried estates, big old jags, landys, that shitty suzuki jeep thing.


So on these cars, I'd be looking to get maybe 98-2004, depending on price and condition (I'd much rather get an okay condition 99 than an okay condition 04 due to price tbh!)
I had a 95 fiesta SI before, it was okay, but felt pretty dated.
I like the clios
I was in a corsa that rolledover 3 times and I'm still here so I guess thats a plus?

Anyone got thoughts/experience on these cars or insurance?
Cheers
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[james1988]

I had a '98 1.3 Fiesta. It was an awesome little car for what I paid for it (£850 I think) and it never let me down over the 4 years I owned. Servicing was cheap and spares were easy to come by.

A friend of mine has the same model and year and has gone around the clock 3 times with only a cambelt change and regular servicing!

James

[D O G]

Avoid the Fiat like the plague, father had one and it was the worst car I've ever driven.

Fiestas are plentiful and cheap, the 1.25 zetec is one of the nicest engines I've ever experienced. The 1.3 is not...

I love the Clios of that era - the Mk1/facelift 1.2 3dr is a super car, I've had two, enjoyed both, and found them to be reliable.

No idea on the corsa, but they are a Vauxhall, so therefore terrible

[pits]

[stonesie]

Oddball idea, a BMW E30... Mine was very modified, basically a road legal track car and cost less for me to insure than a 1.2 punto. Classic car insurance

Out of your list though it might have to be the corsa purely because they can be very cheap to run, the 3 pot engine is a rattly little thing but if it sounds really bad then walk away, the cam chains are known to slip and bend valves if the CCT totally shits itself.
A sloppy gear lever is about a £75 fix using parts from the dealers but if the seller doesn't know that then it can be used for some haggling.


Puntos - Chocolate head gaskets

Clio's - when they were new the sunroof would chatter because of the body flexing, brakes are pin sharp (over servo'd) and you get french reliability.

Fiesta - Rust traps everywhere but if you get a good 1.25 then they're a really good little car, front wishbone bushes can ware quickly on the older ones but the newer ones in your age range got a totally revised design... Forget the 1.3, the rattler engine is an old pushrod design first used in the ANGLIA! 30 years ago.. Anyone who tells you that a 1.3 ford has had a cambelt is a lire or an idiot, its a pushrod engine, it doesn't have a cam belt as the cam is in the block next to the crank.

[10 pence Short]

Hyundai Getz, underrated, cheap and mega reliable.
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I haven't had a cont all day, drinkstable.

[Martay]

[james1988]

[bikertomm]

I'm looking at getting a car that's cheap on insurance too, believe it or not the cheapest I'm finding is saxo's.



I thought because they are the most common wank mobiles for teenagers they would be sky high, and get this

Saxo 1.1 £1154

Saxo 1.4 Furio £1212

I did them on confused.com

Then rang up my insurance company and asked them how much would it cost to change car yadda yadda...

A saxo VTR 1.6 8V costs an extra £250

And a saxo VTS 16v (120bhp) costs and extra £117.

What the fuck, so I'm just going to find a VTR or VTS hopefully


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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[bikertomm]

[andyscooter]

wife has a skoda fabia 1.2 cracking car imo

or a vw polo or lupo
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[garth]

What about a 1.5D 106?

I'm getting 60mpg out of mine.
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You ain't a has been if you never was

[P.addy]

Aside from my clutch going (162,000 miles though) the Clio seems pretty hench, its the 1.9 diesel. I get 50-60mpg on a run to work amazingly Its not fast, its not cool but its an ideal car.

No turbo though. But still, I like it Insurance for me is £610 FC and I have 11 claims and 3 points

[garth]

The other thing is tax.

E.g the tax on paddys clio is double that of my pug.
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You ain't a has been if you never was

[bikertomm]

306 1.9 Diesels are cheap too, and some come with a turbo which sounds fun


Though buying an old 306 could be risky, though so could everycar.
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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[daemonoid]

[garth]

MX5 is a good shout.

They're fun.
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You ain't a has been if you never was

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

Citroen C4. Pretty slow, but quite practical, diesels are economical. Cheap to insure.
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[Pie-Roe]

[quote="pits"]

[Kwaks]

Get some quotes with her as policy holder you as second driver with access to another vehicle.
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Fallen Angel "Nae sniffing my seat now!!!!! "
www.cliqueycuntsmcc.co.uk
I AM NOT A FAST RIDER!!!!!!!!!

[Polarbear]

Ford Ka? The insurance quotes came back pretty cheap for my daughter.

She now has a Saxo 1 litre. That wasn't bad either, but it doesn't have power steering, her model anyway.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Clanger]

Nissan Micra.
The first one I had was P reg and I ran it for 7 years until it fell to pieces...all the original things like battery, starter motor, distribution cap etc. was badly corroded and needed replacing.

So I then thought, sod it... and traded it in for £400 against my newer model Nissan Micra.

Three years later, no issues whatsoever. Only a flat tyre, which is sod all to do with the car itself.

It's also not exciting at all. But it's solid and reliable.
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind - Dr. Seuss

[400bandit]

Seat Ibiza 1.2

Mines been great (2003), just like you I bought it for the cheap insurance, I found it to be considerably cheaper to insure than similar cars.

Joe
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(+ a XS650 in lots of pieces in my garage and other places...)

[P.addy]

[sidewinder]

Suzuki swifts are good to insure.My nephew has just bought a 1.3 swift he's 17yrs old 0ncd .£780 fully comp .Also subaru justys you then get a 4x4 as well.