A cheap car?

I'm not sure if this is the right section, please feel free to move it

About 3 years ago I worked out that if I gave up my car and used my bus pass I could afford to retire early, which I did.
I will get my State Pension in about a month's time, and I'm thinking about getting a cheap car.
And I do mean cheap, say £600 to £800; almost any small hatchback would do, with a Fiesta being the favourite choice

Now, I hear that there is such a glut of cars around at the moment that it's a buyer's market, and things have trickled down to the bottom end, so it's quite feasible that you could get something reasonable, even at my price range
Or is that just wishful thinking?

I've also heard that since VW took them over, Skodas are quite good, but prices are low as they still have a stigma. Well I'm not proud, and I'd consider one if it was suitable

Any comments or advice would be gratefully received.

Re: A cheap car?

I'm almost positive you can get a decent wee car in that price range. I'd have a look at Autotrader online and see if there's anything you fancy. My son was about to buy a car and we saw a few at £500, but then he got a brand new company one (lucky besom lol). I wish you luck and let us know how you get on. There's a lovely wee car somewhere with your name on it

Re: A cheap car?

I've been considering a newer car a bit later on for a while now and I have looked into the Skoda Citigo mostly because of it's excellent fuel economy.

I actually asked an owner, online about his car and he very kindly told me all about it and that quite impressed me.

A long time ago my first wife bought a Skoda and apart from the weight I was surprised at how good it was.

Since VW took them over you get basically a poor man's VW but all you miss out on really are probably things you'd rather not have to deal with as far as I can see.

I've got a 2002 Punto at the moment and I get around 50+ MPG and it is a fun car to drive but spares are horrendously expensive.

Fiestas are expensive and hold their value, as do the Corsas and some French cars can have stupid electronics problems that cost a flippin' fortune to find and fix!

Have a look at the Fabia too - OK it's no looker but I've been overtaken by sporty ones! stevmk2

Re: A cheap car?

I think if your looking try Gumtree in your local area or maybe Adtrader they do a lot in local areas too.
Were putting our car on this week as we bought a Transit Van. They sell very quickly so you have to be in there... Good Luck!

Re: A cheap car?

My neighbour has a lovely looking VW Polo for sale at £900 ono. Not much use to you, given the location, but it shows that good bargains are out there. I would definitely look for an older, but good condition, diesel VW Polo or Golf.

I have a Golf Plus 1.9 TDi - very solid car and has a great road holding - and does around 60mpg.

Re: A cheap car?

Two of my friends never pay more than £400 for a car, both seem to get good runners, but occasionally have a few problems. Buying the car should not be a problem but the running costs can mount up, fuel has come down a bit but have heard this will be a temporary state.

Re: A cheap car?

This is where the internet is worth it's keep, researching and reviewing used cars!

Yards from where I live there's a forecourt full of cheap cars.

The man selling them is one step ahead of bailiffs all the time and a rogue but is still trading.

Buying a car from him or his mates up the road means checking it out but yes, you can get a bargain.

The trick is working out possible running costs but that's easy enough with the internet now - this bloke will even help you check things out if you are worried about HP or debts attached to the car!

He doesn't pay his bills but he does provide a service and that's the way it is everywhere if you want a cheap car.

Just check out the cost of spares for whatever car you are looking at - I had such a shock when a switch went on my Fiat - £500+ for a new ignition switch?!

I got my mechanic to sort it legally for the MOT but it cost me under £200 but I wish I'd NOT trusted the "reputable" garage I'd gone to for the car in the first place so you see, lessons learned mean that I do not use "reputable" garages anymore when I can get a good service with crossed fingers from my local Knock 'em Out Cheap forecourt! stevmk2

Re: A cheap car?

Another factor worth mentioning is if a part fails, my friend first visits the scrapyard, and has picked up replacement parts very cheaply, OK if your handy with car maintanence, im not so no use to me

Re: A cheap car?

Also how long to the next MOT. MOT's on older cars can be very costly.

Re: A cheap car?

True but my car's 2002 and has just sailed through its MOT - again.

Look afrer it and get it serviced regularly and that's how it rewards you.

The day mine doesn't is when I decide to go for a replacement. stevmk2