Suggestions for cheap car due to MoT fail of current one

[mangocrazy]

While I shouldn't have been all that surprised, today I'm told that our current cheap old car (a Citroen Berlingo) has failed its Mot and will need around £1k's worth of welding/bodywork repairs to pass. The sills will need complete replacement, as will both front wings. To my mind that means it's a scrapper.

The question is, what to replace it with? Up till now I've always gone for old cheap non-DPF diesels for the fuel economy, but anything of that type is getting on for 20 years old now. As the car only gets mainly used for around town/drive to work/drive to Tescos duty, I'll probably go for petrol this time.

What suggestions do folk have? Max budget of £5k (preferably less) and needs reasonable fuel economy. And no wet belts...

[weeksy]

wife has a Focus 1.0 Ecoboost and whilst 1.0 doesn't sound a lot it's some weird engine where it makes lots of speed, but with a small capacity engine lol

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/296988578034 ... R7zVurabZQ

Don't ask me what magic it is, but it's 50+mpg for a petrol and plenty of oomph. Never had a problem with it in 5 years.

They do older/cheaper ones of course.

[mangocrazy]

The previous cheap car was a Focus Estate and it was great until someone inconsiderately drove into the side of it and wrote it off... Happy to go for another one, but probably the estate version.

[KungFooBob]

I think you're officially old enough to drive a Honda Jazz or a Yaris.

[Gregor]

I think you're officially old enough to drive a Honda Jazz or a Yaris.

We’ve got 1.4 Yaris, cheapest car to run we’ve ever had if you can live with the old lady car image.

46 to 50 mpg, camchain, tyres last ages, only things replaced in 70k miles:front discs, pads and a busted coil spring.

[Ditchfinder]

If going petrol on a Focus estate avoid the 1.8, bore wear on a lot of these as they get to 100k miles. Same engine in a Volvo V50 which has exactly the same issues.

Hyundai i30 or Kia Ceed would be a good place to start.

[Count Steer]

wife has a Focus 1.0 Ecoboost and whilst 1.0 doesn't sound a lot it's some weird engine where it makes lots of speed, but with a small capacity engine lol

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/296988578034 ... R7zVurabZQ

Don't ask me what magic it is, but it's 50+mpg for a petrol and plenty of oomph. Never had a problem with it in 5 years.

They do older/cheaper ones of course.

That rang a bell. Got this in the regular newsletter from my local independent car servicing place.

'Ford Ecoboost or Ecoboom?
We’re seeing more and more Ecoboost engines coming in need of urgent repair or replacement. Even the BBC Watchdog has been involved with vehicles affected due to how frequently it is happening. We’ve spent thousands on training and tooling to make sure we can keep your Ecoboost happy.'

First I'd heard of it.

Can't argue with the Yaris comments considering how many I see around of various ages. Bit small though. Other Toyotas or maybe the Korean stuff might be worth a look too.

[weeksy]

wife has a Focus 1.0 Ecoboost and whilst 1.0 doesn't sound a lot it's some weird engine where it makes lots of speed, but with a small capacity engine lol

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/296988578034 ... R7zVurabZQ

Don't ask me what magic it is, but it's 50+mpg for a petrol and plenty of oomph. Never had a problem with it in 5 years.

They do older/cheaper ones of course.

That rang a bell. Got this in the regular newsletter from my local independent car servicing place.

'Ford Ecoboost or Ecoboom?
We’re seeing more and more Ecoboost engines coming in need of urgent repair or replacement. Even the BBC Watchdog has been involved with vehicles affected due to how frequently it is happening. We’ve spent thousands on training and tooling to make sure we can keep your Ecoboost happy.'

First I'd heard of it.

Can't argue with the Yaris comments considering how many I see around of various ages. Bit small though. Other Toyotas or maybe the Korean stuff might be worth a look too.

I've heard of it yes... however ours, being a survey of 1, has been absolutely perfect. She bought it with 3000 miles on it.

[Count Steer]

wife has a Focus 1.0 Ecoboost and whilst 1.0 doesn't sound a lot it's some weird engine where it makes lots of speed, but with a small capacity engine lol

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/296988578034 ... R7zVurabZQ

Don't ask me what magic it is, but it's 50+mpg for a petrol and plenty of oomph. Never had a problem with it in 5 years.

They do older/cheaper ones of course.

That rang a bell. Got this in the regular newsletter from my local independent car servicing place.

'Ford Ecoboost or Ecoboom?
We’re seeing more and more Ecoboost engines coming in need of urgent repair or replacement. Even the BBC Watchdog has been involved with vehicles affected due to how frequently it is happening. We’ve spent thousands on training and tooling to make sure we can keep your Ecoboost happy.'

First I'd heard of it.

Can't argue with the Yaris comments considering how many I see around of various ages. Bit small though. Other Toyotas or maybe the Korean stuff might be worth a look too.

I've heard of it yes... however ours, being a survey of 1, has been absolutely perfect. She bought it with 3000 miles on it.

Yeah, digging deeper it looks like early models with nylon coolant hoses and a bunch of other stuff that proper maintenance/servicing should swerve...much like many other cars.

[mangocrazy]

I think you're officially old enough to drive a Honda Jazz or a Yaris.

Can you get them chipped?

I'd definitely consider either of them if they were a bit bigger. I really want an estate, not a hatchback. I'm tentatively looking at an Avensis estate. Dull as ditchwater, but Toyota reliability and big load space...

If I want fun, I've got motorbikes. A car is a tool to do a job, nothing more.

[KungFooBob]

Corolla Verso, more SUV than estate, but a big hatch and fold down seats.

[mangocrazy]

Oh yes I forgot, absolutely no SUVs. Hate 'em...

[A_morti]

I'd definitely consider either of them if they were a bit bigger.

I have a 2015ish Honda Fit (what they call a Jazz in Japan) Hybrid.

It's not what you're looking for I know, but still worth looking into as it's cavernous in the back. You can fold the seats down to have a really big flat load space. We got a 56" TV in there, still in its box, without any trouble.
You can also fold the seat up to fit big stuff across the passenger area. Magic seats, they call it.
Granted you might be after carrying even bigger stuff, but yeh... they're a Tardis of a car. Also pretty economical, and nothing much goes wrong on them as long as you get a manual or the 2015+ automatic which is a DCT rather than a CVT.

[KungFooBob]

Surely you've got a van for lugging big stuff, why do you need a big car too?

[Mr. Dazzle]

Honda Civic and/or Toyota Avensis.

Boring as fuck, never breaks.

Well, except for Mrs. D's Civic we just got rid of 'cause it was broken.

[KungFooBob]

Honda Civic and/or Toyota Avensis.

Boring as fuck, never breaks.

Well, except for Mrs. D's Civic we just got rid of 'cause it was broken.

What have you replaced it with?

GR Supra?

[Wossname]

Mk4 Golf, or Passat 5.5. Petrol or TDi. Old but go on for ever, parts are cheap and everywhere.

[Skub]

I'd definitely consider either of them if they were a bit bigger. I really want an estate, not a hatchback. I'm tentatively looking at an Avensis estate. Dull as ditchwater, but Toyota reliability and big load space...

If I want fun, I've got motorbikes. A car is a tool to do a job, nothing more.

That's why I have an Auris. It just plods along when I need it to,gets serviced by a friend once a year before it's MOT 10 years old now and worth nothing to speak of. Still original exhaust,battery,etc.

[mangocrazy]

Surely you've got a van for lugging big stuff, why do you need a big car too?

The 'recycling centres' in Sheffield don't allow vans the size of ours, at least not without jumping through hoops, getting permits etc. So for stuff to go to the tip, we use the car. Or if I'm going back to Stafford, I take big stuff in the van, cos Stafford are cool with vans as long as it's not trade waste. Stupid, but that's how it is.

[mangocrazy]

Mk4 Golf, or Passat 5.5. Petrol or TDi. Old but go on for ever, parts are cheap and everywhere.

I was also thinking of Skoda Octavia/Superb or Volvo V70 estates. I'm open to all suggestions.

But not SUVs. They can fuck off...