Best small car for under €1500??

A

ailbhe

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In the market for a small car as my old one died (RIP).
Need to get one fairly sharpish so can't afford to save. Max budget is €1500.

Was looking at the Ford Ka, Nissan Almera or VW Golf though open to all suggestions.

Would hope to get a 00 but I know for that budget I'm probably expecting a lot. Have a small child so safety is paramount (and 4 doors would be a bonus but not essential, hence adding the Ka to the list).

Reliability and economy and safety are my main concerns.

Any suggestions?
 
Quite a big difference in size between the Almera & the Ka - have you got that right?
 
It's more my price range. I was driving a 1.6. Can get an almera in a 1.4/1.5. Kas are 1L to 1.3L.

I'd prefer a 4 door but could live with a Ka as the wee one is old enough to hop in and out herself, put on her own belt etc.

Size isn't as important as reliability, price and running costs. Would prefer a small car with 4 doors but seems like unless I go for a daewoo or fiat then my budget won't stretch.

I just want something that won't cost me a fortune and won't be crushed like a tin can in an accident.
 
I'd go for the Almera - it's reliable, very good crash rating and reasonably economical to run. You should get a 99/00 ish for around €1500.

Pretty big boot too.
 
I have a friend who is trying to sell her 00 opel corsa 1 litre 4 door and a big enough boot!

I can guarantee you wont find a problem with this car as she has minded it like a baby and it be within your price range..
 
Thanks all. Ended up doing quite a bit of searching and while it is a buyers market I found the garages tend to lose interest as soon as a low budget is mentioned. Small cars are quite hard to come by and seem over priced (eg I was quoted 1k for a corolla, '94 with 125K miles on the clock - I laughed, the guy was adamant).

Went and looked at a few private sales but lots with no NCT and to be honest I know very little about cars.
A friend of mine is a mechanic and sourced a 98 mazda 626 for me. A 1.8 which was well above the engine size I wanted but I liked it and it came in well below budget so I took it.
I might not be thinking that when I'm taxing it or filling it up every week but c'est la vie!

Thanks again.
 
You will probably find that this was a rushed decision...........Your opening Q was ' best small car under € 1500 ' ............and you end up buying a Mazda 626 1.8.

You will be notice the extra cost , in tax / insurance / petrol
 
It was a strange decision alright. She could have gotten a 2001 Hyundai accent on Carzone, 1.4 petrol for around €1,200. And that was just with a quick look. Yes, definitely rushed and financially punishing in my opinion.
 
I've been driving a Hyundai Accent for the last week and hate it.
I was tied to time to get a car. I could have gone for a small car like a Matiz or a Lanos but I wanted safety and reliability which the Mazda gives me.
It will be harder on fuel and the tax is higher but I had a 1.6 so it's not that much of a leap.
In an ideal world I'd have had all the time in the world to search, or a large budget but I didn't and I'm happy enough with the choice I made. A friend is a mechanic and had a look at it and said it'll need new tires soon but other than that it's in good shape.
 
Mazdas are great cars. It might cost a bit more to run but the 626 is in a different league to the rest above.
 
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