Well we are about to move and will require a second car for better half she wants a tiny car so my first thoughts where up,citigo or mii , however the Toyota iQ has been brought up on to the radar and its a well designed and put well together car so any thoughts

http://www.driving.co.uk/cars/24825971#.UWQdAsu9KSN

You won't get much smaller than a Smart 4-2, well unless you buy her an old-school bubble car anyway!

Thanks ken no not a smart they are fugly :p

Morris Minor.

Morris Minor.

still make them ?

You can pick up some very reasonable used Fiat 500s now.

We bought our 58 plate last July from main dealer with just 25k on

the clock. Gave about 6000 less a further 1000 for the SDI as PX.

My Mrs loves hers, and it's NCAP 5* rated as well. There's 7 airbags in it

as standard.

You can pick up some very reasonable used Fiat 500s now.

We bought our 58 plate last July from main dealer with just 25k on

the clock. Gave about 6000 less a further 1000 for the SDI as PX.

My Mrs loves hers, and it's NCAP 5* rated as well. There's 7 airbags in it

as standard.

Curve ball worth a look but which will break first the Italian or the Japanese ?

still make them ?

I was just throwing the idea out there. I know you like to ask questions about a lot of cars.

For occassional local trips you've got no depreciation, no VED, insurance around £100 per year and a lot of fun.

I really liked mine.

In comparison all modern small cars were a bit boring. But admittedly safer.

I was just throwing the idea out there. I know you like to ask questions about a lot of cars.

For occassional local trips you've got no depreciation, no VED, insurance around £100 per year and a lot of fun.

I really liked mine.

In comparison all modern small cars were a bit boring. But admittedly safer.

do you still own that too?

Thanks ken no not a smart they are fugly :p

You were the one who said "Toyota iQ".

I have recently done the same thing looked at allsorts wanted good fuel consumption cheap tax cheap insurance and good value for money. We wanted something for wife shopping must be auto,also as new as possible budget max £3000. Fabia to big we have had a new one.Best was kia picanto auto but to dear for a 58/09 plate so we looked at a Fiat Panda after checking reveiws top gear etc what a shock i thought Fiat were crap they used to be not any more,apart from the dual logic(no logic) thats basically a normal gearbox controlled by electronics/hydrolics that cant be rushed and realy lazy when cold its great got the eleganza model with all the extras you need. 2008 for £3000.plesed with it although im sure some on here will think fiats are still crap. They must be doing something right as vauxhall have to copy them with whats it called the ADAM. The 1250cc model 4cylinder is the one to go for the latest are 900cc twin air heavier on fuel.

You were the one who said "Toyota iQ".

I was just throwing the idea out there. I know you like to ask questions about a lot of cars.

For occassional local trips you've got no depreciation, no VED, insurance around £100 per year and a lot of fun.

I really liked mine.

In comparison all modern small cars were a bit boring. But admittedly safer.

Yes Richard I do tend to ask about cars as I've not got a tremendous amount of knowledge about the engineering side of cars if it looks and drives ok I buy it lol, hence the barrage of questions :( looking like it will be either a up or iQ

I know it has got some flack here but my vote would be for a Fiat Panda bought from fiatsupasaver.com. Lot of people don't like the twinair because it is a two cylinder and does not get the economy claimed. however the 1.2 four cylinder base model is good if you are in a hurry and engines don't get more well proven than the FIAT F.I.R,E engine. It is Autocar's small car of choice and to be honest I would not mind a twinair myself. It is nippy and sounds great when you gun it plus it has lots of room inside and a nice airy interior.

I'm not sure about the Iq as it is too wide for its size but the C1/107/Aygo is a good little car with a nice engine or you could try a previous generation Panda.

Edited 9 April, 201313 yr by Matt Bodycombe

Another vote for the previous shaped Panda. Used and abused my 100hp and it was a great little fun car, with decent build quality, loads of kit and very un-Italian reliability (built in Poland IIRC). Not driven the new shape, but hopefully they've not changed the recipe

Mum had a C1 and while it was good fun, it was too underpowered really, and she replaced it with a 100hp too...

Chris

Edited 9 April, 201313 yr by ScoobyChris

One of the ladies at work has driven the IQ a bit (hubby works at Toyota dealer) and she really liked it, she's not that biased either. Hates most Toyotas.

Used Panda is a good call but get a low spec so there is as little as possible to go wrong. 100hp can be hard to get parts for, workmate had terrible problems getting a new bumper. She did like the car a lot but it was off the road a long time waiting on bits.

You've also go the little Korean cars. You could get a Kia Picanto for not much still under its 7yr warranty or Hyundai i10

VW Fox? Unloved and cheap.

Nissan Micra

Aspman the fox was on the radar but are they any good though

Ford KA is a good little car too with tidy handling and the same engines as the Fiat 500. I don't know what a Twingo 1.2 tce turbo would be like as you don't see many of them. If she is a racy sort you could get he in a Twingo RenaulSport but I bet you would be borrowing the keys all the time. Plus it has an absolutely bone shattering ride. I heard that the Panda 100bhp has a hard ride too.

For absolute ride/handling and economy balance I would find a nice low mileage Peugeot 106. I loved mine and still miss it. Totally reliable, razor sharp handling and a lovely ride on long journeys. I still don't know how Peugeot did it and they really have gone downhill since then. To me the 106 was the last of the proper Peugeot drivers cars.

What about a VW UP?

What about a VW UP?

Yeah it's in the first post it's still in the running in its 3 versions

What's the budget?

A VW Fox is much cheaper than an UP! or one of it's brothers.

I was just throwing the idea out there. I know you like to ask questions about a lot of cars.

For occassional local trips you've got no depreciation, no VED, insurance around £100 per year and a lot of fun.

I really liked mine.

In comparison all modern small cars were a bit boring. But admittedly safer.

+1 Foxy.

Got one here too....sort of....one day again soon....hopefully.

Longish story, and ongoing.

You a member of the MMOC by any chance?

Forum member too?

Edited 9 April, 201313 yr by Mr Ree

Lupo?

+1 Foxy.

Got one here too....sort of....one day again soon....hopefully.

Longish story, and ongoing.

You a member of the MMOC by any chance?

Forum member too?

Yes and yes, but don't go there much...

do you still own that too?

No, sold it and bought the Morris 10/4.

Great little car though.

Aspman the fox was on the radar but are they any good though

I am on my second 1.2 Fox. The current one is the Urban with a few extras, best being the slide rear seat for extending boot capacity.

Space is amazing backand front, presumably because of the car's upright stance. Pretty good on fuel unless you are doing 60mph plus journeys on the motorway. One of the best things is the car feels very very light to drive. Gearbox, clutch and steering are all effortless.

Very cheap insurance group, and £120 road tax.

Minor known issues I have had over 35000 miles are:

Blown wiper fuse caused by frozen rear water bottle activation (hope that makes sense)

Boot lock packing up. (£30 for a new one)

The general consensus appears to favour the 1.2 over the 1.4. as the latter offers very little extra but is more expensive to insure and fuel.

Overall, I think it's a cracking little car that has much better build quality than many oher cheap city cars such as the Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto.

Hope this is of interest to you.

Edited 9 April, 201313 yr by kevberlin