Whats the most reliable car for a poor student ???

The message from bigsteve contains these words:

The latter probably rules out most diesels, sadly, otherwise they've be perfect. Though some modern diesels warm up fairly promptly, those in the age range you're looking at almost certainly won't. Shame, because in many ways a diesel is a better choice. Students tend to do lots of short journeys, for which diesels are better suited as they don't guzzle fuel when cold, they last better and are generally more reliable.

Why the insistance on getting the heaters working so quickly?

: I know this is very vague but whats the most reliable car for a poor : student ??? : : I am on a limited budget of approx 500/600 squid.

At that sort of budget it's impossib;e to generalise - it depends too much on the individual car. It is, for example, well over twice what I paid for an immaculate Volvo 240 - which I'd heartily recommend, though it is a bit heavy on petrol.

I'd be looking Volvo or Volkswagen here in general though. Or, if you are not too worried about wheels or image, you'll get a good Reliant trike for that money. Simple, reliable and occasionally sniffs disdainfully at a petrol pump.

Ian

If you're a student one of your biggest cost's is the insurance anyway & at that budget most group 1 cars aren't going to be trouble free for 3 years (& you could buy another one every year for the insurance on a 240). If you can't afford to fix it then you'll be better off with a better bicycle, there are some cars out there for that price that'll be fine but there's no way to guarantee it.

Skoda Favorit (honestly!) - you'll get a low mileage 1995 estate for that, and probably get change. 1.3l injected engine, ultra reliable, incredible eyeball-melting heater, very cheap parts, very cheap to insure and run.

Si

bigsteve ( snipped-for-privacy@agent.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

One bought wisely and maintained properly.

Plenty.

As a student (and therefore, presumably, young) that last will be the killer, and an unwise decision will dwarf all other running costs, including fuel.

Do not get hung up on a "small car". CHECK THE QUOTES for larger, "uncool" stuff.

Maintain it properly, then.

: If you're a student one of your biggest cost's is the insurance anyway & : at that budget most group 1 cars aren't going to be trouble free for 3 : years (& you could buy another one every year for the insurance on a 240).

That's a good point. Mind you, the Volvo is pretty cheap for me, and I presume he'd only want TPF&T.

Reliants are cheap to insure! (Did I mention I have one for sale?)

Ian

Depends on how old said student is. For an 18 / 19 year old with no previous insurance, then anything more than a Gp1 / 2 car is likely to be cripplingly expensive to insure - especially as student houses tend to be in fairly high risk areas.

My vote would go on an older VW Polo. Just avoid anything with a carburettor.

SteveH ( snipped-for-privacy@italiancar.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Like I said - a while since it's been a problem for me... But AIUI small "cool" cars would be loaded massively compared to larger "uncool" ones, though.

You're paying a *chunk* for the badge, though - condition-for-condition, a Polo will be a _lot_ more than something like the Favorit mentioned elsewhere

No potential injection problems, no cat/lambda.

Nope, that's one of the reasons they're "cool"

Aye, this is true. So you buy an 'uncool' small car....

Hmmm, possibly. I can see a few issues here, though. There's not many Favorits left, most have been neglected over the years as they tended to sell to the kind of people who never did any maintenance (usually because they couldn't afford it), and there's very little in the way of 'pattern' bits to keep them going...... which is why I suggested a Polo

- older VWs can be run on a shoestring using bits from Europarts or GSF.

True, but..... old VW carbs are s**te. This is why I finally gave up on my otherwise tidy MkI cabrio.

Get an old Nissan Bluebird---low insurance and probably better than the early Primeras in reliability. That's why minicabs used them. Check the cambelt was changed recently

Surely some kind of small old Honda would be a good choice I think? Probably the most reliable second hand cars you can buy. Small Honda Civic virtually bombproof. Lots of old cheap ones about carefully owned by OAPs

Those free Car adverts magazines you get at tescos etc often have plenty adverts for cheap cars.Buying from a trader the car still has to be roadworthy even on a 500 quid car.

There is really only once choice in my opinion here:

Skoda Favorit, or Felicia. I think I would err towards a mint, lower milegae late Favoriit with history rather than a slightly less tidy Felicia for the same money.

Basic pushrod tough engine, fuel injection and excellant heater. Some very basic maintanance every 12 months (plugs) with an oil change every 6 and they virtually keep going and going.

Tim..

Volvo are generally very cheap to insure. I went from a Clio 1.2 to a Volvo

440 1.7 and the insurance went down noticeably. Bigger car, lots more oomph, only slightly worse fuel consumption. And room for at least 5 of us + boxes of stuff, which the Clio didn't really have.

No, really? lol

I'd take the one with the carb personally - we ran thru 4 years of Uni (in fact - 2 years of 6th form before that too) in an A reg VW polo - nothinig you couldn't do on it yourself - was a gem of a little car.

Cheers Dan.

Pre-cat injection - no cat/lambda, no potential carb problems.

You are joking!? Sierra's were s**te when they were new. If he can find one now that doesn't smoke like a chimney I'd be amazed.

For a student?

Never owned one, but I do remember the Honda-engined one, whatever that was, seemed ok to drive.

Si

: Pre-cat injection - no cat/lambda, no potential carb problems.

What are these "potential carb problems" of which you speak? I've never found them to be troublesome devices (experience includes Zenith Stromberg, Zenith, Solex (GB), Solex (DE), Solex (FR), Weber, SU)

Ian :

There's hundreds of them and a lot of them sold to old buggers who did maintain them, and hardly drove anywhere.

Eh?? They're incredibly cheap to maintain and the parts are piss-cheap. Really.

Loadsa Favorit bits. All a paaaaaaahnd. Possibly :)

Si