Economical Car for ~£1500

Associate
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28 Jun 2006
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Hello all,

as the title says. I am looking for an economical car for around £1500. I'm open to a lot of different cars, would be great if it could be a bit fun but need cheap running costs.

Thank you for any suggestions :)
 
Soldato
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i got my 1.6 mk1 focus for £300, new fuel pump from the scrappers and a bit of rust sorting and its fine. Done about 3-4k miles faultless driving. not to slow and not to bad on the fuel.
 
Associate
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It depends on your requirements but you wont find a cheaper car to run than the Citroen C1 etc.

It's not fun/fast or comfortable but it works, does over 50 mpg always and has to be one of the cheapest cars to maintain.
My girlfriend has one so it's effectively a second car to Z4 coupe but I drive it 50% of the time and it does a perfect job of getting me where I need to go.

Over 50k miles it's cost 6 tyres, a new set of pads and two wind screen wipers and £850 in servicing over 7 years.
 

ADT

ADT

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A fiesta? Corsa?

Had 2 corsa's in the past. Both were peanuts to run. Wasn't bad on fuel. On a motorway run I used to get about 42-45 Mpg in the 1.2
 
Don
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I never got 45mpg on mine. More like 35

Whilst honestjohn's realmpg doesn't go back far enough to the mk1 focus, the same engine in a Mk2 is listed as 36.8mpg, so I would say your experience is closer to the truth than the 45mpg book figure


A fiesta? Corsa?

Had 2 corsa's in the past. Both were peanuts to run. Wasn't bad on fuel. On a motorway run I used to get about 42-45 Mpg in the 1.2

I have a 1.25 Fiesta Mk6.5 at the minute as a 2nd car - averages 40mpg without trying, and whilst not fast or fun, is certainly cheap to run.
 
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Soldato
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The Lakes
Another vote for a Mk1 Focus 1.6.

I get 43-46mpg out of mine (53 plate) depending on driving conditions. Not fast but perfectly acceptable and as you can see pretty economical.

BTW, I calculate mpg using the mileage from the odometer and the literage over a full tank fill. I do it for every trip and have had the car for about 5 years. I cover around 14-15k a year and it's never wavered from those numbers.
 
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Soldato
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I used to get 380-400 miles out of a tank in my old 1.6 focus.

They were never brilliant on fuel for the size of the engine however, and the lack of power.

Loved it though, drove beautifully and never gave me any issues. Having said that, if I were to pick again, I'd maybe go for a diesel PD engine at the price bracket, just for that motorway grunt you won't get in the Focus.
 
Associate
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I get 30 out of my 2.5 V6, based on the mondeo platform with 4WD. To only get 35 out of a 1.6 focus means it's broken or being thrashed
I get 30 out of my 3.0 v6 based on the mondeo platform :p


Just remember buy something with stacks of services history and avoid rust. There are so many cars in this price bracket you can afford to be picky.
 
Associate
OP
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28 Jun 2006
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Thank you for all the suggestions and help :)

I have a friend that's got a C1 and I think its a bit too small. I used to drive a bora and liked that, so a golf would be good. My mum currently has a fiesta and for a 1.4, I don't think its great on petrol. Short, town trips, it does 36-38mpg. 40+ would be good. I will have a look at focus's and golfs.
 
Associate
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York
I have a 52 plate Mk1 Focus 1.6, too.

Over the past ~18months I've done 14,000 miles and averaged 39mpg to and from work (mix of inner city and "rural" A roads).

It's cost me £750 to buy, £250 to insure, two new tyres and a couple of litres of oil (and obviously fuel).

The drive is okay, has enough power when you need it and most things can be fixed with a hammer. Decent car.
 
Associate
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A 1.9 tdi passat. I had a 2005 and on a motorway run i could easily see 55-60mpg driving between 70-80mph constant. Even using it as a short journey commuter it would average 40-45. It was a 5 speed manual and probably my favourite car i've owned as space was amazing, low end power was excellent. It did have an enormous steering wheel though and noisey dag dag dag dag dag dag engine. I'd still have it today if someone didnt crash into it on my drive-way :(

I managed nearly 700 mile from a full tank (from leicester to portsmouth to newquay and other bits inbetween).
 
Soldato
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Back with a Vengeance.
307 1.4 diesel.
Hard to find cheaper motoring at this price bracket.
Engine is a little gutless but they're extremely reliable unlike the 1.6 version. Tax is somewhere around the 30/year point+insurance is cheap as is servicing. The cars themselves are cheap as chips as it's hard to get further away from desirable than a 307.
 
Soldato
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Gateshead, Newcastle
Can't help look at these MPG figures being quoted and wonder what type of driving people are doing.

I do mainly town driving, lots of hills and traffic and get below the worst MPG figure quoted of any car I've owned.

Currently getting:
22 mpg from a Mercedes C200 Kompressor 1.8i
37 mpg from a BMW 116d 2.0td.
40 mpg from a BMW 125d 2.0td.
30 mpg from a Renault Megane 1.4 16v

Motorway on the above cars as follows
40mpg from the c200k
52mpg from the 116d
50mpg from the 125d
42mpg from the megane
 
Soldato
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Exeter
Can't help look at these MPG figures being quoted and wonder what type of driving people are doing.

I do mainly town driving, lots of hills and traffic and get below the worst MPG figure quoted of any car I've owned.

Currently getting:
22 mpg from a Mercedes C200 Kompressor 1.8i
37 mpg from a BMW 116d 2.0td.
40 mpg from a BMW 125d 2.0td.
30 mpg from a Renault Megane 1.4 16v

Motorway on the above cars as follows
40mpg from the c200k
52mpg from the 116d
50mpg from the 125d
42mpg from the megane

I get 30 out of my 2.5 V6, based on the mondeo platform with 4WD. To only get 35 out of a 1.6 focus means it's broken or being thrashed

Short journey out of town then 15 miles of dual carriageway - mostly flat except one massive hill on the dual carriageway. That 5 days a week and mixed use at the weekend.
 
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