Cheap run around car

[gadgetgeek]

Hi. Have £3000 to spend on a reliable run around car. Want it to be a small engine so cheap for fuel n tax. Will be used to shuttle to work n back (40 miles round trip) down the motorway n little else. What car n engine size wud you ABers recommend? Thank u.

[ummmm]

Are you a girl or boy?

[ummmm]

Man or woman....sorry.

[tiggerblue10]

Ford Kas are pretty cheap.

http://www.autoexpres...ks_cheapest_cars.html

[gadgetgeek]

Fella (last time I looked!) but b for the wife 2. Never been hung up about type or colour of car. Am over 6ft so don't want to be too cramped. Cheers

[joggerjayne]

You could pick up a used MGF for that now.

Very jolly, and cheap to run.

[ChuckFickens]

He said he was a bloke, Jayne.

If you're not worried about passenger space behind you then pretty much all small cars will have ample space for somebody over 6foot, I'm 6"6' and have comfortably driven KAs, micras, twingos, 107s etc etc.

[gadgetgeek]

That wud b nice as had an MGB for 12 years!

[gadgetgeek]

If Joggerjayne was next to me I wudnt care wot car it was! ;-)

[joggerjayne]

Oh, there you go.

An MGF is just an updated MGB with a Japanese engine ... so more reliable.

I love mine. It's roof off weather at the moment.

You must be tempted.

I do look like a scarecrow at the moment, because of the wind/hair issue ...

... but I guess that won't be such a problem for you, gadgetgeek.

[Davethedog]

Corsa or Fiesta most engines will do 100k+ Make sure you get a long MOT 1.2 basic will put you around group 2

[ummmm]

I've got a KA...great little car. Loads of space up front (plenty in the back imo) very sturdy...great on petrol..

[ChuckFickens]

Errr, the MGF has a very English K series engine in it.

[cazzz1975]

ouch, k series :o

[ChuckFickens]

The later ones weren't that bad, Cazzz, not once they'd managed to stop them treating the head gasket as a consumable item.

[joggerjayne]

I thought the K Series was designed by Honda ?

(and reverse gear always "crunches")

[cazzz1975]

they were still making rubbish ones up to 02, not sure about after then, though their demise was in 05, the early freelanders have them as well

[joggerjayne]

So are head gaskets a known problem?

I don't know why I'm asking this ... I wouldn't know a head gasket from a Mars bar.

But ... I did have one blow (they told me).

My car had to be taken to some place in the wilds of the frozen north (Baldock??) to have a new engine, and it cost me £3,500 - which is probably more than the car's worth now!

[ChuckFickens]

The K series was a definite move by rover to try and step away from their Honda reliance and produce their own engine and was designed and built in Birmingham (it's up near Scotland somewhere...) you may be getting confused as a lot of rover cars were available with either the K series or a Honda engine.

[gadgetgeek]

Come along children, no bickering! Ka or Corsa seem to b coming tops. Cud pay more but can't c the point. No probs with the hair joggerjayne as keep it trimmed, it's just the flies in the teeth from grinning when I drove was the biggest problem!

[cazzz1975]

anything small is good, fiats seem to be quite popular and cheap to run as well