My mrs needs a small run around car and will have a budget of between £600-£700.
She was looking at a Ford Ka but a few people have said they're good and a few said they're awful.
i appreciate everyone will have their favourite makes and models...as indeed we have (i'd never touch another Renault or Citroen again) but im really open to suggestions.
No more than a 1.4 and preferably 1.0 L and reliability is firly essential
As a run around the Ford Ka is fine. We have one and its perfect. If you're going a bit further afield than the lcoal area and need a little bit more oomph then a Ford Fiesta is also a very reliable option.
Also consider a small VW or a Toyota Aygo. Both economical on fuel and cheap to tax.
The Fiesta or Ka with the 1.1 or 1.3 push-rod engine is very easy to repair and service yourself, with the added bonus it has a timing chain instead of a belt. One less thing to worry about. Although it's no M5 or AMG, as the car itself is so light it is nippy round town and lively enough on the open road. Spares are dirt cheap too, something I can't say about the Nissan Micra or anything from Korea.