ON A BUDGET OF £1,500...
FORD FIESTA Vital statistics
Model: 2006 Fiesta 1.25 Zetec Co2/annual road tax: 147g/km/£145 Official fuel economy: 45mpg Insurance group: 9
THE Fiesta has been the UK’S favourite small car since it was launched 40 years ago. It’s easy to see why – whatever your budget, a Ford supermini is within reach.
You won’t get a current model for £1,500, but you can secure a 2006 Mk6 Fiesta 1.25 that’s covered 70,000 miles. For your money, you’ll have a car that’s great to drive, cheap to run and practical. Go for the more modern 1.25 engine and avoid Studio editions; aim for at least a Zetec. Listen for worn drop links in the front suspension (they creak) and on three-door cars, make sure the front seats tilt forward, as the cable can break.
RENAULT CLIO Vital statistics
Model: 2007 Clio 1.4 Expression Co2/annual road tax: 139g/km/£130 Official fuel economy: 47mpg Insurance group: 8
SOLD between 2005 and 2013, the Renault Clio Mk3 represents excellent value for money, plus it’s great fun.
For £1,500, you can buy a 90,000-mile 2007 car with a 1.4-litre petrol engine. Despite the name, avoid the Campus editions, and the entry-level Extreme is too basic, so go for a 1.2 Expression. The Clio is one of the few small cars where we’d also recommend looking at a diesel, but £1,500 nets only a high-mileage 1.5 dci and these Clios can be fragile, with petrol engines more reliable. Check for interior wear, make sure the air-con works and test all of the electrics.
KIA PICANTO Vital statistics
Model: 2007 Picanto 1.1 LS Co2/annual road tax: 124g/km/£110 Official fuel economy: 55mpg Insurance group: 9
THIS Kia won’t score highly in terms of street cred, but reliability and value are arguably more important, which is why the old Mk1 Picanto is our third recommendation for this budget. As standard you get five-door practicality, and although the car is smaller than the Fiesta and Clio, that just makes it lighter and more fuel efficient.
There were 1.0 GS and 1.1 LS options only; the bigger engine is more perky, and automatically comes with extra equipment, so aim for that. Make sure the engine isn’t leaking oil, that it idles smoothly and that the antiroll bar bushes aren’t creaking from having dried out.