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The car that visited every station...
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Donny Dave
Established Member
Simple answer is whatever you want!
Complex answer all depends on what sort of car your after ....
Complex answer all depends on what sort of car your after ....
90019
Established Member
More details needed.
Mainly what sort of budget, what size of car, what will it be used for and what sort of milage will it do?
Mainly what sort of budget, what size of car, what will it be used for and what sort of milage will it do?
185143
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we can assume it won't be visiting a couple if thousand train stations90019:2080528 said:
185143
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Or some converted ex-LUL stock...Crossover:2080621 said:A Pacer?
Bishopstone
Established Member
A Metro, and do every tram stop.
Johnuk123
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If you want reliability then go for Honda/Suzuki/Toyota etc. you just cannot fault Japanese cars for not letting you down.
pne
Member
Or how about their other cousins the koda Fabia (~Polo) or Octavia (~Golf)? Built on the same chassis, I believe, but with fewer frills and cheaper, but still reliable.
(Not sure whether they sell kodas in the UK?)
90019
Established Member
The problem with Toyota, though, is that when they do go wrong, parts for them aren't very cheap.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
They do.
There's also the SEAT Ibiza which is a Polo underneath, or Leon which is a Golf.
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Similar to a Corsa in drive-ability and where things are located on the dashboard.
Fuel efficient.
Less than 5 years old.
Less than a 1.3l engine (for insurance purposes)
Power steering.
A manufacturer such that parts are easily acquired should I need them.
PS: Would the NRM or MOSI be interested in my old banger?
PPS: I may take a new visit the Borders railway by car but will enjoy the journey on the new track by train. The new stations being developed around Exeter and Crossrail, I will indulge the journey to and from on train as I've never been with XC nor tried Chiltern.
Fuel efficient.
Less than 5 years old.
Less than a 1.3l engine (for insurance purposes)
Power steering.
A manufacturer such that parts are easily acquired should I need them.
PS: Would the NRM or MOSI be interested in my old banger?
PPS: I may take a new visit the Borders railway by car but will enjoy the journey on the new track by train. The new stations being developed around Exeter and Crossrail, I will indulge the journey to and from on train as I've never been with XC nor tried Chiltern.
pdq
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We have a Fabia with the 1.2tsi engine. Cracking car.
NLC1072
Member
It depends what you want it to do, if it's for the miles a Skoda Octavia diesel, if not for miles, a Ford Focus petrol or diesel (parts are everywhere!). Both are very economical.
90019
Established Member
All that suggests you should probably just get another Corsa.
If you're wanting a change, then I'd mainly suggest a Polo, Fabia, Ibiza or Fiesta for similar sized cars.
Depending on your budget, you might also be able to get a VW Up!/Skoda Citigo/Seat Mii if they're big enough.
To be honest, the best thing to do is just go round a few car dealers, have a look at anything they have that's within budget and around the size you want - you might find that cars people recommend you don't like, and you may find cars you like that you hadn't even considered.
I've driven quite a number of hire cars in the last few years, but usually something a little bigger.
The Corsa was one of my least favourites, poor uphill performance and stupid indicator controls.
The Seat Ibiza had low quality plastics and felt a bit cheap generally, but reasonable enough to drive.
The Clio was good, probably a little better than the 208, but not much in it.
My favourite to drive was probably the Auris Hybrid - but I guess they are expensive to own (and I'm sure the non-hybrid feels quite different).
I don't remember having a Fiesta, but a Focus is certainly a decent car. The modern ones have ridiculously small engines (1l) with turbochargers - the performance is decent, but I found they weren't as economical as you might think. The Skoda Octavia was very good - quick, efficient, well-built, and comfortable.
VW diesel engines are superb - quiet, smooth and economical. I think I got around 70mpg from a Polo, and 60mpg from a Golf (2.0 tdi, which is not a slow car).
The Corsa was one of my least favourites, poor uphill performance and stupid indicator controls.
The Seat Ibiza had low quality plastics and felt a bit cheap generally, but reasonable enough to drive.
The Clio was good, probably a little better than the 208, but not much in it.
My favourite to drive was probably the Auris Hybrid - but I guess they are expensive to own (and I'm sure the non-hybrid feels quite different).
I don't remember having a Fiesta, but a Focus is certainly a decent car. The modern ones have ridiculously small engines (1l) with turbochargers - the performance is decent, but I found they weren't as economical as you might think. The Skoda Octavia was very good - quick, efficient, well-built, and comfortable.
VW diesel engines are superb - quiet, smooth and economical. I think I got around 70mpg from a Polo, and 60mpg from a Golf (2.0 tdi, which is not a slow car).
GearJammer
Member
Yes that was my thought.... just buy a newer Corsa!
(even though they are underpowered and c**p...... like 99% of European/jap cars)
I'm going to join with the growing voice of support for the Czechs. But, not a Fabia, the seemingly much rarer Skoda Rapid. Also available as the Seat Toledo (for more money!)
Underneath its a bit of a mongrel, based on the Polo chassis but significantly stretched. On the outside its a nice looking small saloon-esque hatchback.
Good value too, mine was brand new, only £2k more than the entry level Polo but comes with a damn sight more equipment.
Underneath its a bit of a mongrel, based on the Polo chassis but significantly stretched. On the outside its a nice looking small saloon-esque hatchback.
Good value too, mine was brand new, only £2k more than the entry level Polo but comes with a damn sight more equipment.
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There's a 1litre and 1.2litre petrol versions of the VW polo, both are fantastic engines. You'll get 70mpg on a long run, whilst the 1.2 is quite zippy. And at least the 1litre is a 3 cylinder, so when you thrash it it sounds almost like it's trying to be an Aston Martin.
I'm going to join with the growing voice of support for the Czechs. But, not a Fabia, the seemingly much rarer Skoda Rapid. Also available as the Seat Toledo (for more money!)
Underneath its a bit of a mongrel, based on the Polo chassis but significantly stretched. On the outside its a nice looking small saloon-esque hatchback.
Good value too, mine was brand new, only £2k more than the entry level Polo but comes with a damn sight more equipment.
I was driving one of the work cars the other day - a Skoda Superb with just a shade over 100k on the clock. Pleasantly surprised to see how similar it was internally to my Golf (a car I am very happy with) and to look at it, you'd never know the mileage it has done (aside from it being filthy as no-one has bothered cleaning it!) and it drove like a dream!
My only advise is steer clear of modern diesels. They are generally speaking unreliable, due to so many fragile parts fitted to reduce emissions to meet EU standards.
I returned my citroen 1.6 HDI to the finance company it was costing so much in repairs, and researching online found many modern diesels suffer badly.
The ecoboost ford is an amazing engine, but has a price tag. I drove a 1.0 ecoboost focus and it was probably one of the best engines I've driven for performance (excluding my performance cars)
If you want something similar to the Corsa, the fiat punto is identical underneith the external panels and badge.
I normally stick with VAG models, but buy one with a Seat or Skoda badge if going second hand as they depreciate worse in the first year so over a year old they have good bargains.
You mentioned wanting less than a 1.2 for insurance purposes. It is a myth that small engines are always cheaper. In September I swapped a 2002 1.2 Polo for a 2003 1.8 Seat Toledo. My monthly premiums reduced by £15 a month when I phoned up to change vehicle, despite them splitting the £30 admin fee over the remaining months.
I returned my citroen 1.6 HDI to the finance company it was costing so much in repairs, and researching online found many modern diesels suffer badly.
The ecoboost ford is an amazing engine, but has a price tag. I drove a 1.0 ecoboost focus and it was probably one of the best engines I've driven for performance (excluding my performance cars)
If you want something similar to the Corsa, the fiat punto is identical underneith the external panels and badge.
I normally stick with VAG models, but buy one with a Seat or Skoda badge if going second hand as they depreciate worse in the first year so over a year old they have good bargains.
You mentioned wanting less than a 1.2 for insurance purposes. It is a myth that small engines are always cheaper. In September I swapped a 2002 1.2 Polo for a 2003 1.8 Seat Toledo. My monthly premiums reduced by £15 a month when I phoned up to change vehicle, despite them splitting the £30 admin fee over the remaining months.
carriageline
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- 1,897
Another one (although pretty girly!) is the fist 500 twinair. Cracking car, it's a 0.9(?) turbo but certainly had enough grunt to make some serious pace. Plus was brilliant on fuel. Either that or the pinto which is based on the corsa.
Dacia Sandero 
if I was going to get any small fiat it would be the panda . A heck of a lot cheaper than the fashion accessory which is the 500 but pretty much the same car under the body but the panda is a lot roomier inside . Also some Pandas are group 1 for insurance purposes whereas the first group 500's start to appear in is group 5 can be a heck of a difference .The OH has a 2006 1.1 panda (wanted a 500 but realized savings that could be had in purchase price and insurance with a panda ) and the engine is pretty usable round town struggles with pace once roads start to open up and the engine lacks torque to pull uphill although using the gearbox and giving it some beans and it will do it although this is no different from any other small car , you need to realize the limitations of the vehicle you are driving . The noise on the motorway would become an issue if you didn't drive with the radio or Cd's on but that's the same with a lot of cheap and small cars ive driven or been a passenger in .
did test drive one of them 0.9 twin air pandas . Not a huge fan of those engines you have to rev the heck out of them to get the grunt you are talking about as the 85or so HP they produce is at 5-6k rpm and i seem to remember a feature on watchdog about the 500 with the twinair not being able to climb hills . id much rather a straight four rather than halving the cylinders but bolting a turbo on .the twinair for me just lacks the responsiveness you want when driving around town there seems to be a delay in it delivering any power whereas the straight 4 of the older panda is much more responsive
One small car I have not seen mentioned yet is the VW fox , the 1.2 is again in group 1 for insurance purposes .Driven an 08 model the 1.2 engine is more than enough for buzzing around town and the size of the car makes it pretty nimble . its only a straight 3 though so lacks the torque to pull away from 30 in a higher gear . The lack of toque also means inability to cope with any kind of hill but then that's going to be the case in most small cars straight 3 or 4 The road noise on the motorway is not as bad as the panda but then you can expect to pay more for one .
As for a small Japanese car id be inclined to look into the Toyota yaris . Ive not had much experience with it aside from a flatmate having one when I was at uni and our neighbors have had one for the past 3 years . both highly praise them and apart from routine services and tyres/wiper blades our neghbour has not had any issues and they put between 12-16k miles on it a year .
What plate corsa have you got at the moment ? .
even if you got a newer corsa than the one you have now you might find things look and drive a lot different as they do facelifts on cars . I had a 51 fiesta and when I finally parted with it and traded up to an 58 model of the same car everything about it is different . Even between an 04 and an 08 there are massive differences .
If you are conscious of the cost of insurance it pays more to look at the insurance group a car is in for example the Alfa Mito live 0.9 twin air is in insurance group 9 which would typically cost more to insure than a 1.2 panda which is in group 3 .its not the the engine size you need to be looking into its the group the car is in and the cost of servicing/maintenance parts like filters .
Tbh any small car is going to drive similar to the corsa you have been used to depending on its age .anything less than 5 YO is going to have power steering .
One bug bear I had when looking at newer cars is this shying away from providing a spare wheel . More newer cars now are coming with a tyre repair kit which contains some foam and an air compressor . I dont know about everyone else here but id much rather have a spare even if its a space saver one . I know its not something many people think about when buying a car but at the side of the road when your foam system hasnt worked and your waiting an hour for the breakdown service to come and tow your car you will certainly be thinking about it .
if I was going to get any small fiat it would be the panda . A heck of a lot cheaper than the fashion accessory which is the 500 but pretty much the same car under the body but the panda is a lot roomier inside . Also some Pandas are group 1 for insurance purposes whereas the first group 500's start to appear in is group 5 can be a heck of a difference .The OH has a 2006 1.1 panda (wanted a 500 but realized savings that could be had in purchase price and insurance with a panda ) and the engine is pretty usable round town struggles with pace once roads start to open up and the engine lacks torque to pull uphill although using the gearbox and giving it some beans and it will do it although this is no different from any other small car , you need to realize the limitations of the vehicle you are driving . The noise on the motorway would become an issue if you didn't drive with the radio or Cd's on but that's the same with a lot of cheap and small cars ive driven or been a passenger in .
did test drive one of them 0.9 twin air pandas . Not a huge fan of those engines you have to rev the heck out of them to get the grunt you are talking about as the 85or so HP they produce is at 5-6k rpm and i seem to remember a feature on watchdog about the 500 with the twinair not being able to climb hills . id much rather a straight four rather than halving the cylinders but bolting a turbo on .the twinair for me just lacks the responsiveness you want when driving around town there seems to be a delay in it delivering any power whereas the straight 4 of the older panda is much more responsive
One small car I have not seen mentioned yet is the VW fox , the 1.2 is again in group 1 for insurance purposes .Driven an 08 model the 1.2 engine is more than enough for buzzing around town and the size of the car makes it pretty nimble . its only a straight 3 though so lacks the torque to pull away from 30 in a higher gear . The lack of toque also means inability to cope with any kind of hill but then that's going to be the case in most small cars straight 3 or 4 The road noise on the motorway is not as bad as the panda but then you can expect to pay more for one .
As for a small Japanese car id be inclined to look into the Toyota yaris . Ive not had much experience with it aside from a flatmate having one when I was at uni and our neighbors have had one for the past 3 years . both highly praise them and apart from routine services and tyres/wiper blades our neghbour has not had any issues and they put between 12-16k miles on it a year .
What plate corsa have you got at the moment ? .
even if you got a newer corsa than the one you have now you might find things look and drive a lot different as they do facelifts on cars . I had a 51 fiesta and when I finally parted with it and traded up to an 58 model of the same car everything about it is different . Even between an 04 and an 08 there are massive differences .
If you are conscious of the cost of insurance it pays more to look at the insurance group a car is in for example the Alfa Mito live 0.9 twin air is in insurance group 9 which would typically cost more to insure than a 1.2 panda which is in group 3 .its not the the engine size you need to be looking into its the group the car is in and the cost of servicing/maintenance parts like filters .
Tbh any small car is going to drive similar to the corsa you have been used to depending on its age .anything less than 5 YO is going to have power steering .
One bug bear I had when looking at newer cars is this shying away from providing a spare wheel . More newer cars now are coming with a tyre repair kit which contains some foam and an air compressor . I dont know about everyone else here but id much rather have a spare even if its a space saver one . I know its not something many people think about when buying a car but at the side of the road when your foam system hasnt worked and your waiting an hour for the breakdown service to come and tow your car you will certainly be thinking about it .
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I'm not a driver but I have been told that Fiat 500 are Fiats, by that I mean that they are a case of style over substance and not exactly the most reliable of vehicles. If anyone wants to know the Ford KA is essentially a tweaked 500 underneath.
Some other cars to consider are the Mazda 2, Suzuki Swift (my little sis had a test drive in one and it was quite and well refined) and the KIA RIO (available with a claimed 88.1mpg diesel)/Hyundai i20 (again the C'eed 3 my step mum had was brilliant).
As for the Yaris previously recommended my dad drove one for a day and didn't like it.
Some other cars to consider are the Mazda 2, Suzuki Swift (my little sis had a test drive in one and it was quite and well refined) and the KIA RIO (available with a claimed 88.1mpg diesel)/Hyundai i20 (again the C'eed 3 my step mum had was brilliant).
As for the Yaris previously recommended my dad drove one for a day and didn't like it.
CallySleeper
Established Member
Is there a picture of it at Corrour?
EssexGonzo
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If you're not worried about image but do want a clever, spacious, reliable and economical car.....how about a Honda Jazz? Our 11 YO has been in the family since new and has never let us down. 45 mpg and if you want to convert it into a huge luggage carrier you can do.
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