Overhaulin' - On a lowly budget of £1000, what is the best buy car you could get?

On a lowly budget of £1000, what is the best buy car you could get?

Me and my family will be looking to purchase a car later this year and wanted to know what £1000 would buy you both in terms of value, reliability, etc etc.

Public Comments

For that amount of money a Vectra is always a good option, very econmic and cheap servicing. Always go the best model you can get.
toyotaor a ford
have a look on ebay i got my car for £2500 a couple of years ago, if you can manage a bit more you can get more japanese cars are very reliable, i have a nissan almera and it has sailed through the mot for the past 3 years and its an R reg
you should look in www.autotrader.co.uk and you will get a good one there. you also don't state your age . and what type of engine speed and insurance catagory, good luck . happy car hunting
A very old Honda Civic or Toyota just about anything is probably yoru best bet for reliability and cost effectiveness. 1,000 pounds isnt much to work with, can you get any sort of financing?
With careful viewing you should be able to get a very nice car for that money. Have a look on ebay that will give you some ideas of what you can get for that money
£1000 !!! Wow! I have NEVER spent that much on a car! That amount wouldn't buy a new one but as long as you don't mind 10 years old or more then the choice is yours. The last car I bought was 3 years ago and I paid £650 for a Cavalier that required NO work. It had a full MOT and 3 months Tax. The body is still excellent and it runs like a dream. I've been to Wales about 10 times and i've had no problems at all. As long as you don't rush to get one then you can get something that is quality. Try Ebay! It is surprisingly good with a only few dodgy dealers. My advice? Go for Ford or Vauxhall of any type as they tend to be cheapest to fix. Take your time with looking and once you've found a vehicle, take your time checking it over. Someone with something to hide will try to rush you through the sale, the honest seller wont! £1000 could get you anything from Audi to Zephyr! Just ALWAYS check the vehicle or have it checked by a professional before buying! Good Luck :~}
i would recommend a Vauxhall Vectra or Ford Mondeo. if you know your way around a car try your nearest auction. it's also worth looking on the Autotrader web site and your local free ad paper. TIP: when phoning sellers don't say 'i'm calling about the Vectra', say 'i'm calling about the car'. if the seller is a trader posing as a private seller he/she'll have to reply with 'which one?'
I've got a nice BMW318is that's going to be up for sale at some point this yr. Lreg, 3door coupe, well loved and low mileage. We're selling cos our brood has expanded beyond a standard 5 seater and as much as we love the car we need something with 7 seats(or more!). Seriously, go for something older but better quality, it'll pay dividends long term-especially if you're looking to keep it a while. And you need something solidly built if you've got kids.
you can buy mine if you like.
£1k should buy you a pretty decent car. Just sold a cracking P reg Almera for £800 with a years test on it. I'd advice against the vectra, they are dogs. The cavalier before it was better. Mondeos are good as are most fords. The mark 3 astra was a cracking car and can be picked up for peanuts now. Avoid french as they are held together with kids glue instead of nuts and bolts. Japanese cars are good but can be heavy on insurance and repairs if needed. Rovers should be sold with a head gasket set instead of a spare tire as it needs a head gasket more often. Utter junk. PS, I'm just preparing a n reg 1.4 corsa with 6 months tax and test on it. Looking round about £450 for it. Mail me on mab1234@fastmail.fm if interested.
www.autotrader.co.uk for price comparisons. Best to buy privately for low cost, but some garages offload trade-ins dirt cheap. Good luck, take a magnet and a mechanic with you to view potential purchases. The mechanic will let you know the problems and the magnet will tell you what metal has been filled after rust proofing or repair. Watch out for cheap 'cut and shuts' and cheap 'ringers'.
citreon ax 1.5diesel mate they go forever cheap ins/tax 60mpg you can pick one up for 400
for car auctions at up 95% off quality cars try police auctions at: http://www.autoauctions.homestead.com
dont try ebay to many people trying your local rag or free add paper rustles up great deals be quick to call seller early bird gets.........and all that but be careful take the day out to view a few if you r like me you can afford to take time off to view rather than lose this type of cash on a srapper your £1000 IS EVERY BIT AS IMPORTANT as someone elses £5000 or £50000 if your gut feeling is not to buy DONT