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Original poster

Small (older)car recommendations please.

27 replies

Sonolanona · 30/12/2024 22:47

Currently driving a Freelander 2, but it's going tomorrow... I hate parking it, and it's too high for my dog to jump into the boot .
I like small cars.. the smaller the better (had a Fiat panda years ago and loved it)

Need 5 door as have grandkids in car seats, and just enough space to pop the 25kg dog in the boot if needed. really fancy a 5 door mini but only have 5.5k to spend.
I need to go car hunting asap so any suggestions gratefully received!

OP posts:
NewName24 · 31/12/2024 00:05

Skoda Fabia. (not sure about the dog size)
Or have a look at any Toyota if you are after an older car.

Sportacus17 · 31/12/2024 00:18

I had a wee black 5 door Corsa that I loved … only got rid of it as it wasn’t big enough for kids in ERF seats, double buggy in boot etc. it was a hatchback though, which could be a pain for dog.

Fabias are also ace and fairly petite

Skoda yetis may also be worth a look

BurntBroccoli · 31/12/2024 00:21

Honda are great - Civic or Jazz. Boots are spacious. Excellent build and good resale value.

Toddlerteaplease · 31/12/2024 00:43

Hyundai i10

theduchessofspork · 31/12/2024 00:44

Ford Fiestas are great little cars

clary · 31/12/2024 01:18

I love my Toyota Aygo, 5dr but it only seats 4 - no middle seatbelt so it's illegal to have someone in the middle at the back (also it would be a massive squash haha).

It's a great car. Mine is six years old and I have had it since it was just over three years old when it cost me £5k. Suspect a three-year-old one might cost a bit more than that now tho. I do a lot of mileage (big commute and high-mileage hobby, so I drive 20k+ miles a year) and it has never let me down.

We also have a Yaris which is a bit bigger and also an ace car.

We used to have a Hyundai i10 which was a total dog of a car, real Friday afternoon minger but I know people who like them so maybe we were unlucky. I have never had such trouble with one car tho, it ate oil, the transmission went, the fan belt went, the engine light kept coming on, in the end it had no acceleration up a hill so we scrapped it – it was about 12 years old but had only done 80k.

Growlybear83 · 31/12/2024 01:23

I've got a Vauxhall Adam, and I love it. It's by far my favourite car of any I've had.

BurntBroccoli · 31/12/2024 12:30

clary · 31/12/2024 01:18

I love my Toyota Aygo, 5dr but it only seats 4 - no middle seatbelt so it's illegal to have someone in the middle at the back (also it would be a massive squash haha).

It's a great car. Mine is six years old and I have had it since it was just over three years old when it cost me £5k. Suspect a three-year-old one might cost a bit more than that now tho. I do a lot of mileage (big commute and high-mileage hobby, so I drive 20k+ miles a year) and it has never let me down.

We also have a Yaris which is a bit bigger and also an ace car.

We used to have a Hyundai i10 which was a total dog of a car, real Friday afternoon minger but I know people who like them so maybe we were unlucky. I have never had such trouble with one car tho, it ate oil, the transmission went, the fan belt went, the engine light kept coming on, in the end it had no acceleration up a hill so we scrapped it – it was about 12 years old but had only done 80k.

My daughter has an Aygo and I've always found the clutch really high. Maybe it's just that car though. Otherwise really nice little car.

I'm thinking of getting a Yaris Cross fur a bit of height while driving.

clary · 31/12/2024 12:37

@BurntBroccoli interesting! Mine’s the opposite, when I drive DH’s Yaris I’m always stalling as the clutch is so high. Guess it varies so a test drive is good.

Meezer · 31/12/2024 12:41

Skoda citigo 5 door- easy to park, cheap to run, and reliable! Seats 3 in the back but think fitting 3 large child seats in may be tricky.

CrushingOnRubies · 31/12/2024 12:42

@BurntBroccoli @clary my augo also has a high clutch. When I first got the car I took it back but there was nothing wrong as such. Just took some getting used to, dp or my spare it's occasionally drive the car moan about the clutch. But now I'm used to it it's done.

Ducksurprise · 31/12/2024 12:47

I was going to say a Panda, you can get them with three seatbelts.

But that isn't a little dog, although with the higher roof there is more space than in a Aygo or citygo.

GellerYeller · 31/12/2024 12:50

We had a few Hyundai i20s that were ideal, and with a dog. Surprisingly nippy for a 1 litre, reliable, and with decent back leg room. Usually 5 years old or less though. They used to have long warranties, although I’m not sure if that’s still the case.

Prodol · 31/12/2024 12:52

Volkswagen Up!

TianasBayou · 31/12/2024 12:54

Get a Panda! I tracked down one with 3 rear seatbelts. It's fun! 1.4l engine so enough oomph for the occasional motorway trip.

katseyes7 · 31/12/2024 13:59

I've had six Toyota Aygos and l wouldn't have anything else.
They're small, nippy and l don't pay road tax. Cheap to run, okay, the boot space is small, but there's just me, so it doesn't matter.
Never had a problem with any of them, and l've had them for over 25 years.
Can't recommend them enough.

ForgettingMeNot · 31/12/2024 14:03

Kia Venga or Hyundai ix20, essentially the same car

We've had 3 of them in the family the last 8 years and all of them have been brilliant reliable cars

ArghhWhatNext · 31/12/2024 14:06

Another vote for Skoda fabia. Great, reliable car

Floralnomad · 31/12/2024 14:07

Kia Rio / Venga/ Soul if you can find one . The Soul has the smallest boot space of the three but we’ve had one since it was new in 2011 , he’s done about 140,000 miles and passed his last MOT with no advisories . Our son has a Rio and it’s a great little workhorse , we used to have one that had done well over 200k miles when it finally died .

clary · 31/12/2024 14:51

katseyes7 · 31/12/2024 13:59

I've had six Toyota Aygos and l wouldn't have anything else.
They're small, nippy and l don't pay road tax. Cheap to run, okay, the boot space is small, but there's just me, so it doesn't matter.
Never had a problem with any of them, and l've had them for over 25 years.
Can't recommend them enough.

Sharing the life for the Aygo - but are yours always older or why don’t you pay vehicle tax? I pay it on mine, tho less than I paid on our old Citroen 1.6l.

grimupnorthnot · 31/12/2024 15:00

i20 Hyuandi

katseyes7 · 31/12/2024 15:04

clary
Yes, my current Aygo (I got it in September this year) is 10 years old but with only 30k on the clock).
I actually traded in a newer (5 years old) car, not a Toyota. I'd had problems with that one which cost me a fortune, despite only having 20k mileage. (I only found out when the problem arose with mine that it was actually a known issue)
I hugely regretted getting that one, so went back to Toyota. I think this one will be my last, l'm retired now and only doing very low mileage.

FeegleFrenzy · 31/12/2024 15:13

Skoda fabia

FinallyMovingHouse · 31/12/2024 17:36

VW up. I have 2, one is a Gti and one is not. Love them both and neither has given me a day's trouble in years.

FinallyMovingHouse · 31/12/2024 17:37

Oh and they're like a tardis inside, but super small on the outside.