Which of these cars would you choose?

[enweto]

My second car post of the evening! I am looking for a reliable small car that is value for money.

Which of the following would you buy?

Hyundai i10 - 2019 - 12,000miles - £9500
Corsa - 2019 - 39,000miles - £8500
Toyota Aygo - 2019 - 28,000miles - £9500

I currently drive a Hyundai and like it.
I like the colour of the corsa (blushes)
I have heard Toyota is a v.reliable make.

Which would you go for?

Toyota aygo

Not the corsa

I’d go hyuandi

Haha looks like the Toyota or Hyundai.

I think you'd be happy with either as they're both great cars.

I've still got a 2006 Toyota MR2 and it's bombproof, still going strong and probably will do another 10 years (or as long as they still make the parts!). I've driven a lot of Aygo's over the years and they're brilliant. If you bought one you wouldn't be disappointed. It'll do everything you want, is ultra reliable and economical. Looks great too. Funky.

But I've also driven an i10 and the trouble is that the Koreans are pulling out everything to outdo the Japanese (and everyone else). It's a bit plain compared to the Aygo but just opening/closing the doors, you can tell they've engineered them to feel the next level. The Aygo feels a bit tinny by comparison. Same with the switchgear and the fact that you can get 5 doors and rear doors with wind down windows. I don't think the Aygo has 5 seats either. Both drive well but the i10 is more refined and potentially better equipped. £9500 is a lot for a 2019 model so am guessing a relatively high spec.

Personally I don't think there's anything wrong with the Aygo. It's exactly what you'd expect from a small car at this price point. But having driven both, it just seems like Hyundai have built a car with a perceived higher quality. Not quite as reliable but it still has with a 5 year warranty. In contrast, the Aygo warranty can be extended up to 10 years if Toyota service it every year.

Hyundai have had some engine issues, so do some research, but the 5 year warranty should've taken care of early problems.

The white is off putting to me too! Unfortunately with two long legged lads, and being rather long in leg too we need substantial leg room so I am looking in the next size category up. Hopefully you manage to get a reliable car soon.

i10 - I'm a 'car guy' and think they're the epitome of reliable, cheap motoring.
I'd have one myself in a flash.

Hyundai should still have remainder of manufacturer warranty as it’s 5yrs I’d go with that

Thank you so much! I’ve found another i10 today, this one is also 2019, costs £9300 and has only done 6000 miles! But it has had 2 previous owners.

Do you think the really low mileage from 2 owners is concerning? It’s had 2 MOTs and passed both.

Not necessarily. It's not ideal but it could've been a pre registered car.

You can ask for the owner history, if the dealer sold the car from new. Or you can find out the original dealer. They can't give you personal details but can confirm if it was a pre registered car. You can also ask for the warranty history to see if it's had any major problems.

That aside, it's not a performance car so unlikely to have been abused. Therefore the previous owners may just have had changes in personal circumstances and nothing untoward.

What spec is it?

We had an i10, now we have an i20, love them both, great cars!

I would never buy a corsa.

option 4, a Ford Fiesta.

Not particularly helpful - but I love mine so much, I'd never drive anything else until Bastarding Ford stop making them

Thank you @SamanthaCaine it’s an i10 1.0 SE.

How important would you say age is, if the mileage is low?

There’s actually another low mileage i10 that’s 6 years old but only done 8,000 miles, this one has just one previous owner. Maybe this one would be better?

An excellent summary. My ex and I had a Peugeot 108 as a runaround and given it's the same car as the Aygo I can tell you it does feel a bit flimsy OP, though lots of fun in the higher spec range. If you're looking at the Aygo you may as well check the C1 or 108 as at the age you're looking at, they were all made in the same factory in a joint agreement with the 3 manufacturers anyway.

I'd personally go for the Hyundai but the Aygo/C1/108 is worth a look as I really enjoyed driving mine except on motorways when they felt too small and we're pushing their limits/very noisy at those speeds.

I had 2 corsas, my first car bought second hand and one I had from new. Both did about 90,000 miles before I changed them and never had any issues other than normal wear and tear.
I would also consider the engine size and trim level as the basic models in some small cars can feel very basic.

God they are all so expensive. I had an i10 and no issues with it, the boot is tiny though. Mine was less money than that brand new.

Please don’t tell me things like this! 😭
The 9k mark does seem to be the going rate everywhere I’m looking for a car less that 5 years old with a low mileage.

Are ridiculous the moment.

I bough car for £15,000 in 2018 and sold it for £14,600 in late 2022 because the cost of second hand cars has shot up.

But answer your question, the Hyundai or Toyota.

No worries. As SE sounds about right for that price. You can get an S for <£8000 but the spec is pretty basic.

Sadly it's difficult to say as you can never tell how a cars been driven. An engine needs to get hot so lots of very short journeys isn't good for the engine or battery. But if it's done one or two long journeys a week, that would be ok.

Personally I'd say 6000 miles sounds a bit dodgy. Over 4 years (roughly as I don't know the exact age) that's about 30 miles per week. If driven every day that's 4 miles or so. Barely enough to get the engine up to temperature. However, 30 miles in one go would be ok.

I don't want to be overly negative but disproportionately low mileage cars can be misleading. I think there's a sweet spot of around 6000/year, so around 24000 miles for a 2019 model, if looking for a low mileage example. The average is about 10-12000 miles/year so anything above/below should reflect in the price/condition.

Hope this helps.

Yeah, sign of the times unfortunately. I hate it as I'm a haggler and don't like it when I can't negotiate.

Can I also recommend you get an independent mechanic to review any car you buy? Cost me just under £200 for the AA to check the car over plus the online checks etc. Turns out something that should have been easy to fix that was obvious on the test drive and experienced by both me and the AA chap turned into something that couldn't get fixed. I had to reject the car when the garage (chain, reliable, good reputation) couldn't fix it. It was a 2 year old car.

I have had Hyundais, love the 5 year warranty, reliable, never had any issues with it. Also Toyota have an incredible reputation. I wouldn't have a 4 year old car with 2 owners on it. Seems short. Lots of cars are changed out at 3 years due to PCP being up for renewal.

I've driven corsas for the past 15 years and had no problems with them, they were automatic though. I'm currently driving one, it's 11 years old with 50k on the clock, just sailed through its MOT only needing two new tyres. My last one was still going strong when I sold it at 17 years old.

Although, sorry to throw this in but have you considered a Kia Picanto?

I've driven one of these too and they're brilliant and actually good fun to drive. Obviously similar to the i10 but comes with a 7 year warranty. A grade 2 is slightly cheaper.

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212232742548?atmobcid=soc3

Aygo or I 10.
Mumsnet please can we have the car topic back, lots of interest in car chat on here.

Thank you, yes that’s a big help!