Reliable affordable commuting car for £8.5k

[TiddleTaddleTat]

Have trawled old threads and am still puzzled about what to go for in a new (likely used) car.
I need a new car within a month for a 70+ mile round trip commute - mostly motorway driving plus driving between work sites during the day.

We have an old Toyota Yaris that has failed its MOT and not worth repairing.
Planned to get a 2016/17 Yaris 1.33 but found the engines a bit underpowered when test driving.
Also have a Honda Jazz (early 2008) that is getting rusty and needing to be replaced but will keep as a second runaround. Always felt that was a bit uncomfortable on motorways.

Have considered:
Honda Jazz 2018 - found one for £9k at the dealership. Drove ok but again underpowered but not crazy on the exterior.
Toyota Yaris 1.4 diesel - drove someone else's and really liked it, but isn't diesel really bad?
Ford Fiesta- would be an eco boost, heard terrible things about them though?
Hyundai i20/i30 - wasn't crazy on the interior

Anything else I should consider?
The Toyota dealership have put a spanner in the works by suggesting I could get a new Yaris 1.5 with £2.5k off for scrapping the old one. They also do 0% finance which makes this quite an attractive option.

We have a 2016 Seat Ibiza. Would prefer it to be a bit nippier on motorways but it's been v reliable so far and has coped well with us putting a huge amount of motorway mileage on it recently. It can certainly handle a motorway well for a car that size. Cost us £7k.

We also looked at the Kia Rio (but I preferred the Ibiza for rear windscreen visibility) and the Yaris, having ruled out a Fiesta on cost grounds.

My first car was a Polo incredibly reliable and about almost 18 when I bought it for £300! Engine kept going but it rusted through.

To be fair, I'd expect to spend up to £400 a year - servicing plus tyres/brakes which wear out. It's when it tips into repairs rather than wear and tear that it's not so cheap - other than my very first car (a fiesta which had more welding than original metal by the end), I've managed to ditch before things get pricey.

@DropZoneOne yes I would be ok with £400 a year , it's when corrosion hits that I need to learn to give up the car, but I get too attached...!!

I’d agree with MyCat and Kitten to have a look at SEAT. They’re basically VW but with a different label.

I switched from a VW to Seat and haven’t looked back. Love it. Also do a lot of motor way driving and love the gadgets / gizmos you get with Seat.

Also, don't rule out PCH / PCP. I’ve always been either buy or get a company car and never considered the above. But actually, it just didn’t make sense to “own” a second hand car and all that comes with it and have loved what I’ve managed to get brand new.

I got a good deal on a 48 month PCH, with a low deposit put down and similar miles. Haven’t got the hassle or worry of it breaking down, and as it’s new, fuel consumption is good too.

I've had a Ford Fiesta since 2011. Was 2010 plate with only 1000 miles on clock and has been the most reliable car I've ever had. I do a 50 mile commute 5 days a week, can't recommend them enough

Dh's fiesta did 175k miles in 6 years and only ever had wear and tear repairs. It's still being used by the person we sold it to two years ago. We've ended up buying a ford smax and a ford Ka and have been really happy with those too.

I was seriously considering a Ford Fiesta but have read about some controversy around recalls of the 1.0 ecoboost engine?

I really like DH's volvo v50 2.0 d estate. If you get the r-design, it's a nice spec. You could get a decent seconf hand one for that price. I prefer the volvo but also liked my old BMW msport 123 d too

Hyundais are amazing! So much car for your money and incredibly reliable. I have an i20 and I know several other owners and we all love them.

Hyundai's are also on my list as they have the long warranty and reliability record, I heard the i30 was great but can't find much in price range.
After a week or so of looking I'm a bit torn between a new, cheaper car like a Toyota Yaris on a 0% PCP deal or getting a bank loan to buy a used but new-ish VW, Volvo, SEAT.
Advantage of new is that I have no history to worry about or surprises on the MOT etc.
With a bank loan I'd be paying interest but there'd be far less depreciation on the value of the car.
Swings and roundabouts really.

In your shoes I'd trade in and get the new yaris. We did similar with our old wrecked car a couple of years ago and have enjoyed 2 years of driving a gorgeous new car with no worries about repair bills!

The Hyundai i30 is the same car (more or less) as the Kia Ceed. Equivalent to Toyota Auris (or Corolla again now?) so maybe a bit bigger than you’re really after?

I think your Yaris deal sounds pretty good

I haven’t checked if my car was part of the recall. It would have been before I owned it. Since it came from a Ford dealership with full service history etc I assume it was sorted out if it needed to be. I’ve had absolutely no issues with the car personally.