What is the best little car around?

[3andnomore]

Hi there,
am possibly needing a small little car soon.
We have a Fiat Multipla, which fits our family needs great, but, there is a possibility that I will go around 20miles each way, 5 days a week on my own, so, a small car just for that would be better then using the Multipla, which we don't want to part with, as it's great for things like camping with 5-6 people.
It would have to be a car I might also use whenever I am on my own or just with a few of my Kids, etc....and I might be using Motorways, which, after some reviews clarified that a Fiiat Panda would not be a good choice.
Have so far looked, online, at Vauxhail Corsa (which I learned to drive in), Nissan Micras, Suziki Swifts and Ford Kias....I also looked a MG's which look so much fun, but well, are just to expensive to insure (especially in this area, lol)

anyone know anything about cars and which little one would be best.
Also, are there small cars that have 3 proper seatbelts in the back, rather then 2 + a lapbelt?

Hi there 3.. I can only give you my very biased opinion and experience I'm afraid.
We have 2 nissan micras, 1 very old one the AP drives and 1 new my dh bought at xmas.
So the evidence:
1/ that old micra goes and goes and goes, every time it has it's mot it passes with flying colours. We've never spent a penny on it! Result!
2/ we took new micra up to garage in village to show off (!) mechanic says...bloody hell, we'll never get any money off you now. What do you mean I say, far too bloody reliable he says.
3/Was in kwik fit the other day getting a new battery in my monster (Honda CRV)...Fiat Panda in a bad state..Mechanic turns to me and as an aside said,...don't ever buy a Fiat! Nightmare!..

According to Car?www.whatcar.co.uk/car-reviews-by-type.aspx?RG=1 the best buy new supermini is the Vauxhall Corsa, the best 2nd hand buy is the Ford Fiesta. Just been looking at the site as we're downsizing one of our cars.

Never driven a Corsa, but you can't go wrong with a Ford Fiesta - I had one for a few months years ago, and I really liked driving it (and had been used to stupid big flash company cars). MIL has a Ford Ka and that's fine too. Good thing about Fords is they're relatively cheap to repair

Oops, What Car?

my skoda fabia has 3 proper seat belts in the back and is a brilliant car

i have a toyota yaris. 50mpg it is fab. Group 1 insurance. i fit three kids seats in the back - a britax seat for a toddler and two Graco sport high back boosters. would recommend!

Thanks for all your comments so far, very much appreciated

citroen c3 - love mine !

Skoda fabias are good, hold their value well too, but the older ones (my gran has x reg) have short seatbelts in the back that make fitting a first stage car seat difficult, and my grans only has a lap belt in the back.

I had a suzuki alto, which i rolled a couple of weeks ago, and was told today they are known for ending up on their roof easily (I know that now!)

I now have a Clio, which has 3 proper seatbelts in the back despite being an S reg.

If you have car seats that you would need to fit in the new car, both maxi-cosi and britax have guides as to which cars their seats fit in, which is very useful!

toyota yaris is shit. its like tortoise is has no UMPH and therefore doesnt give you the confidence you need in triky situations in town -its pants.

ford fiestas =if anything goes wrong you will always get the parts for it but make sure you have good security becuase they are a piece of piss to nick.

dh now has new company car of ford fiesta zetec

it looks like shit - well its not ugly but it wouldnt turn any heads but its like shit off a shoval - my lord does this thing move - but it eats petrol - dont know why.

i want one of these mmmmm car porn

or these mmmm

I had an old style micra for a few years - went like the clappers! Good car.

Now have a VW Polo. Looks nice but costs a bomb to get through MOT each year.

Also have a C3 - fab car to drive! Good for motorways. Perhaps not a lot of room for backseat passengers though.

have to add - have never driven the ones i want

dh had a corsa and loved it - i thought it was v. boooooooooring in a "perfectly adequate" kind of way

pmsl at your car porn custy

i have a sciento - its the smallest thing in the world - its got no frills - its like tesco own brand can of beans - ieven had to buy a cd player for it.

but its ran great for 6 years. and its like shit of a shovel in that i can whizz around town no prob - i often use motorways too and its v. loud becuase there is no acoustic custioning but i just turn radio up - if you reallly want no fills cheap as shit - goes like the clappers then thats it - but if you have money i would have some comfort too! i am giving mine to my son when he passes test and i am getting one of those i linked to below - eeny minnny minnny moooo oooh which one

I've got a Honda Jazz. If you can get over having to say the name too often it does tick all yoru boxes.

The Suzuki Swift is dead cute though and has ace reviews.

Another vote for Jazz here.

I mean the car of course, not pornography .

I've got a Honda Jazz and its fabulous. Not cheap though approx £11,000 new. Still you get what you pay for.

Oh, don't get a new one, waste of money.

Think you can get a great deal on a used Honda Jazz, very worth looking at.

Thanks for all your thoughts, it really is helpful! Some of the cars mentioned I had never even heard off, so, will have a good look about.
Btw. someone said not to get a brandnew one....certainly not gonna get a new one anyway, lol....couldn't afford too, for starters

custardo how dare you criticise the Saint Toyota of Yaris??
mine is 1.3litre and goes like a bomb (or is that my driving...) very nippy little thing. can't speak for the [even]small(er) engines or diesel tho.

Apologies if I offend anyone but here goes.

My DH is a self employed car mechanic who works on older cars ie cars out of manufacturers warranty period. His words of wisdom are "Avoid the three F's, Fords, Fiats and anything French".

In his experience these seem to go wrong more often and seem to cost more to fix.

His advice is to buy Japanese or German cars if you can possibly afford to. Far more reliable and have less problems when he is fixing them.

He particularly hates Renaults. He often has loads of trouble removing seized on parts when trying to get to the part that actually needs replacing thereby having to replace all the parts that got broken whilst trying to fix the original problem (hope some of this makes sense). If it came to bits properly in the first place then it would cost less in replacement parts IYSWIM. Phew!

After all that he recommends the Honda Jazz as the best small car on the market.

However, if you buy a brand new car and replace it before the warranty is up then any should be OK as any problems should be dealt with by the dealer.

custy, the yaris is brilliant and has won car of the year for about 4 yrs running, from ... 2001 to 2004 roughly.
Mine is well nippy.