One of the best things you can do if you want cheap motoring is to avoid unreliable cars. You can buy something economical on fuel, cheap to insure, that has already depreciated most of its value, but one big repair bill and all that work is wasted.
Of course, if the car is under 10 years old, you can buy an aftermarket warranty. But, do you really want to go through the hassle of sorting the perpetual repair out or the fear of breaking down?
Citroen C6
Enormous, luxurious and certainly different. You see hardly any on the road. That’s probably because it is expensive and unreliable.
Most economical: 2.7 HDI
UsedCarExpert.com fault check: Hydraulic system failure taking out power steering and suspension. But at least its under warranty
Used Car Expert price guide: £33,000+ new, but despite tiny numbers on the market, it will be £13,000- £15,000 within 18 months. Bad news for the new car buyer - a risky opportunity for the used buyer.
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Fiat Multipla
Looks different and certainly different inside. Brave design that works well in practice. Scary looks frighten car dealers and has meant some very soft prices.
Most economical: 1.9 JTD
UsedCarExpert.com fault check: Cam belt or head gasket, both leading to four figure bills.
Used Car Expert price guide: £15,000 - £17,000 new but drops to a used value of less than £9,000 within a year.
Rover 75
Comfy, classy and developing a cult following. Values no longer falling anywhere near sharply enough but there is a good choice of well-equipped saloons and estates out there. Most economical:
Most economical: 2.0DT
UsedCarExpert.com fault check: Not so much one big problem on the 75 as a lot of little ones, but at £200 average repair cost, it soon mounts up. Everything from door seals to the cooling system has gremlins.
Used Car Expert price guide: 2004 cars, with average mileage of 39,000 are still around £5,000. For that you can have a 2005 Vauxhall Vectra or a 2004 Volkswagen Passat. Both better cars.