"Best" 2k vehicle?

[white_goodman]

I m in need of a cheap 2-3k family friendly (2 kids) runabout/commuter, I have a 30 mile commute each way and I m not averse to something a bit older from the 2000s or a diesel. Needs to be comfortable, reliable and fairly practical/cheap to run/repair. I m not bothered about it having all the latest tech and ADAS stuff but AC would be nice. Having not shopped for a vehicle at this price point for a number of years, what s my best bet?

There are some surprisingly new vehicles in budget but either very high miles, bodywork damage or a fairly major mechanical fault ie seized engine/needs a new clutch etc, so am I better off looking at a well-maintained older car? A premium brand used to offer you a better built, more durable car but I m not so sure any more, I m not sure if I would trust a 2-3k BMW for example. Rust would be a bigger concern on an older vehicle I suppose, even if it is in good mechanical condition, as that s what kills off a lot of older cars and of course in this price range, it's all about condition.

Some cheap cars that I have seen advertised fairly locally that appeal include:
Mk1 Focus Zetec
2nd gen (W169?) Mercedes-Benz A-Class diesel
1st gen Lexus IS200

Are any of these good budget buys potentially or are there better choices out there for the budget?

Edited by white_goodman on Tuesday 15th July 19:57

Edited by white_goodman on Tuesday 15th July 19:58

[Jamescrs]

Id go for something like a Ford Focus, probably not a Mk1 because they are getting very long in the tooth now but if you look on Autotrader with your budget there are loads of perfectly useable Focus Mk2 and Mk3 in your budget.

It's a good size car for what you need and if you choose wisely on engine, avoiding the 1 litre ecoboost you should get something reliable and even a half decent drive.

Edit i'd be inclined to look at the 1.6 litre petrol Zetec for a solid tried and tested engine

[ChocolateFrog]

Go to answer is usually a V70 or Superb in estate form.

Depends how you define cost to repair. If you're buying a 2k car I'm guessing you're doing most of it yourself, which makes it manageable.

[smithyithy]

Honda Civic.

[Resolutionary]

Potential rust aside, I've heard very good things about these (saloon or estate available, diesel / petrol, manual / auto, A/C a common option)

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/17826328

If it were my money, your criteria might very well lead me to as fresh an Accord as I can get, or a Saab / Volvo of similar vintage. Great family bus bang for buck, with more actual reliability than the perceived reliability of the supposed luxury brands (and I say this as a serial German car owner / sucker).

[Gtom]

Toyota Avensis

https://ebay.us/m/b5yMzM

[Bill]

We had a couple of petrol Mazda 6s that were completely reliable. Rust killed the first but the late 00s ones seem to have sorted that.

[7 5 7]

1.8 Vauxhall Insignia (get a fairly late plated car too) or a late plated same engined Vectra, absolutely loads about at this budget so you can be picky.

For example...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202507044...

Edited by 7 5 7 on Tuesday 15th July 20:04

[ChickenWire]

Good topic. I went through the same thing about 18months ago, and came to the same conclusion as one of the replies above. Honda Civic 1.8 from the early 2010's, ideally post-facelift. Tried and tested, dare I say 'bullet-proof' 1.8 VTEC petrol with no cam belt. Useful extras and cheap parts, not that you will need many.

Best
ChickenWire

Mod note: sorry, no ads in the forums.

Edited by Bill on Tuesday 15th July 20:39

[Tim Cognito]

2000's jap is where I'd be aiming. Rust is the only thing to worry about.

[borcy]

I'd get a civic petrol, should be some decent ones at that price.

[nobrakes]

7 5 7 said:

1.8 Vauxhall Insignia (get a fairly late plated car too) or a late plated same engined Vectra, absolutely loads about at this budget so you can be picky.

For example...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202507044...

Edited by 7 5 7 on Tuesday 15th July 20:04

Nice motor!

[OutInTheShed]

white_goodman said:

I m in need of a cheap 2-3k family friendly (2 kids) runabout/commuter, I have a 30 mile commute each way and I m not averse to something a bit older from the 2000s or a diesel. Needs to be comfortable, reliable and fairly practical/cheap to run/repair. I m not bothered about it having all the latest tech and ADAS stuff but AC would be nice. Having not shopped for a vehicle at this price point for a number of years, what s my best bet?

There are some surprisingly new vehicles in budget but either very high miles, bodywork damage or a fairly major mechanical fault ie seized engine/needs a new clutch etc, so am I better off looking at a well-maintained older car? A premium brand used to offer you a better built, more durable car but I m not so sure any more, I m not sure if I would trust a 2-3k BMW for example. Rust would be a bigger concern on an older vehicle I suppose, even if it is in good mechanical condition, as that s what kills off a lot of older cars and of course in this price range, it's all about condition.

Some cheap cars that I have seen advertised fairly locally that appeal include:
Mk1 Focus Zetec
2nd gen (W169?) Mercedes-Benz A-Class diesel
1st gen Lexus IS200

Are any of these good budget buys potentially or are there better choices out there for the budget?

Edited by white_goodman on Tuesday 15th July 19:57

Edited by white_goodman on Tuesday 15th July 19:58

You're racking up some miles, so fuel will impact total cost.
Therefore, since you're probably not looking for a supermini, I'd tend towards diesel.

I think it's often a mistake to look for 'cars which lots of people recommend' at this kind of price level, because they are priced higher.
The key thing is, yo uare not buying the average of any model, you are taking a punt on an individual example.

How long do you want it to last? There are plenty of £2k vehicles out there which might not pass another MOT without serious spending.
A £2k vehicle can very quickly become a £1k vehicle.
Almost any vehicle can throw a £500 bill very easily.
Some cheap cars are very expensive to insure for some people, this may limit your choice?

In the past, I've done well at that kind of price level by buying the cheapest thing with a long MOT which I felt I trusted.
Things small traders have taken in part-ex or cars from the small ads in the old days.
I've done 'back door deals' buying a car which a punter wants to trade in, but the dealer doesn't want. Sold as seen no warranty!

I'm never happy with a car until I've got the money set aside to replace it and I've had fair value from it.
The less you spend the sooner you're at that point.
Keep half your money in the bank if you can!
There are viable cars out there for under a grand. The trick is picking one from the unreliable deathtrap projects.
It's on you to choose, I'd hate to advise anyone to buy an xyz and see it go bad for them.


Have a look at ebay, is there anything being auctioned near you?, You could go and look before bidding.
There are OK cars out there which people just don't need any more. There are problem dogs which people are trying to get rid of.

[Mr Tidy]

I bought an 80K mile BMW E46 325ti Compact in 2014 for £1,950 and really liked it, although it did have a couple of pricey issues.

My current 2005 330i owes me less than £2K since it became a Cat N in 2023 and that hasn't been too problematic. Better still it isn't suffering from rust!

A Focus or Astra should be pretty good with hopefully less scope for expensive bills, but something Japanese might be a good alternative.

I'd be tempted to go Korean though. I had several Kia Cee'ds and Hyundai 30s as hire cars in the mid 2000s and they drove really well.

[nobrakes]

OutInTheShed said:

white_goodman said:

I m in need of a cheap 2-3k family friendly (2 kids) runabout/commuter, I have a 30 mile commute each way and I m not averse to something a bit older from the 2000s or a diesel. Needs to be comfortable, reliable and fairly practical/cheap to run/repair. I m not bothered about it having all the latest tech and ADAS stuff but AC would be nice. Having not shopped for a vehicle at this price point for a number of years, what s my best bet?

There are some surprisingly new vehicles in budget but either very high miles, bodywork damage or a fairly major mechanical fault ie seized engine/needs a new clutch etc, so am I better off looking at a well-maintained older car? A premium brand used to offer you a better built, more durable car but I m not so sure any more, I m not sure if I would trust a 2-3k BMW for example. Rust would be a bigger concern on an older vehicle I suppose, even if it is in good mechanical condition, as that s what kills off a lot of older cars and of course in this price range, it's all about condition.

Some cheap cars that I have seen advertised fairly locally that appeal include:
Mk1 Focus Zetec
2nd gen (W169?) Mercedes-Benz A-Class diesel
1st gen Lexus IS200

Are any of these good budget buys potentially or are there better choices out there for the budget?

Edited by white_goodman on Tuesday 15th July 19:57

Edited by white_goodman on Tuesday 15th July 19:58

You're racking up some miles, so fuel will impact total cost.
Therefore, since you're probably not looking for a supermini, I'd tend towards diesel.

I think it's often a mistake to look for 'cars which lots of people recommend' at this kind of price level, because they are priced higher.
The key thing is, yo uare not buying the average of any model, you are taking a punt on an individual example.

How long do you want it to last? There are plenty of £2k vehicles out there which might not pass another MOT without serious spending.
A £2k vehicle can very quickly become a £1k vehicle.
Almost any vehicle can throw a £500 bill very easily.
Some cheap cars are very expensive to insure for some people, this may limit your choice?

In the past, I've done well at that kind of price level by buying the cheapest thing with a long MOT which I felt I trusted.
Things small traders have taken in part-ex or cars from the small ads in the old days.
I've done 'back door deals' buying a car which a punter wants to trade in, but the dealer doesn't want. Sold as seen no warranty!

I'm never happy with a car until I've got the money set aside to replace it and I've had fair value from it.
The less you spend the sooner you're at that point.
Keep half your money in the bank if you can!
There are viable cars out there for under a grand. The trick is picking one from the unreliable deathtrap projects.
It's on you to choose, I'd hate to advise anyone to buy an xyz and see it go bad for them.


Have a look at ebay, is there anything being auctioned near you?, You could go and look before bidding.
There are OK cars out there which people just don't need any more. There are problem dogs which people are trying to get rid of.

^ Wise words.

You ll get better value in BASIC spec cars, too, as everyone tends to want all the bells and whistles (then barely uses them).

A terrible colour will help get better value.

Go with cash. Put your offer on the bonnet, assuming he declines, add say £120 from your pocket that you know only has that amount that in it, then if he refuses again, pick it up and walk. They ll call you back by the time you get to the end of the drive/forecourt.

Edited by nobrakes on Wednesday 16th July 08:18

[RustyNissanPrairie]

Early Berlingo/Pug Partner, ideally with the 2.0HDI engine or any petrol. Avoid the 1.6diesel.

I have one and it's the most economical/cheapest car I've ever owned, parts are dirt cheap, it's been very reliable and it does 50mpg. Galvanized so don't really rust.

Super useful but bit cringe worthy to be in so will never be stolen.

[nobrakes]

^ very ‘convenient’ too!

[the cueball]

I got a C3 Picasso as a run about after a thread on here... had it a few years now and it's great!

I can't find anything to replace it... cheap to run, can service it myself, roomy, dog loves it, back seats fold down flat for dump runs etc, even got a tow bar for a small trailer.

It's been a great car!

[66HFM]

As others have said, I'd go with a petrol Honda Civic or similar from Toyota, Auris?

Although sometimes its going in with your eyes open rather than narrowing it down to a certain car as something you weren't looking for can suddenly pop up for sale.

Good luck

[DaveyBoyWonder]

My mum had a mk2 Focus and it rusted for fun. Similar aged Mondeos are known for disintegrating subframes etc too.

Some kind of Civic would feature high on my list.