Help me choose a small, reliable, economical car to run.

Help! I'm looking at buying a new car - I currently have a 1.0-litre petrol Nissan Micra and I have a 110km round trip commute to work five days a week. I am looking for a small, reliable, economical car to run.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Elaine Henry (Sligo)

Mar 2014 Filed under: choosing used car

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Expert answer

Hi Elaine,

If you want to stay with a small car then can I suggest tracking down a nice Ford Fiesta? Your €8k budget won't quite stretch to a new EcoBoost model, but the older 1.25 petrol engine is still a sweet, economical and reliable unit.

If it's maximum economy you're after then you need to think of a small diesel. How about a Peugeot 207 1.4 HDi? Hard to track down but 65mpg is easy.

Better yet, you could trade up altogether. €8k should get you into a nice 2008 SEAT Leon 1.9 TDI - hugely reliable, spacious, economical and really good to drive.

Let us know what you think

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser
@neilmbriscoe