After ignoring several warnings to get her Mini One's cooling system checked, the inevitable has happened to my step-daughter's pride and joy.
A £1k estimate (from a mechanic who is a trustworthy family friend) after seizing the engine makes it beyond economic repair, so she needs to find another car for a maximum of £1.5k.

The problem is, she is 20 and therefore can't possibly have a car that isn't cool. My suggestions have been rebuffed with wails of misery and barely disguised contempt. Even the Fiat Panda.

Can anyone think of something that would appeal to an illogical youth for that money? Another Mini is obviously a possibility, but they command a premium, so she would be at risk of getting let down again.

Many thanks in advance for suggestions...

Stilo Jtd? Maybe alittle old but can come fairly fully loaded.

The 1.2 16v apparently is also a cracking engine also.
3 door is much better looking and very low insurance group.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201501130129244?postcode=dy49rt&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&make=fiat&page=1&model=stilo&search-target=usedcars&sort=default&radius=1500&channel=cars&quantity-of-doors=3&logcode=p

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201507085017815?model=stilo&sort=default&page=2&channel=cars&quantity-of-doors=3&make=fiat&radius=1500&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&search-target=usedcars&postcode=dy49rt&logcode=p

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201505223686699?model=stilo&sort=default&page=2&channel=cars&quantity-of-doors=3&make=fiat&radius=1500&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&search-target=usedcars&postcode=dy49rt&logcode=p


All less than 1k.

Grande Punto?



Cool(ish) ?

Or arrange an accident involving a box of matches for the Mini?

She's got what it'd cost to repair. I personally think she should look into repair as the car is a known quantity.

For 1500 quid, you may be buying someone elses problem.

I think the Stilo is unlikely to win approval, though they are certainly good value. I was looking at the Grande Punto - might just work...

szkom - the problem is that the known quantity is the utter neglect that step-daughter has shown to her Mini! Despite plenty of "advice", she has never even checked the tyres. It's a tough life lesson, but hopefully one that will sink in.
Having said that, her guilt over her beloved "Albi" might mean that she does shell out to have it fixed.

Have you considered leasing her a new small car?

It seems stuff like a Renault Twingo can be got for around £100 a month on a 3 year deal, so her £1500 should cover half of the lease and she will get a warranty thrown in too.

I'm vaguely thinking about going the leasing route when I eventually change my Grande Punto.

It's an interesting idea, Pete. I'm not sure her pay (she's an apprentice at a music venue) would be enough to get approval, would it?
Also, I'd be worried that her insurance might be quite high on a brand new car. She paid over a grand for her first year with the Mini, which fell to £700 by shopping around for this (her second) year.

lease a fiat 500, everyone else seems to these days, pretty cheap too and has a noddy interior like the mini

If its 1k to fix, and 1.5k for a replacement, better the devil you know?

Im not sure how a life lesson comes in to it, its going to cost regardless of being repaired unless you are buying the car and not fixing it as part of this life lesson, and if that is the case surly practical and sensible and cheep would be better than purchasing another cool car?

If its her money thats getting spent surly thats life lesson enough

Kids these days! Brought up in a disposable world, so they fail to see that replacing something you wear out or break is actually painful

But seriously, I would not even try to suggest cool. Leave that to the young lady. Once she has come up with something she likes that is within her price bracket, start looking for a decent example. If there is nothing cool that is also affordable, then start looking for stuff that is good and maybe not so uncool. She will have to broaden her sights.

Personally, I would set a max. age and mileage, insurance group maybe, and distance from where you are and see what is available. There is no point chasing something that is not there. Also, if she has limited mechanical understanding/sympathy, I would tend to look for something made in Japan.

I suppose the fix it argument holds some water - she really likes the car, despite not heeding the calls to maintain it! If she goes that route, I'd be inclined to use some of the extra money to make sure it is all in decent fettle.

Buy her a £500 banger, fix the mini and keep it for yourself. that'll learn her!

It's certainly the way I'd go. The trouble with any 1500 quid car is that virtually any repair is going to an economic no no. But if you get a few more years motoring then it's not so bad in the scheme of things. You just need to weigh up if you're fighting a lost cause with the car.

mx5, cheap as chips.

The trouble she will have with a lease car is when it has to go back.
If the lease car is cared for in the same manner has the Mini she will have a lovely excess to pay.

Well, I've eaten my words and we've told step-daughter to get her mechanic friend to take a thorough look at the car and see what needs doing to keep it safely on the road, on top of the engine. If it works out less than £1500, then better the devil she knows (and loves).

As for the MX5 suggestion, I did have one in my saved autotrader searches. And a Saab 9-3 convertible and a 4.0 S-Type Jag. I may have forgotten the brief somewhat....

I noticed Fiat doing an interesting deal on 500s for lease and insurance combined for young people. Not cheap at over £200 a month for the insured car but the peace of mind of no big bills.

Frankly, if she couldn't be bothered to maintain a car that she loves, that will be the way she treats all cars. Not a criticism, i know loads of people who do nothing to their cars and expect them to "just work". However best she steers well clear of leasing.

Good info there, MRS, but I think it might be beyond her means at the moment.
RK - one thing (of many) in stepdaughter's favour is that she is pretty good at learning lessons; if she gets her beloved Albi back, I expect to see a quantum change in the level of service and care lavished upon it.
But, as I say, I think the cost of leasing will be prohibitive for now. I also think she would be intimidated by driving around in a new car.

Hey Jim.

If you don't repair I'd say go retro or get the best Puma 1.4 or Saxo VTR you can get, assuming insurance isn't too bad for a 20yo. Fun, coolish and cheap when things do go wrong.

Hey roly - how are you, mate?!

That's not a bad shout - I'll bear it in mind. I'd quite fancy a Puma, though I've no idea if my step-daughter would...

Hey Jim - not so bad. Got a few minutes free, so decided to end my exile on here.

I sold one of my 1.4 Pumas to a lass whose dad brought her 200 miles to see it. She wasn't keen when she rocked up but loved it when she saw it and drove it.

Can't speak highly enough of Saxo VTRs either. Huge fun.

If she's got her heart set on something newer I'd hunt down a copy of the driving section of the Sunday Times and leave it lying around. It had a great feature about the Festival of the Unexceptional, which might open her eyes to retro.

Good luck!

Opening her eyes to retro is really not a problem. It took me 2 years to convince her not to buy an old school Lada.

Citroen C2 perhaps, or even a C1.

How about a smart car, I'm sure I saw them at £99 a month somewhere.

Whacking £1500 and BIN into ebay yields some interesting results

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-PEUGEOT-206-ALLURE-BLUE-/181815678032?hash=item2a550f1450

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2002-MG-TF-SIL...=item2355b0be1d

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SMART-FORTWO-CABRIO-KERMIT-/181820377449?hash=item2a5556c969

Thanks TBirdX; I think the problem is that most of us here have an interest in cars and can get enthusiastic about all kinds of different things. I would happily try out most of the recommendations in this thread, whereas my stepdaughter would most likely leave in tears. We're waiting to hear what her mechanic friend says...

in all honesty, the yaris t sport PH1 (PH2 go for a little more) is great little car, 1.5 vvti 105bhp, great handling, looks nice with the wheels and kit, super reliable and the ph1 go fairly cheap.
heres my other half's yaris.

got onto footman james classic car insurance!!!!

you will be surprised at what you can insure under a classic policy..

FTO £150 a year
20v coupe £230 a year

Im 24 with no NCD

How about a SportKa, StreetKa or Micra 160SR.

Thanks for the new suggestions; since I posted this, my stepdaughter has been accepted for a personal finance deal on a new Fiat 500 with Marmelade, which includes her insurance for the first year. She has put down a £2k deposit and opted for a 3-year deal at around £160 per month.
As long as her driving is not deemed to be "risky" (there's a black box fitted), her premium will reduce by 20% each year.