I am in need of some opinions!

I'm looking for a runaround car and would love some suggestions from you guys.

- £4k-ish

- 3 door hatchback but NEEDS to be something a bit different, don't fancy a corsa, fiesta, clio etc

Fire away :D

Hyundai i20 is good: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201406084856700/sort/default/usedcars/make/hyundai/page/1/price-to/4500/postcode/tn254az/radius/1500/maximum-age/up_to_5_years_old/onesearchad/used/quantity-of-doors/3?logcode=p

Kia Cee'd is good, the ProCeed ZR-7 is a good little toy, very nippy!:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201404243643362/sort/default/usedcars/radius/1500/quantity-of-doors/3/onesearchad/used/page/1/postcode/tn254az/make/kia/price-to/4500/maximum-age/up_to_5_years_old?logcode=p

If you want to go really special, there is always the axiam:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201404113262335/sort/default/usedcars/quantity-of-doors/3/make/aixam/radius/1500/onesearchad/used/page/1/price-to/4500/maximum-age/up_to_5_years_old/postcode/tn254az?logcode=p

On a serious note though, Hyuindai and Kia have both upped their game recently, the ProCee'd is a very good car, and as I had the Cee'd for a year, its excellent and handles as well as the Focus MK2.

That aixam is almost too tempting . I think the Kia is up on the shortlist. Does the interior handle a bit of abuse? It wont have a terribly easy life haha.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Ford OC mobile app

haha, the aixam is extremely good value for money, you get 4 wheels, a car turny wheel, some twizzly things that make the glass next to your face go up and down, and you even have a music making device. You also get some chair like objects in the car and three magic pushy things that stop the car, make it sound louder and another one that does something with a stick thing! and you get that got the reasonable price of just over 2K!

As for the Cee'd, yes mate, my Ceed (c'eed, Cee'd, C'e'e'd - however you care to announce it) was an excellent build quality. The dash wasnt plastic so much as it was like a softer wrapped material *can only describe it as a part rubber material) and the worst I did to it was scratch the plastic surround of the centre console and scratch the boot plastics when I lugged a filing cabinet in it. Otherwise, it dealt with two kids, the shopping and everything inbetween (including garden clearance fence panels, posts etc).

If I had got the diesel and estate version, I would have ran that puppy till the day it blew up! it really was an excellent car, and before the new shiny expensive facelift they offered for the MK2, it really was an excellent motor, and I struggled often to forget that I was driving a Kia and not a Focus. The interior IMHO was in some ways better than the focus, but it really was an excellent drive. I would emplore you to go to your local dealer, pick one out and take it for a drive, it really is worth a place on the shortlist!

Alternatively, there is one other car that if you spent a few more quid than your current budget, you could get a very basic but by all accounts good car.

You could get the Dacia Sandero (James May loves a bit of slap and tickle with that!). There is the Fiat Panda, which you can get for around £7k, the Renault Twizzy for just over that (fully electric though! - saves on the go juice costs!) there is also the Nissan Pixo, which if you find the right deal, you can get a good car again at a cheap price, Brand new, they were previously selling them on special offers for say £5k, but moreso towards the £7k

I think between those four though, I would say look at a used Cee'd first, and then see what you can magic on a new car in the other brackets. but if you want a helping hand, I came across this:

http://www.centralcontracts.com/news/new-cars-that-cost-less-than-8000-5172

Now, whilst I did forget the name of the Twizzy and the Pixo, this site reminded me of those, but I do recall those being cheap but good cars. But the question is up to you, do you want a car with mod cons, used, costs more and has a bit more power, or do you want a back to basics, brand new, with warranty for a smiden more?

What a lovely and thorough overview of the aixam! For some reason though I think I may have to give it a miss.

I don't think it'd even be worth buying a new cheap car, it won't be used enough for the warranty to even matter! I think a used c'eed will be the way forward, even on looks alone haha.

I'll find some locally and take one out for a test drive. I may spend a few more pennies to get a good example.

Thanks for taking the time out to reply mate, much appreciated! :)

No worries, although I am disappointed you dont want the aixam :( lol

I did a full blown review on the Cee'd (the Pro_Cee'd is just the three door version!) if you fancy a read:

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/20368-au-revoir-focus/