Ask the expert: Which £2,000 small car delivers the most driving pleasure?
I drive a nice, safe Skoda Kamiq automatic. But I wish to buy a small car with a manual gearbox to drive to Switzerland and Scotland, to recreate driving memories from the 1980s in a Mini Metro and Citroën AX, when I was in my 20s. It obviously needs to be reliable, although outright performance is not important. What should I get for £2,000?
– DH
Dear DH,
At this price, reliability is largely dictated by provenance, rather than brand. So it pays to buy chiefly on condition, history and length of MOT rather than aiming for a particular model.
Having said that, the most reliable choice for that money would be a first-generation Toyota Yaris (1999-2005). I love these cars – cute, characterful and dependable.
Your budget should get you a good one, although I'd recommend a 1.3-litre engine rather than a 1.0 for motorway driving. I found a 2003 T3 with only 54,000 miles and a year's MOT for £2,000.
The Yaris should be enjoyable to drive, particularly compared with your Kamiq, but there are also more entertaining options within your budget.
I'm thinking in particular of the original Ford Ka, renowned for its brilliant chassis, which was produced from 1996 to 2007. It will be less refined on a motorway than the Yaris, but more entertaining when you reach twisting roads.
The Ka's mechanicals are hardy, but almost any example will have some sort of rust, so check it carefully. The 1.6-litre SportKa is immense fun; little else offers as many smiles for your cash. However, its rarity means you will probably have to settle for the standard 1.3, which is still a joy to drive. I found a 2005 Luxury, with leather seats, air conditioning, a long MOT, a full history and a very reasonable 77,000 miles, for £1,500.
My final suggestion is a Suzuki Swift, the generation produced from 2004-10. Your budget probably won't quite get you into the marvellous 1.6-litre Sport, which would be ideal, but a standard Swift in 1.5-litre form gets close.
They're great fun to drive and while they feel a little tinny, they're dependable. A 1.5 GLX with a full history, a year's MOT and 99,000 miles for £1,995 should be the ideal partner for your road trip.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
F1 Hungarian GP LIVE: Qualifying start time and schedule as Norris and Piastri fight for pole
Lando Norris swept both of Friday's practice sessions as F1 returned to Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Friday. Norris, who is 16 points behind teammate Oscar Piastri in the Drivers' standings, started quicker at the Hungaroring as the Briton set the fastest time in the opening session before finishing FP2 with another fastest time of 1:15.624s, just 0.291s ahead of his Australian teammate. And it seems like that pair will once again battle for the victory this weekend as they did at the Belgian Grand Prix last time out, with Piastri also having won here last year in what was a controversial maiden victory. Charles Leclerc secured third place behind the McLaren duo and it was a successful day for Aston Martin too, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso recording there fourth and fifth-fastest times after the Spaniard had sat out the first practice through injury. And now the drivers head into Saturday's final practice and qualifying session with a renewed experience of Hungary's tight, twisty circuit, with Piastri hoping to claw back some time as the McLaren duo re-ignite their title battle. Max Verstappen commits future to Red Bull for 2026 F1 season 'I'm discussing with the team already the plans, the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I'm also staying with the team for next year,' Verstappen said on Thursday. "The thing is always that people are waffling so much throughout the whole season, while the only one that actually can or should speak is not speaking. That's me. "And I do that on purpose because it makes no sense to start throwing things around, and actually that should be the same for everyone. "Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama. But, for me, it's always been quite clear, and also for next year.' Jack Rathborn2 August 2025 13:31 George Russell on Mercedes contract talks 'They ultimately hold the cards because of the situation we find ourselves in with the sort of management agreement,' Russell said. 'So they've had no rush to sign Kimi or I, because we've got sort of this longer term overriding deal in place. 'But you know, truth is, I've never feared losing my seat, and that's not even been on the table once this year, even though, of course, you guys like to make a big deal out of it. 'Maybe 12 months ago, I was a bit more anxious and wanting to get something sorted or confirmed for '26. Maybe six months ago, I felt the same. But now, I'm performing better than ever. I still feel I've got more to give. 'I've waited so long, and I think now I want to get through this weekend. I want to go on a holiday next week and enjoy the break. And there is no time pressure my side. There is no time pressure from the team's side. So whenever we come to an agreement, we'll get it done. But it's got to be right both ways.' Jack Rathborn2 August 2025 13:15 Lewis Hamilton thinks about podium drought 'every day' Lewis Hamilton admits he thinks about the longest run of his career without a grand prix podium, currently at 15 races, 'every day'. Hamilton joked that the poor run does not bother, initially stating "no", but then admitted the lack of success aggravates him. "Of course it does," he added. "I think about it every day." Jack Rathborn2 August 2025 13:09 Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko on chance meeting with Mercedes star Kimi Antonelli 'I don't want to make any outside comments on how things work for any other team. Antonelli is certainly very fast, but also a very young driver,' Helmut Marko said. 'Strangely enough, we spoke briefly in the hotel at Spa, and he said that he has no confidence in the car. As soon as he pushes, he no longer has control. 'It's more of a mental thing, and it seems that [with] his car, like ours, it's very critical to be in the working window. When it does work, it's much more potent, and of course a driver like Russell does it much more easily. Mercedes, thank goodness, don't have the luxury of a second team.' Jack Rathborn2 August 2025 12:59 FP3 RESULTS IN FULL Kieran Jackson2 August 2025 12:46 Oscar Piastri quickest in FP3! The championship leader lays down the gauntlet to his McLaren teammate, with a time 0.032 seconds quicker than Lando Norris. Leclerc in P3, with Hamilton fourth and Antonelli fifth. 6-10: Alonso, Stroll, Russell, Bortoleto, Hulkenberg Verstappen down in P12... Kieran Jackson2 August 2025 12:35 Norris up to P2 Lando Norris moves up to second, but can't usurp teammate Oscar Piastri! Norris' time 0.032 seconds off Piastri, with Leclerc now up to third and Hamilton in P4. 5-10: Antonelli, Alonso, Stroll, Russell, Bortoleto, Hulkenberg Verstappen is 1.2 seconds off the pace down in P12! 10 mins to go in FP3... Kieran Jackson2 August 2025 12:24 Oscar Piastri quickest after 30 mins Most of the drivers now out on track as the action increases in Budapest. Piastri is top at the moment with a 1:15:871, 0.144 seconds than Lewis Hamilton in second. 3-10: Leclerc, Verstappen, Norris, Bortoleto, Russell, Antonelli, Stroll, Hulkenberg 30 mins left in FP1. Kieran Jackson2 August 2025 12:04 Kieran Jackson2 August 2025 11:48
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Oscar Piastri edges out Lando Norris in final practice in Hungary
Lando Norris trailed Oscar Piastri by just 0.032 seconds in final practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Norris headed both sessions at the Hungaroring on Friday but played second fiddle to his championship rival and McLaren team-mate in the concluding running before qualifying. McLaren have been dominant all weekend at the last round before the summer break with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc third, albeit four tenths back. Lewis Hamilton was next up, 0.768 seconds off Piastri's pace, with Kimi Antonelli fifth for Mercedes and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso sixth. George Russell took eighth place but Max Verstappen's troubled weekend continued after he finished way down in 12th. The four-time world champion took aim at the handling of his Red Bull as he ended the session 1.2 sec slower than Piastri. Yuki Tsunoda was 19th of 20 in the other Red Bull. Qualifying for the 14th round of 24 takes place at 16:00 local time (15:00 BST). Piastri holds a 16-point lead over team-mate Norris in the world championship.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Tanak handed five minute penalty and suspended points deduction
Aug 2 (Reuters) - Hyundai's world rally championship leader Ott Tanak has been handed a five-minute penalty and a suspended 35-point deduction after an incident with a scrutineer at Rally Finland. Stewards reported that the Estonian stopped for tyre checking as directed at the end of Friday's stage seven but then accelerated abruptly before being given the signal to depart. The car's front bumper struck a scrutineer, who suffered minor injuries. Tanak was ruled to be in breach of the International Automobile Federation's sporting code regarding unsafe conduct, failure to follow scrutineer instructions, and misconduct. The time penalty dropped the driver to 29th overall in Finland, with the rally finishing on Sunday. The opens new tab website reported that Tanak had apologised and told a hearing on Friday evening that his car had cooling problems after he hit a tree on the seventh stage and he had wanted to keep the car moving to avoid overheating. Tanak is one point clear of Toyota's Elfyn Evans in the championship.
