we are thinking of selling our beloved ford focus as we can't afford the next lot of road tax and can't really afford to run it if we don't need it just now...but we were looking at other used cars, some start at £700+ which we could afford and still have money left over....but i do feel that there is such a thing as 'too cheap' when it comes to cars........what do you think?

Our car was 900 5 years ago and hasn't really needed anything done despite it being old (1996)

I think its all luck.

We bought my daughter a fiat punto (w reg 2000) when she passed her test a year ago, it cost us £1k it was great and kept her on the road doing a fair few miles and never let her down. A few weeks ago the exhaust started to hang off so we scrapped it. Im sure it would have been ok if we'd have put an exhaust on it but oh reckoned that soon everything would start to go wrong with it and she travels a quite far to work so we didnt want to risk her breaking down on the motorway all on her own.

I do think there are some bargains out there.

I have a peugeot 106 (2002), with only about 50 000 miles on it. Its runs like a wee gem and im annoyed at the idea of having to sell it - but 3 door is getting less and less practical as I expand and Caitlin contorts being put in the seat. Id prob only get £700-£800 for it but whoever gets it will be getting a good car. I left it out for weeks unused in the snow and it still started first go.

Im looking at 5 door 2001 megane with 50 000 miles for £900, but like you im a bit worried it will end up needing work done repeatedly.

I can see both sides to it, but personally if its what you can afford, and practical for what you need I would go for it. My friends who have 3 or 4 yr old cars seem to have more problems than I do with my car. I think sometimes older cars were made better and less likely to have problems with electrics etc. Take a look at how many miles are on the car (to me this is more important than age) and whether they have had the timing belt (or is it fan belt?) replaced recently - I know most go at around 50 000 miles so if thats been replaced fingers crossed you shouldnt have too much trouble.

Can I just add I know feck all about cars and have got that information from conversations with FIL and my mechanic (friends dad) when iv been thinking about changing my car.

Like Penny said it's about luck really. Who is selling what and why. Mine and Matts first car was a Renault clio, was about 12yrs old but not many miles and ran great, that was only £350 and we actually sold it for £400.

The car we have at the moment, 2003 seat leon we got for £950 when all the others of the same age were going for about £1500. We've had no problems with it.

You can get some great deals just make sure you take someone you knows a bit about cars to view it.

My oh bought an old BMW as a runaround to get to work for £495 about 3 years ago and we still have it x

When I left my job that had a company car I had £500 to buy and tax a car.. I bought a Renault Megane on ebay from down the road for £400 ...I had it almost 3 years and then the head gasket blew on it...so it 'cost' me (minus the usual stuff cars need) £2.50 a week while I had it!

I don't go very far in my car, as we live in town, and if I go anywhere far I just hire a car...so it doesn't matter to me about having a nice car..I'd rather spend the money on other things that get used for more than 5 minutes a day!

guess it depends who you know
my father is in the know with cars , he bought my scenic for me for a grand total of £200 ! albeit with no mot but it sailed through test and recently passed another one
my dad buys insurance write offs not ones you would deem unsafe but ones with a dent in wing or or one that was stolen and just had the lock busted, he gets near brand new cars for a few hundred quid and puts them back on the road , he does not charge silly money for them either , he just enjoys doing it

like the others said its luck really and who you know...i got my 1st car (r reg punto...4 years ago) for £100 off my cousine, it sailed through the mot and lasted me over a year with no problems...my second car was also a r reg punto, paid £650 and had nothing but trouble from day one and had to scrap it the second time the head gasket went x

my mums got a renault megane 2008, and paid about £8000 for it, its shit!!! it always has stuff wrong with it! I think, If you had an expensive car, and a cheap one, youd be so much more pissed off if something broke on the expensive one!