Cheap econobox

I want to buy a car mostly for city driving because I'm tired of riding the bus. I live in Eastern Europe, and I don't want to spend more than 1000 euros on it.
Although I would ideally want something fun and with good handling/performance, I understand that I can't get anything too good for this price.
The most important thing has to be reliability (I want to keep spending to a minimum, so cheap parts would be great, and I don't want to be left on the side of the road because of break downs) followed by fuel economy (small displacement, I guess).
The rest would be a bonus, like A/C, comfort, handling, etc.
So far, I've considered a Ford Fiesta Mk6, Opel Corsa C, Daewoo Matiz, maybe VW Polo.
What's the best choice for a city econobox?

i'd advise against the opel corsa
i had one as a replacement vehicle and it's the saddest thing i ever driven
at least matiz is a poor man's twingo

What was bad about it? Just really boring to drive?

>i'd advise against the opel corsa

This. I drive a B, drove a C a few times and the only thing it has for it is the extra comfort goodies. Everything else was a step down. New engines are gutless, and the interior plastics managed to feel cheaper than in the B, which is an accomplishment in itself.

Ok, then no Corsa; so what would be the best choice?
Only car I've driven so far is a 1.2 Dacia Logan.
I just need something that I can rely on and not become a money pit.

looks like it could go fast cause it's small and light but theres no power whatsoever
also for 1000€ you're probably not gonna get one in mint condition
the one i drove was on 150k km and already felt like it was gonna fall apart

Honda Civic

For reliability, cost of ownership, good handling chassis and superior fuel economy.

Fiesta if you want something a bit more modern.

The Polo isn't very good, neither is the Corsa. And especially not the fucking Matiz.

I'd go with the Civic. That's what I did in your position a few years ago. Seriously watch out for rust in the rear wheel arches.

Also, comfort isn't the most importable thing if you're that tight on money. Learn to deal with it.

Also for some valuable insights watch the Autoweek klokje series on Youtube.

They have subtitles.

For what it's worth, my B has been bombproof (uses the older 1.4 8v mpi engine), and if something goes wrong all you have to do is skip a morning coffee and it's already paid for. Opel really dropped the hall late 90's onward.
Then again, I figure you're looking for something more modern than this and with more QoL features as a dd.

I live in Eastern Europe, I can't really find a proper Honda Civic here. The cheapest Honda I can find in my area would be a 1.6 CRX del Sol for 1200 euros, and a 1.4 Aerodeck Civic for 1500. I don't know if they are actually worth it for my purpose.
Thanks, I'll watch that series.
I heard the 8v engines have bad fuel economy for their size, plus they are older cars, so more stuff is bound to need replacing.
I don't really care about features as long as I can depend on it.

>I heard the 8v engines have bad fuel economy for their size

For all intents and purposes it's an update to an engine family designed in the early 80's. Don't expect them to drop below 7L/100Km even on open road.
Everything else goes for them though, the C14SE specifically (the one I have) has a fantastic low end torque for its size, and in the year and a half that I owned it all that went wrong with it was a battery. But truth be told I spent a good 3-4 months making sure I'd find one in good condition.

Just try and find an SDI Polo, slow as sin but reliable and fuel efficient.

I think I'll try to find something more modern, and as a last resort I'll get a Corsa B.
The 1.9 SDI Polo gets about 7.7l/100km urban, so it's pretty close to a 1.0/1.2 gas engine, so I'd rather get a small gas engine.

GOLF MKIV

The goat sub 1000€ shitbox

MK3 Golf diesel

Mk3 Golf with 2.0l,no exceptions
>at headlights
>unkillable engine
>fun

Qt headlights*

I doubt I can find one in decent shape considering VW are a little overpriced here from German imports, but I will look.
Why diesel? Those will probably be taxed a lot soon.
It looks nice, but 12l/100km is a lot for urban driving, I'd like something more efficient.

>I live in Eastern Europe
Golf Mk. 3 then.
Sorry but this is the only car that's local mechanics will know how to fix and all stores wil have cheap parts for.
You could try your luck with a Peugeot 206 and they'll tell you the french should stay away from cars and the only thing they should do is cooking and blowjobs.
If you really don't give a shit about the opinions of your local mechanic get a K11 Nissan Micra 1.3, it's extremely economical and reliable, despite what you've heard about Japanese cars the parts are very cheap.

>and all stores wil have cheap parts for
In stock I mean, I have to wait for parts for my Micra sometimes and mechanics always bitch about it being japanese.
Everyone has parts in stock for a Golf.

>It looks nice, but 12l/100km is a lot for urban driving, I'd like something more efficient.
The Micra gets 7 point something l/100 city and 5l/100km highway if you're happy doing just 100km/h.
I was planning on doing an LPG conversion but it's cheap enough as it is on petrol.

Are the smaller Golf 3 engines just as good as the bigger ones? I'd rather not spend too much on fuel if they are just as reliable.
The Micra looks alright, but I can't find any 1.3 around me, are the 1.0 any good or should I avoid them?

>diesel taxed
>eastern europe
lad by the time diesel gets taxed in eastern Europe youre gonna have a newer car, trust me

>are the 1.0 any good or should I avoid them
Both engines are bulletproof, but the 1.0 will be too slow.
Not sure about all of the petrol engines but I can vouch for the 1.8 90hp engine being pretty reliable.

I've heard great things about the 100hp 1.6. Never actually driven one though.
Also, you said you probably not getting a Golf IV, but in the case you actually do, AVOID THE 1.4 16V LIKE THE GODDAMN PLAGUE

I don't don't think it would come from us, but maybe the EU will enforce those laws and we will have to adapt. You are probably right though, not anytime soon.
Too slow for what? You mean for highway use?
If I keep to city streets and areas with a 90km/h limit, will the 1.0 be enough?
I'll search for some Golf 3's then, preferably some lower mileage ones, and without rust if possible.
What's wrong with the 1.4 16v? Unreliable?

>What's wrong with the 1.4 16v? Unreliable?

Sort of. The cause is it was fitted from factory with very weak piston rings, as result they tend to drink oil (and I mean drink, it's not uncommon for them to go through a full litre of oil or even more every 1000Km), and end up destroying parts like cat converters and o2 sensors.

>Too slow for what? You mean for highway use?
>If I keep to city streets and areas with a 90km/h limit, will the 1.0 be enough?
It took it 16.4 seconds to 100km/h when it was new, that's just way too slow, it's also less economical than the 1.3, it is simply too underpowered.

vw lupo 3l

that retarded automatic gearbox is a fucking timebomb.

Ok, will avoid those if I get a Golf IV.
Alright, if an ad pops up for a 1.3 I'll go for it, no offers so far in my area, just those 1.0
I don't think I can get a 3L for this price, are the other Lupo engines any good?
I'd rather have manual anyway.

if you want unkillable reliable maintenance free shitmobile get a polo 6n2.
i went 2 years without any maintenance including oil changes and it runs perfect after many beatings. and the galvanized body makes the car almost rust free.

A better alternative to the Micra would be the Yaris, but at least over here they cost more than 1000 euro.
All of the engines are pretty good too, even the small 1l petrol is decent enough.

Ok, I will look for a Polo 6n2, any particular engine?
Almost impossible to find at this price, so I guess I'll have to stick to the Micra probably.

1.4 is a good choice, they had the oil issue from the Golf IV fixed in these, it shouldn't have any major issues.
Careful with the Micras though, have a good look at them. While the engines are quite nice, they attract rust like a pile of shit attracts flies.

you might have trouble finding one for 1000 euros
just buy one that looks like shit as long as it drives good. mine was imported and definitely wrecked before, no service logs either. only red flag but never failed.

>they attract rust like a pile of shit attracts flies.
Mine was imported from Italy so no rust.
The previous owner didn't bother changing anything on the car though, everything was still OEM including the fucking coolant which looked like diarrhoea.

Neither in Portugal. But I know every Micra north of France has it quite bad.

If you find a nice astra GSI go for that. Check for rust and stay away from those riced out ones.

Ok, I'll look out for rust, hope I can get a decent one.
Thanks for the advice.
I can't find any in this price range, plus it looks like there are very few models left, so that may be a problem when looking for parts.

SANDERO
A
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D
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When it comes to Opel, parts aren't really an issue. They share so much between them that you could scavenge parts from other models.
For instance, the engine for an Astra GSi could also be sourced from a Vectra or a Calibra, and it is plug and play.

A Focus if you want something that is cheap, economical and handles well.

Unironically a later model Twingo. These things are dirt fucking cheap, lightweight, not very thirsty and parts cost jack shit.
They even had a couple of pretty neat options for a shitbox, and even one in decent shape with a full glass sunroof and AC should easily stay below 1k eurobucks.

Give me one reason why someone would buy a Twingo over a Clio unironically.

Lighter and a smarter interior.
Also full length glass or canvas sunroof.

Every time I stop and admire that fucking gorgeous color scheme.

this or it's sister
1.4 8v engine is so reliable it's kinda boring

cheaper
less fuel
less insurance
smaller

>cute

wont be much longer. I will keep the rear bumper, mirrors, rocker panel and maybe the gas cap gray when im done.
keep it under 20$ on paint

Old Civic is bad choice for Europe.

Drove EG until recently and availability of affordable parts is big problem. Like you can get everything through deal network but prices are 3-5x what you would pay for Skoda or VW. Aftermarket parts are combination of bad availability, super shitty quality and high prices.

So in the end mine was put mostly from ebay and scrapyards parts.

It's also quite complicated for shitbox with lots of joints and bushings in suspension compared to average euro shitbox.

this is one of the most retarded and blatantly false things ive read on here.

I'm just sharing my experience man.

Still have jap truck and it's again ebay time, have to order almost everything from Australia of all places and then pay EU taxes against price+shipping amount.

twingos are like a hundred euros in some places, clios are not

you could fix that with lots of zip ties and depressurizing the coolant

This is true. Parts for jap cars are significantly more expensive in europe, kind of a pain when I had an E100 Corolla. It didn't break down much, but holy fuck when it did.

idk mates, the parts for the Micra are pretty cheap
Anything from 40 to 100 euros for a clutch set
35 euro for a CV joint
100 euros for a timing chain set
Suspension parts are cheap and on par with other small cars
Belts, pulleys and tensioners are at a reasonable price too
Even external trim like mirrors and headlights and fenders
The only problem so far has been availability, I usually have to wait a day for the parts to arrive from elsewhere in the country, and that there aren't a lot of used parts from scrap yards like there are for Golfs and Corsas

Didn't work with zip-ties since those stretch under high temperature.

Temporary fixed it with ordinary cord wrapped all around.

To be honest, I'd get a Sandero if I could, but none are this cheap.
I guess, but I can't find a proper Astra GSI in the first place.
What engines are the best on the Focus?
Late model after which year? I always considered the Twingo just an Veeky Forums meme, is it actually any good?
Is the Ibiza any good? I found a 1.4 for 1000 euros with 126k km, is it a good deal?
I actually like how that looks, I think I'd prefer that over anything else here.
I'd rather avoid that, plus no proper Civics over here.
I don't mind waiting, as long as the price is good.

>I heard the 8v engines have bad fuel economy for their size

Its about the same as a 1.2 16v corsa C, but the 1.2 will smoke the 1.4 8v in performance, 78hp 1.2 vs 59hp 1.4

Ah, I didn't know. But I think I won't go for a Corsa since they don't seem to be as interesting as other options.

"later model" as in 2000+, they're slightly safer and have the cleaner looking front bumper. '96+ got the 60hp OHC engine, and later on the 75hp 16V was added to the lineup.