It looks like I'm probably going to have to give in and get a car, so I'm trying to get something that will be cheap, reliable, and as environmentally repsonsible as a car can be.
I'm seriously considering the Citroen C1 - it seems very economical, has one of the lowest carbon emission ratings I've found, and is quite cheap, particularly if you don't want a lot of options. It will also fit nicely in our tiny parking space.
However, having come from the US where we don't have any French cars anymore (other than Renault/Nissan joint projects), I'm wondering how reliable they are. Does anyone have any experience with recent Peugeots?
Any other suggestions for similiar cars I can look at? I would consider new or used, probably under SFr15000 for new, under SFr7500 for used. I like the Smart (other than that horrible transmission!) but we really want something with at least an imitation of a back seat. How about the Daihatsu Cuore or VW Fox? Maybe a Matiz or a Fiat Panda?
At least if I'm going to buy a car it's nice to have a wide range of small cars to choose from, unlike the US where we had only a few.
Take a look at a Nissan Micra. Many small cars now seem to have adopted similar lines to the Micra. Its small, very reliable, handles surprisingly well and is OK doing long motorway distances. I was pleasantly surprised.
Just read an advert in a three day old edition of the 20 minute newspaper. Daihatsu are paying for your first years' petrol use (or 15 000 KM) on selected new models.
If you want cheap and reliable you'll have to go for a Japanese these days.
The Toyota Aygo is actually the same car like the C1. It was a joint project
between Citroen, Peugeot and Toyota resulting in 3 cars with different styles but the same components "under the hood": Toyota Aygo, Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107.
I'd also give the Honda Jazz a try. It's small outside but big inside. You can even take it to IKEA.
My husband's colleague has a Renault and says there are a lot of things which are costly to replace after a few years, so maybe that's not the best bet.
We are looking into another Ka, and if so, it would be a SportKa this time. Maybe a Ford Fusion or a Toyota Yaris. I think the Citroen C1 is cute, too!