Spec me a small car

Honda Jazz?

^ the correct idea.

Look at the cars that oldies buy, they have no street cred at all so lees likely to be bought by youths who crash them. Try I20's , lower spec Fabias, the Jazz mentioned above and the venerable Yaris.

Kia Piccanto/Hyundai i10.
Small, long warranty and surprisingly roomy.

Renault Clio?

As a 108 owner I'd probably go one size up for bikes.

A large frame does go in with car seats down and bike wheels off but it's not much fun.

One thing though... The 108 with the active brake and lane assist has been the cheapest thing I've ever insured. £120 a year fully comp 10k miles plus business use.....0 active no claims but 20 years experience

We liked the old (2008, in Mrs Pondo's case) Fiat Panda. 🙂

if you put your mum/wife on the policy it will likely make it a laod cheaper. insurance groups are also largely meaningless.

small, reliable and good for bikes? honda jizz.

Hadn't realised they'd done a Type R of the Jazz...

Yaris or Jazz for bikes. C1/108/Aygo for cheap insurance, but a bit small for the bikes. We hav a MK Yaris from new for 19 years and they are reliable. Currently have a 10 year old Aygo for daughter to learn in - cheap as chips to insure, and cheap parts. Very economical.

+1 on a grandad car, not assumption that small engine = cheap insurance.
+1 on a bit more space for bikes, wheels l weekends away etc is well worth it.
+1 on maintenance being more costly than insurance and tax, so look to reliable and easy looked after cars.

I think i20, Ceed or Corrola would be great.

We've the secret that is a 1.4 16v Ibiza estate...cheap to insure, simple engine, loads of space. Ours is 10 years/110k in and hasn't missed a beat, including three boys learning to drive on it.

Ford Fiesta Eco bang

I would avoid anything with the Ecobang engine.

I’ve driven every one of the cars on the initial list, and frankly there’s nothing wrong with any of them. Personally, I’d prefer the Aygo out of the C1 and 108, only because the styling is nicer, and I do prefer the auto rather than manual, but that’s down to iffy knees. The VAG trio are great little cars, you’d likely find the Seat and Skoda a bit cheaper. As others have said, though, they’re small cars, an i20 or a Yaris may well give more room.

I just used to drive them, I never had to cram anything in the back, so no experience there. The Viva isn’t a bad little car either, although it’s basic, you do get cruise control, which is very useful on motorways. Some of those give you a reversing camera, which is also a handy thing to have, especially if you’re getting a bike out of the boot, you get a better idea of how much space to leave.

Honda Jazz, I got one for the missus when she passed her test. Cost £500 and had intergalactic miles on it. Ran a treat and had unbelievable amounts of space inside for such a small car. For £7k you should be able to get a minter.

Or look for an older Fabia estate with the 1.9 PD engine. It'll do 55-60mpg all day long and last forever.

I do prefer the auto r

Most lampposts move quicker than auto 1l aygos.

I'd have bought an Aygo also but they only come in the 1litres.

I never thought 13 bhp and about 20 ft lbs would make such a difference but after a test drive it was noted that it does indeed .....

Honda Jazz
Skoda Fabia
Toyota Yaris
Suzuki Swift

Can you get something older & classic insurance as it isn't affected by no claims? My eunos is less than £100/year to insurance.

Beaten to the Honda Jazz recommendation. They're like a tardis and are loved the old folk so insurance should (🤞) be cheap.

How about something Korean? Dacia?

Honda Jizz 😂

small, reliable and good for bikes? honda jizz

What are Skoda Roomsters like? Despite it unusual styling, I always thought they looked like good bike cars.

Skoda Fabia.
Bought a 16 plate for my daughter a few months ago and it is blimmin’ great. It’s a 1.2TSi and has enough oomph but is still economical to run, especially on longer motorway journeys. With the back seats folded down there is bags of room for a bike.

Jazz...

Even civics have big boots.

If you're not bothered by looks a yaris Verso. God ugly but loads of room.

We have an Up as our runabout and car for the kids to drive. It is brilliant. Good to drive, seats 4 adults comfortably, £20 tax, group 1 insurance and economical on fuel. We have had it 5 years and the only expense has been new tyres. It is perfectly capable for long journeys too. The sister Citygo wins the best small used car award in the latest Auto Express. We will be keeping ours till it dies (or upgrade for the GTi version when the kids have gone!).

We had a Fabia estate, always thought it would make the perfect 1/2 person motor with the back seats permanently down.

Like one of those old school 3 door Allegro wagons. No idea on insurance I'm afraid but a brilliant occasional bike car.

I had a Skoda Citigo from new. Put 90k on it over 6 years. Lovely to drive, looked great, cheap to buy/run and reliable with it.

There is no way i'd be attempting to put a bike inside one though.

I sold it to WBAC and went back to a van.

Skoda Fabia estate?

I’d love a Fabia it’s just trying to find a decent one under £8000. That was always going to be my second car the Fabia estate Tsi 110 version.

We have a Jazz and a Vitara.
Both bought on reliability and practicality.

With two people, the 2018 Jazz is huge with the back seats down.
4 people? Not so much.
Handles fine, but non turbo engine needs thrashing out of town (and doesn't feel that great wound up).
Feels like a much larger car on motorways, if you turn the radio up.
2 Bikes and a week's gear fine. Loads of interior space.
Noisy.
Good stereo.
Can be annoying if you're not in the mood.

Prices have shot up on Fabias.

We bought my son a lovely Monte Carlo 15 plate 2 years ago, 1.2 TSI like @dove1 Lovely car to drive, nippy, really good on the motorway and can still pull away overtaking without changing gear as the turbo spools up from low revs. Really good on fuel....

Roll on two years....

My son's completely changed his. Lowered, big wheels, performance exhaust and running a 1.4 Turbo tuned engine spitting out 180 bhp, oh and flames. Stripped out the interior and has race seats. Very fast, and he won a handing competition at an event recently. Fuel costs are high now. Fortunately he has a company van for work.

We won't go in it. Seriously unomfortable.

As others have said, you won't go far wrong with a Honda Jazz.

A Nissan Micra might be worth a look, though. Not the prettiest car in the world, but reliable and cheap.

Here to say Honda Jazz. We got one, a '07 plate in 2011, when my wife first passed her test. It's still going despite loads of abuse. The latest model has an obviously smaller boot despite the overall dimensions of the car being a lot bigger: I think the sweet spot is the late-teens model to be honest.

Put the seats down and you get acres of space in the back, but I just have a roof-mounted rack and happily get four bikes on it. Pretty cheap to insure, and that famed Honda reliability really does appear to be true.

Not sure if Honda Jazz or Hyundai I10/20 will be any good on motorway as I have never followed one that went over 30mph on any road. 🙂

What are Skoda Roomsters like? Despite it unusual styling, I always thought they looked like good bike cars.

Great little car, we had one for 10 years, loads of space inside, very versatile as you can fold/remove the rear seats individually.

A Nissan Micra might be worth a look

They are the beige carpet of motoring. Check that you can get on with the driving seat as they are designed for the short-hop commuting market and the seats can be torture on a long trip (a couple of hours) if they don't suit you.

We've got an Up! as the kids learn to drive car. 59 Bhp - loads of space inside (given the size of the car). Would recommend one - buttons to run.

I wouldn't have classed the Ceed as a small car more of a medium. Having had a diesel one for 3 years I couldn't fault. Loads of room with the seats down. I could fit two Evoc bike bags, two 70ltr trolley bags, and a couple of small backpacks in no trouble.

I'm ignoring the car and going to query your insurance.

Basically you're been quoted more than we paid for any of the kids, at 17 y/o plus 2 of them had Type R's by 20 y/o and still only paid half what you're quoting. Are you sure you're filling in the (online) forms correctly?

Also, second the adding of named drivers - someone suggested your Mum, careful as insurance starts to rise again once folk get older, and best they live at your address.

C1/Peugeot 108/Toyota Aygo

I've had two girlfriends with an Aygo and a C1, I would avoid at all costs.
Very noisy, very, very uncomfortable, by far the worst seats I have ever sat in a car.
The aren't cheap, but feel like it, as in cheap and nasty, not cheap and cheerful. They just feel like they were built (badly) to a budget, loads of corners cut (and I've had a Defender and two Transits so I'm not expecting nippy or luxurious!) And the Aygo was unreliable too.
.
As intheborders says that does seem a lot? Do you have many points on your bike license?
For carying bikes and just general niceness Focus/Golf/Astra will be loads better and only a couple of feet longer. Having said that, I've not been in it but my friend loves his Jazz and can his bike in no problem

I’ve had two girlfriends with an Aygo and a C1, I would avoid at all costs.
Very noisy, very, very uncomfortable,

Yeah, I've had girlfriends like that, too.

I’ve had two girlfriends with an Aygo and a C1, I would avoid at all costs.
Very noisy, very, very uncomfortable, by far the worst seats I have ever sat in a car.

Rubbish. I have had 2 Aygo's and while the second 2018 model is a lot better than the 2011 original model both are fine. The 2018 car is not noisy at all, the seats are great and it is also plenty quick enough - I drive an auto and beats most things of the lights up to 30mph just because I can plant my foot down and it goes (light car with not enough power to break traction so just goes)

My Mum has an Aygo, perfect pensioner car - she loves it.

Getting an MTB into it - CBA'd.

I’ve had two girlfriends with an Aygo and a C1, I would avoid at all costs.
Very noisy, very, very uncomfortable, by far the worst seats I have ever sat in a car.
The aren’t cheap, but feel like it, as in cheap and nasty, not cheap and cheerful. They just feel like they were built (badly) to a budget, loads of corners cut (and I’ve had a Defender and two Transits so I’m not expecting nippy or luxurious!) And the Aygo was unreliable too.

Sounds broken - or a chinese knock off of the car.
and yet i have a 108 which is the same as an aygo and a C1 .... and it was cheap - and it is comfy. Certainly about a million miles away from a defender and a transit (both of which I've have/had in the past)

Not sure if Honda Jazz or Hyundai I10/20 will be any good on motorway as I have never followed one that went over 30mph on any road. 🙂

The i10 is surprisingly nippy with a willing driver, but a bit cramped to get an MTB in the back without both wheels off (and the seats down, obviously). I can fit my road bike in (just) without taking the back wheel off if I slide the passenger seat forward a bit.

It's a bit buzzy at the higher motorway speeds (I have the povo-spec one), but I find it reasonably comfortable.

I think they're great cars, but probably not big enough for the OP unless prepared to do take both wheels off the bike on every trip.

(My sister had a VW Up - it was the most uncomfortable, gutless, slug of a thing that I've ever driven - and had less space inside than the i10.)

Really not fussed about taking wheels off. The wife’s had a Vauxhall corsa 2010 reg that could fit two bikes in with front wheels off. Both medium 29er one Hardtail and one full suss. Also managed to fit a 6ft Snake vivarium in with seats down and front passenger seat forward.
Aslong as bike fits in front wheel or both off if needs be I’m happy. Nobody in front passenger seat as wife’s stopped riding and mate will just follow me down he’s got a van and a Octavia VRS my dream car the b@stard.

I have a Jazz - go for the vtec version if you can, as others have said loads of space. The plus is the seats fold flat into the boot space - so very handy large flat space all the way through, plus they seats have a very nifty seat pad that folds upwards feature so you can have the boot full, plus then fold up the seat section and have a 'second boot space' behind the front seats. A good wide boot, not that high off the ground, reasonable under floor wheel storage area too. cheap to run about in

Does it absolutely need to accommodate a bike in the boot? Sea sucker/Rock Bros or similar would make pretty much any car a viable bike carrying vehicle and open upoptions on car choice...

Personally I like smaller cars, smaller the better but not everyone is wired that way...

I like Aygos and they are good for urban driving and whizzing around the narrow country lanes.

However, I would not have one if my requirements were motorway driving (it doesn't have enough power for accelerating at 70mph) or putting bike in the back regularly.

However, I would not have one if my requirements were motorway driving (it doesn’t have enough power for accelerating at 70mph) or putting bike in the back regularly.

i would agree with this .... its a large chunk of the reason i went for the peugeot and its purecrap engine as the extra few bhp make all the difference on the fast A roads when your on your own. 4 6ft 3 adults (90-100kgs each) - which surprisingly do fit remarkably well ..... reduces mpg on the motorway to mid 20s - but with low capacity 3 cylinder engines thats to be expected but with just me/Jnr in in its mid50s-early 60s. I have not even bothered trying to put a bike in it but we can get 2 in the back of a classic mini so it wouldnt bother me if i had to do it but then we have the family car for that.

but i certainly wouldn't say it was crap and anyone trying to compare it as crap to ride in/slow /noisy compared to a defender is deluded - unless of course they meant the new urban defender.

I'm pretty sur you'd be able to shoehorn a MTB, wheels off into an Aygo/C1. We've a Mk1. It's great round town, gearing is really lazy and it will pull away if you've got the wrong gear - handy for learners. On the motorway, we've taken it 70 miles to Wales, but we've kept it to 60-70 mph. Feels very different to my large saloon that weighs double. I've seen a few C1/Aygo's doing 80 plus on the motorway - drivers must be loons. THe car will do it, but it's a bit light.

I even take the Aygo if I'm not cycle commuting - does double the mpg than my big car. They aren't super refined, or super quiet, but that's due to the weight saving. If you want more refinement, then Jazz/Yaris.

Not really or not permanently maybe for a few weeks or months till I can afford a Thule or a sea sucker/rock bros which I’ve looked into. Would happily use them. Won’t be driving like a knob anyway.
Much prefer smaller cars, but I can see me needing a estate in 5 years as she wants to get rid of the Mokka to get a Audi A5 or TT and I’ll be Airport taxi.

My sister had a VW Up – it was the most uncomfortable, gutless, slug of a thing that I’ve ever driven

Funny, I picked up a Citigo from a lovely lady in Cornwall who’s son persuaded her to lease it. She said it was nice, but she’d have been as well off using the bus or taxis. It was three years old and had less than 3000 miles on it. It was a bit reluctant to pull to start with, but by the time I got to near Portishead on the M5, according to my satnav when I overtook a Defender I was doing 105mph…

I’ve driven a few Mii and Up! variants as well, no difference between them.

I did somewhere north of 230 miles in one go, it was a sodding site more comfortable than any Berlingo or Partner I was forced to drive, and even a couple of Mercedes A-Class.

I will concede that Aygo, C1 and 108 are noisy little beasts, and they do need to be pushed hard to get them to go anywhere, if I had the auto version, I’d always put them into manual and use the paddles. Lots of innocent, noisy fun!