Which diesel for €10,000 or less?
I am changing my car. I fancy a diesel 1.3 or 1.4-litre and I have €10,000 to spend, maybe a little more. Any ideas? I am scrapping a car under the scheme.
Yvonne Hogan (Dublin)
May 2010 Filed under: scrappage
Expert answer
Hi there,
There are very few small diesel cars available under the scrappage scheme that match your budget, but there are quite a few small petrol models that run the diesels close in terms of fuel economy.
You could have the Fiat 500 for €9,995 under the scheme, which although it is petrol, is Band A, with just €102 per year road tax.
You could have a Fiat Grande Punto, a much larger car, for €9,995 or, if you really wanted a diesel one you could have that for €12,495.
The Ford Ka, a similar car to the 500, would cost just €7,995 under the scheme, with the even better Fiesta costing €11,700, but again these are petrol models.
Similarly, the Renault Clio is a smashing little car and a petrol one will cost you just €8,990 under the scheme, but a diesel one will cost you €12,200.
The Hyundai i10, a five-door model, is also worth a look. The 1.2-litre, 78bhp petrol i10 is a good little car and comes with a choice of manual or automatic transmissions. Hyundai will add a further €2,000 to the Government's €1,500 discount, so the i10 effectively starts at €8,495.
Our advice is that you forget about a diesel under scrappage unless you are prepared to up your budget.
Out of that lot, I'd take a strong look at the Fiesta, or if you must stick to €10,000, perhaps the Ford Ka or the Fiat 500.
Which car should I buy under the scrappage scheme?
I am buying under the scrappage scheme. Which of the following would you recommend: Skoda Fabia, Ford Ka, Hyundai i10 or Renault Clio?
My budget is €10,000 and I want something that will last another 10 years! Most of my driving is around town but I don't want anything tiny!!
Thanks
Nell Rynne (Sligo)May 2010 Filed under: scrappage
Expert answer
There is a relatively new version of the Fabia and that might not come in under budget, even with scrappage. The new model starts at €12,265 so with scrappage it would be €10,765, but if you could stretch to this it would be a very good buy.
The Ka will cost you just €7,995 under the scheme and this is great value for what is a smart little car, but it is small and only available as a three-door.
The Hyundai i10 is a car that is superb value under scrappage, costing just €8,495 for the five-door and €9,495 for the three-door model.
As regards the Clio, you can have a three-door for €8,990 under the scheme. A five-door model will cost more, at €11,280.
Out of these, for a car to keep for 10 years, I'd suggest you try to haggle and get the Fabia as I think it would age best, but following that it would be the i10 because this car should be ultra reliable to.
Without sitting on the fence though, I would say to try all of these and make your mind up after the test drive.