TOP 10 MOST RELIABLE CARS UNDER £5,000

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Today, I'm talking about the most reliable cars you can buy for under £5k.

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[charlesmorgan]

My late mother is spinning in her urn - what, no Mk1 Honda Jazz! Bought from new in 02, just one clutch and two batteries in 18 years. Not my type of car but I enjoyed thrashing the engine and chucking it around, and in an added bonus, pedestrians would step back sharpish from zebra crossings when they saw the car coming. I never got that level of sheer terror in any AMG, Porker or Bentley, the fear of some half blind dodgy hipped pensioner at the wheel. A good list of cars perfect for just doing what they should without fuss or drama!

[thejoneseys]

For knocking about, repeated short journeys to the local shops and visiting dodgy areas these sorts of cars are an absolute blessing 👍🏻

[gordonbarnes]

Another great video Matt! Very useful for people on a limited budget. My step daughter had an old Micra - drove it to Italy, worked there for 2 years, then drove it home - no problems at all. Needless to say after 2 year coping with the traffic in Milan my step daughter is fearless!

[marcusmarr]

A very good video of brilliantly sage advice. Both me and my brother bought K11s for the reasons above. He had has for £450 off someone's doorstep with no service history and it lasted him 7 years with no troubles. Mine carried me about 40, 000 miles in 18 months and never once left me stranded, despite me getting home and discovering a complete lack of coolant and little to no oil! Surprisingly roomy boot, easy to work on and parts still easy to source. Just watch for rust, both of ours were killed by it and they're well known for rot. Especially models with sunroofs whose drainage channels go through the sills, rotting them out prematurely.

Did have a mate with an unreliable Swift, however his had very clearly been owned by someone who's skills at DIY maintenance were a little lacking. The wipers started fighting each other in a blizzard so he had to be towed home. Took the assembly apart to find the linkage between the two arms had broken some years prior and been "fixed" with a combination of cable ties and a pair of Skullcandy headphones tied in a knot 😂😂😂. Lesson for everyone, if a car you go to see has had go faster stripes added by the previous owner, particularly if they don't line up, run away.

[Mitch-Hendren]

Definately spot on with the corolla, i bought a1998 one 8 years ago for £350 in an emergency (start work at 5 am 12 miles away ) was literally the only car for sale that night locally. Said id keep it till mot ran out. Put it in and It passed .and again and again. Just passed yet again with an advisory for a shock absorber. £89 fitted, does 45 mpg and 95 mph . (Not at the same time ) ive kept it as a spare car on classic insurance its just brilliant. !

[grayfool]

Good stuff. We've had two Toyotas and a Lexus over the last twenty years. All solid and as reliable as you could want. The Carina (1990) never missed a beat, never failed an MOT, never broke, and was as boring as a fridge. As a daily driver it was the most perfect car ever.

[MartinJG]

Can't believe you missed the Honda Jazz. The ultimate in reliability and functionality.

[Czechbound]

This was excellent ! Practical advice, concisely presented. Perfect. I guess at the prices mentioned, they won't depreciate further if you keep them in decent shape. I'd always heard Daihatsu spare prices were steep, but that was a few years ago. So if you had the money, you could have one of these cheap, dependable, park-anywhere cars for commuting/ around town driving/ grocery getting; and put bigger monies into something fun for the weekend. ( not the type of "something for the weekend" that my local pharmacy here in Prague was advertising today mind you, with a huge ad stuck across it's window " 10% sale on anti-conception products" ha ha )

[pault]

My Mum had a K11 Micra, it was a 1 litre and every time I drove it, I had a smile on my face. It was cheap to run, own and insure and you could park it anywhere. Great list especially for new drivers. Thanks for taking the time to create these videos, it’s an excellent source of no nonsense advice and info.
A list of top family cars would be great - we’ve 3 kids and are pondering what to get. They’ll trash the interior so we’re not looking for a German Uber lux barge. But practical and reliable 5 to 7 seaters would be excellent!

[TheTraditionalGolfer]

Had 2 civic type r first one was 2002 and last one was 2009 I drove a total of 170, 000 miles in both and not a single issue and was driven around at 8500rpm bouncing them off the limiter....just incredible reliability

[andrewgrimshaw]

Great list. My wife had an Aygo for 11 years and the only thing that went, as you said was the clutch. We also suffered a leak in the boot which turned out to be water coming in round the brake light above the boot lid. A bit of silicone sealant fixed that - a common problem on the Aygo apparently. It was so good she has just bought a newer model just 2 years old. Good for another 11 years or so.

[mullen]

I bought a k11 off a local old man who was stopping its and its so small it fits almost anywhere. Best £400 I have spent

[gazgandalf]

For those of us who earn less than 500k a year, this was a helpful video. Most car channels deal with New Cars - fine, and they're interesting, for for us mere mortals, we need someone 'in the know' to give us information we need, not just lust after. Because you're in the trade, you are a good source of info. Perhaps a "top 10 for under 10, 000?" I know - it's predictable but this would be the obvious next step for folk wanting something a bit 'special.' Thanks Matteaus :-)

[rogerelwynjones]

Got to be the Honda jazz mine just passed160, 000 miles still going strong!

[subhan]

I can vouch for the corolla, I had a 1.4 petrol for my first car and had no issues throughout my ownership. Luckily, after 4 years and 50k miles I managed to sell it for what I paid for it due to the current car market so can't complain 👍

[simonfreese]

Another great thing about the K11 is the load space, Once the seats are down you've got an great amount of space for such a small car. I moved house with mine!

[mdbaewy]

Without any reservation I can confirm the K11 Micra was very reliable and cheap to repair. Kept mine for 17 years, did more than 200, 000km and I eventually sold it because... it was going on forever and wanted a change! Have also driven a 2010 Suzuki Swift and it's still a good car, with a tasteful interior.

[richardgardner]

Excellent video, honest and very informative. In 2012, I bought a 59 plate Hyundai i20 mk1 "classic " 1.2 petrol, with 19, 000 on the clocks. Ten years on and 40, 000 miles later, still got the car. Ok it doesn't set the world on fire, it does the job. It goes, it stop, it take four people comfortable ( five a bit tight ) nice size boot, it fits in the garage ( you be surprised how many new car find it a tight squeeze ) no fancy gizmos and good on fuel. I just change the oil and filters every year and it a easy car to work on. It has not let me down. Keep it simple, stupid.

[stephencoley]

How reviews should be. Straight to the point, no faff, and quick moving. Great job.

[JohnSmith]

Good stuff, Matt, well done! Now would be good to do a list of "cars for the soul" (subjective, I know), where cost is not a main factor. Would be interesting to hear that from someone with your driving experience.
Thanks, regards.