ideas for a cheap car/van/ thing

[legrandefromage]

My annual mileage will be going back to around 6000 a year and want some sort of bike friendly runaround for about £600 or whatever I get for my Passat or whatever my Missus allows me to spend.

Been trawling through ebay and autotrader but I thought I'd just throw it out there to see whats hiding.

Its got to keep up with traffic, be able to withstand the odd Devon trip and cope with one or two bikes from the tip or going to RB meets.

Just ideas for now as have no money yet...

 

[marin man]

...

 

[Neil]

For that budget? Volvo 850 - probably estate for all the bike gubbins.

 

[onza100]

This was my not so sensible answer to the same problem!

 

[legrandefromage]

yeah, I missed out on a GL5 estate for £595 in gold...

 

[onza100]

I love mine paid £600 for it but have prob spent that again now!! Its worse than a retro bike lol

 

[Tad]

...

OT I know but why do MM's comments always come out as ...?

Back on topic, Honda Civic Aerodeck?

 

[Buzz1024]

Renault Kangoo - had 2 so far and it always amazed me how much i could get in - downside is it aint pretty but cheap to run and maintain

http://www.babez.de/renault/kangoo/newtitel.jpg

 

[dyna-ti]

I see a lot of local tradesmen using small Suzuki vans,not sure of the model but i believe theyre quite cheap with good fuel mileage and easy to get bits.

 

[Neil]

I see a lot of local tradesmen using small Suzuki vans,not sure of the model but i believe theyre quite cheap with good fuel mileage and easy to get bits.

A relative used to have one. Seemed OK at first, but then became increasingly troublesome, awkward to fix, and local garages seemingly not that interested or good at sorting it.

After that, a bigger LDV van - much the same problems, really, 'cept it was bigger.

Last van he had was a Transit. The least grief of the three, a lot more support from local garages, and although not perfect, didn't let him down like the other two had.

If you need something almost van like, but for little money, I think I'd always recommend an old Volvo estate - unless you need something truly van sized. 700s and 900s are pretty bombproof, but oldest, really, now of the likely bunch - but RWD, and estates are cavernous. 850s are that bit newer design - albeit FWD - but still pretty bombproof, and all 5 cylinder, estates not quite as big as the older models, but still probably big enough.

Of course, there's some old Merc estates, too W124s probably the sweet spot, there, in terms of old, cheap, but robust.