[stuart bowes]

Isn't that pretty much always the case with cars though, unless you want to spend like £10k plus for something relatively new? even then, it's still a gamble, and the newer they are the more expensive they have the potential to be when they go wrong what with all the expensive computer parts and so on

if you want to keep costs really low my best bet would be a 90's fiesta or civic, theres only about 10 parts in them so far less to go wrong (may be a slight exaggeration)
but then would you be happy with the comfort / style / load space / motorway speed driving etc

I'm sitting firmly on the better the devil you know side of the fence