Recommend Me A Car.

[P_Monty 2]

O.K. Its a long story, but after a bit of an accident I've got limited use of my left arm and will have for the next 6months to a year.

As a stop-gap measure, I'm looking for a cheap car for daily transport. Its got to be automatic and cheap, preferably small too as there isn't a huge amount of space on our drive. I'm not too bothered about condition as long as its reliable enough to get me to work. Any recommendations?

 

Occupational health at hospital have said I should be good to drive an auto with one of those knobs on the steering wheel. Anyone have any idea where to start from a legal point of view - I'm guessing insurance and dvl a will need to know about my impaired state...

 

Thanks.

[Bogsye 22]

Sorry to hear about your accident!!

 

Must be loads of Micra automatics around that'll be cheap as chips, but reliable?

DVLA will be easy, as there are loads of motability people out there with auto cars and that knob thing on the wheel. My Dad has impaired vision in his right eye and the DVLA simply replied saying it was fine and gave advice about impairment of judging speed and distance.

 

Good luck!

 

Brian

[welshpug 1,657]

205 gentry?

[eddie bullit 37]

good call on the Micra..should be quite a few cvt Micras about for pennies.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

I would also say look for a micra, they really are bombproof mechanically. Just watch out for rotten sills.

[harryskid 193]

Corsa !

[P_Monty 2]

Thanks all. Food for thought.

Found a few for around the grand mark - looking at dealers rather than private as I want a warranty of sorts while I'm not up to doing much myself. Should be able to go a bit lower.

 

Never thought I'd see so many recommendations for micras on here

[Lan 24 1 Cars]

Corsa !

 

i'd recommend a yugo before i'd ever recommend a corsa utter shi*eboxes

 

as already said can't go far wrong with a micra

Edited September 14, 2011 by Lan

[eddie bullit 37]

got a lift to the lakes in a Yugo Zastava..wasnt as bad as iI thought to be honest. Quite a willing little s*it box

[P_Monty 2]

A quick update an another plea for help...

 

My arm is getting better quicker than I thought and I think I could probably cope with changing gear in the near future. But the heavy steering of the 205 will still be an issue.

 

What I'm thinking about is driving the 205 with a 'mushroom' on the steering wheel, until I've got enough strength back to ride the bike safely (cant operate the clutch at the mo...), but I'm trying to figure out how to do this legally.

 

The problem is, I don't want to get a mark on my license which says I'm disabled and must re-take my test before I'm allowed to drive an unmodified car / ride my bike. The dvla have a form to notify them if you're paralysed. I sent a general e-maill to them, asking if this form was suitable for temporary lack of strength, but they want my name, date of birth address and driver number before they'll answer, which I'm reluctant to give, for the reason above...

 

So, the question at the end of all this rambling is has anyone been through / know anybody who has been through something like this and can offer any legal advice ?

 

Thanks ....

[stu8v 68 1 Cars]

Corsa !

 

 

You having a laugh?

 

Mine has the heaviest steering ever..........................!

 

Granted its non power steering.

[GLPoomobile 958]

Funnily enough I've just posted a similar thing in the topic about Corsas. My folks Corsa B is also unassisted steering and it's stupidly heavy, along with the heavy and stodgy gear change, and the stiff pedals. The whole driving experience is just very agricultural.

[harryskid 193]

Ok point taken i would not want a Corsa either try a pug107 instead

[blue_haddock 2]

Ok point taken i would not want a Corsa either try a pug107 instead

 

 

If you can get a 107 for a grand i'll take half a dozen please.

[ORB 227 1 Cars]

I hate to say it, but what you need is a punto. The steering is incredibly (annoyingly) light and if you buy right you will get a good auto for less than 600 quid. They are not that bad really either.

[harryskid 193]

If you can get a 107 for a grand i'll take half a dozen please.

 

I hired a 107 while on holiday abroard, ok in town but gutless on the hilly open roads. I found i had to turn off the air con on hills.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Corsa B is also unassisted steering and it's stupidly heavy

 

I had this problem with a couple of people when I was trying to get rid of my mothers Corsa. Most people now expect power steering anyway, and when confronted with a poxy Vauxhall with solid steering they were not impressed.

Easy solution, put 40psi in the front tyres.

[GLPoomobile 958]

Aye Tom, but bare in mind that I don't come with that mindset. Up until my Saab last year, the only car I've owned since I started driving that had PAS was my Civic. I'm used to fairly heavy steering on the GTIs but that's usually due to the (relatively) wide 15" tyres. The steering on their Cherry, and on my old Astra was never heavy. The Corsa is terrible by comparison. It's like a PAS setup with a failed pump.

[P_Monty 2]

I'm not much of a fan of power steering normally - it ends up too light for my liking.