Bargains after King’s Day: five cars for 500 euros | Car

Now that the prices for used cars are rising rapidly, you get the feeling that there is nothing left for buyers with a small budget. That is fortunately not the case, even if it is nice looking for very cheap cars. We did some of it Autoweek second-hand offer with an asking price of no more than 500 euros, with the only requirement that the cars still have a valid MOT.

At first glance, this one seems Ford Fiesta not bad at all for the money. The private provider asks 300 euros for it. We don’t see any crazy damage and the paint also seems to be in reasonable condition. From the advertisement, however, we conclude that the Fiesta, whose 1.3 engine has already lasted more than 200,000 kilometers, is not so fresh under the skin anymore. Due to rust, the provider expects the next MOT (in April 2023) to be a challenge. But who knows, you’ll drive around festively with this one for another year.

Don’t be fooled by the ‘tough’ look of this Volkswagen Golf, with its matte black body and alloy wheels. A buffoon has probably been at work here. The black has been sprayed on with an aerosol and the original red paint is added here and there. In addition, the Golf only has a 75 hp 1.4, which with a mileage of 278,000 is probably not too fresh anymore. The MOT expires in May, but for 499 euros you could take the gamble. Who knows, the technical condition is better than the optical one.

The Citroën AX is gradually becoming rare, but for its possible future classic status you don’t have to this copy not to buy. This is a fairly ‘late’ example, which, despite a lost hubcap, doesn’t look that bad at all. Also the mileage of 173,000 is not overly high. However, there is a catch with this AX offered for only 395 euros. The 1.1 engine does not run at all at low rpm, according to the seller. At high revs it does, and also idles well. They are simple motors, so perhaps there is also a simple and cheap solution. It also has an MOT for almost a year.

This simply executed Peugeot 206 has an already outdated 75 hp 1.4 TU engine under the hood. A larger version of the engine in the AX above, with almost the same mileage behind it: 167,000. In this 206 the engine is not the problem, but it is more the somewhat decrepit condition and a few defects that justify the asking price of only 500 euros. According to the private seller, the starter motor does not work and the flashing light ‘right’ (front or rear is unknown) does not work either. According to the seller, whoever repairs that will also benefit from a good car that drives well. You just have to want to believe that.

This Suzuki Alto inspires the most confidence of the five cars. Altos were already cheap new and, moreover, they were technically well put together, which has made it a relatively safe choice for years, even for a rock bottom price. This Suzuki Alto only need to raise 500 euros. Then you get one with 152,000 km on the counter, a manual gearbox (which makes it just a little smoother than with the automatic transmission with which they are often equipped) and with another six months of MOT. However, the rust devil seems to look around the corner on the hood and the window mechanisms and the left door handle need to be repaired.