Hi Muiris,

You want to be aiming no bigger than a 1.2-litre engine, although even then there are some turbocharged 1.2s that will be hard to insure. With your financial budget and setting a limit of 100,000km to minimise the risks of unreliability, you can easily find dependable but dull things, like old Nissan Micras or the Toyota Yaris. However, see if you can track down a Ford Fiesta 1.0-litre, or alternatively look at Volkswagen Group products – we saw a 2010 VW Polo 1.2 S with 60hp (great for insurance) and 80,000km on the clock for €6,000, as well as a Skoda Citigo 1.0 MPI with 60hp for the same cash; but this, being a smaller car, was a 162-plate with 50,000km. Hard to think of a better starter car than a Skoda Citigo, truth be told…