30 Jul 09
The scrappage scheme has proved to be a great success with the British car buying public - the discounts being offered in under-pressure market were already sizeable, but the opportunity to get an extra £2,000 to trade in an old banger has been too good to miss, it seems.
But what can you get for £2,000? Unlike other car-buying website who are constantly trying to woo you with shiny new scrappage 'bargains', we have assembled a list of perfectly decent £2,000-and-under cars that should not be condemned to the crusher and would make great used car buys.
In the first of a regular series, we present five of the best anti-scrappage superminis...
Fiat Punto gallery
Fiat Punto
Fiat Puntos at this price level have sharp good looks since most were built before Fiat's supermini endured a gawky facelift in mid-2002. As well as the neat three- or five-door hatch styling, the Punto offers generous cabin and luggage space.
All Puntos serve up a zippy drive, though the ride is not as plush as a Fiesta's. Our favourite is the zesty 80bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine that's nippy, frugal and cheap to service.
Watch out for worn clutches, especially on cars that live in town, and check the power steering works smoothly. A misfiring engine is most likely down to the wrong spark plugs.
