My brother is getting is first proper car after passing his test this week. Hes currently looking at 1.4l diesel (means fuel can come through the business) citroen c2's but I've suggested he has a look at suzuki swifts too (similar price range).

Only disadvantage of the swifts is that they don't seem to come in a diesel flavour?

Does anyone know owt about either car as its likely I'll be driving it regularly too. It'll be remapped if its a diesel

My wife drives a C3 diesel and it is just fine. It isn't a sports car but the engine is civilised above idle and pull well across the revs. It is a decent motorway car too. The C2 is a shade smaller and lighter so can only be better. We've had ours for nearly 6 years and its only needed attention on the front brakes.

Swifts are quite heavy on the insurance front IIRC. And C2s are ugly as sin.

The Fiat 500 is a very nice car to drive (guess what i've got? :p ), as supposed to be even more fun now they have the rear ARB from the Ford Ka. Dont get the diesel though. They're bring out the 900cc 2-cylinder turbo engine soon which is more economical than any small diesel, has 85bhp (remappable to over 100bhp i would expect), lowest tax bracket etc.

thanks phelpsa, but when the lad has to pay £2k on insurance he cant afford the fiat - especially not a brand new one.

Its the same reason hes had to rule out the new(er) ford fiestas.

if he wants 'cheap' insuarance then your looking at 1.2l or smaller petrols

but if you get the right one they can still be fun and very economical weight (or lack of it) is probably the most important thing in that repect

my first car was a 1979 Mk1 Fiesta 1.1L (53ps, 730kg and 21 years when I got it) it was brilliant - and tought me everything I know about understeer
and my old 1.0l 106 (45ps, 760kg) was actually a good laugh on the back roads and could get 55mpg of the motorway (37mpg otherwise) and that had 4 gears and a carb


I like the little petrol cars that much that it took me 9 years to get a 'real' car



[Edited on 2/7/2010 by mcerd1]

Wife had a C2 for year or two. Was the Furio (1.4petrol) which had the sport styling kit and i the looks grew on me. Was black and looked smart when polished up. Was full of gadgets and was speced well for a small car. Handling was ok too.

Just not many about.

If the lad needs diesel (as you say, for free fuel), then he might just need to hunt a bit harder.

It's called the DDiS, and it's a 1.3.

Good luck!