James Ruppert: why you need a Volkswagen Beetle

For many, the whole point of the attention-seeking Beetle was the cabriolet and, at just under a grand, you can pick up a 2004 1.4 with 80k miles and a half-decent history. The nicer ones with recently changed cambelts are £1500 and, as we head into winter, they’ll get cheaper.

The newer, more squashed models can be bought for around £6995, which will get you a 2013 1.2 TSI with 57k miles, which is fashionably white. A 2017 2.0 TDI 110 with BlueMotion tech with a year’s worth of mileage – say 12,000 miles – is £19,000, which seems a lot when there are prettier alternatives around.

In the used retro game, the Beetle is something of a mixed bag. But it does make sense as it hovers in a limbo between a banger and ironic classic.

Tales from Ruppert’s garage: 

Mini Cooper - mileage, 102,441: You might remember I showed you a fairly horrific picture of the radiator. Clearly, something was up and I suggested it was probably a blown head gasket. Some experts said it might just be some sort of radiator anomaly and maybe just needed a flush.

I decided to pop into my local garage and they diagnosed the worst. It has never overheated and I’ve treated it like a Princess. Oil has been changed loads of times. One theory is that rebuilt engines can contain bits that eventually break up the gasket. Dunno if that’s true. Booked in.

Reader’s ride: 

Vauxhall Vectra: Sean McFarlane enjoyed the £200 Nissan Micra story recently (‘How low can you go?’, 19 September) and has a £200 Vauxhall Vectra of his own. “I’ve been running it for just over a year now,” he says. “It’s a silver 1.8-litre petrol Design spec. Very basic. Bodywork is very clean apart from a small rust spot on the bottom of the driver’s door, and the interior is immaculate. It came with three months’ MOT and a decent service history. Over a year and 20k miles, it has cost me about £1200, which, in terms of usage, I think is a real bargain.”

Readers’ questions: 

Q. Should I buy a new Vauxhall Corsa GSi or a Ford Fiesta ST-1? Rod Hall, Ripley

A. Okay, a tough one, this. We’ll just feed your enquiry into our supercomputer... Oh, that’s a surprise: the Ford Fiesta ST. All-new, quicker, heaps better to drive, only a little more to insure and the same price. Who’d have believed it? JE

Q. I have £7000 to spend on a roomy and reliable hatchback. What do you recommend? J Shriver, via email 

A. Easy: a Suzuki Swift 1.2. It’s reliable, roomy (you can stand up in it, the roof’s so high) and fun to drive. Go for SZ-L trim (sat-nav, digital radio, alloy wheels). Your money will get a 2016/16-reg car with 20,000 miles. JE