Enjoy the Scenic, Sal. A friend has one, and it's served him fairly well - no significant problems I've heard about.

Re classic cars...

Parts will be uncomplicated and so very cheap

However, parts will be required on a much more regular basis than most modern cars...

A good friend at my last job is a classic-car fan, particularly Triumphs, and takes part in the Round-Britain Rally every year. Over the 7 years I was there, there wasn't a single year he did that trip without some significant mechanical malfunction. One year the entire rear subframe came apart from the rest of the car! To his credit he finished more often than not, but that was usually by virtue of bloody-mindedness, quick bodges by the roadside, and carrying on with a car that was only just driveable. It wasn't just him either - from his experience, he reckoned 50% of the field finishing was a good result.

Also these days, you'd better consider fuel costs. Most modern cars with medium-sized engines can get 40mpg whilst cruising at 80mph down the motorway, and without too much noise for the occupants. If a classic car can even reach 80mph, and the occupants can stand the noise, you'd better believe you won't be getting 40mpg from it!

To be fair, there are some beautifully restored classics out there - lovely cars, reliable and everything. Every one represents hundreds of hours of work and thousands of pounds worth of parts, materials and labour to restore it, and you won't buy one for under £4k (you'd be lucky to find one under £8k). I bought my pristine 4-year-old 30k-miles Berlingo for £4k.

If you buy a classic, you're buying it for its looks and style. You're not buying it as a means of transport - that's strictly a secondary concern. Which is fair enough if that's what you want - if you happen to be like my mate, who loves the look of old Triumphs and loves tinkering with oily bits of metal - but it's not really the answer to the question of "what do I buy that'll get me from place to place cheaply?" :-/

Graham.