Buying a used up!, Mii or Citigo

Why buy one

The Volkswagen up!, SEAT Mii and Škoda Citigo are the same small car with three different badges. Built side by side in Bratislava from 2011, they share their body, engines and almost every part underneath. They’re light, simple and cheap to run, and a good one is one of the most sensible used cars you can buy for town driving, a first car or a second car.

They’re also old enough now that condition and history matter far more than the badge or the year. This guide is what we’d check before handing over money.

up!, Mii or Citigo?

Mechanically there’s nothing between them, so buy the best car rather than a particular badge. The differences are mostly trim and price:

• Volkswagen up! was the most common in the UK and usually costs a little more for the same age and mileage. It also had the longest run, the widest range of special editions and the only factory hot version, the up! GTI.
• SEAT Mii often has the most kit for the money, with plenty of special editions over the years.
• Škoda Citigo tends to be the cheapest to buy, which makes it the value pick if you just want a good one.

All three came as three-door and five-door hatchbacks. The five-door is easier with passengers in the back and is worth the small premium if you’ll use the rear seats. Not sure which engine you want? See which engine to choose.

Paperwork first

Before you even look at the car, a few free checks will rule out most bad ones:

• MOT history. Put the registration into the government’s MOT history checker. Look at the mileage at each test (it should only go up, steadily) and at the advisories. Repeated advisories for the same thing tell you what’s been put off.
• Recalls. Use the DVSA’s vehicle recall checker and ask the seller to show that any recall work was done.
• Service history. Stamps, invoices or a printout from a dealer. Gaps aren’t always a deal-breaker on a cheap car, but they should come off the price.
• V5C logbook. The name and address should match the seller, and the VIN on the logbook should match the one on the car.
• A history check (outstanding finance, write-offs, stolen) costs a few pounds and is worth it on any car you’re serious about.

What to check on the car

Look at it in daylight, dry, and with the engine cold if you can.

Outside

• Car park dents and scrapes on the doors and bumpers. They’re city cars and most have a few, so price them in.
• Kerbed alloy wheels, and tyres: matching brands, even wear, and enough tread. Uneven wear on the inside edge can point to alignment.
• Paint that doesn’t quite match between panels, or overspray on rubber seals, which suggests accident repair.
• Rust is rarely a problem on cars this age, but look underneath the sills and around the wheel arches anyway.

Inside

• Damp carpets or a musty smell. Lift the boot floor and check the spare wheel well for water.
• Every switch: electric windows, central locking, heater fan on every speed, and the air conditioning (it should blow properly cold).
• Seat bolster and steering wheel wear that doesn’t match the mileage.
• Any warning lights that stay on after the engine starts.

Under the bonnet

• Oil level and colour on the dipstick, and coolant at the right level in the expansion tank.
• The timing belt. These engines use a belt rather than a chain, and Volkswagen’s schedule is based on inspections rather than a fixed change interval. Ask what’s been done. With no record on an older, high-mileage car, budget for a belt (and usually a water pump) and ask a garage you trust.
• Listen to a cold start: the three-cylinder sounds a little thrummy, which is normal, but knocking or rattling isn’t.

On the test drive

• Clutch: a biting point right at the top of the pedal, or slipping when you accelerate hard in a high gear, means a clutch is due.
• Gearbox: the five-speed manual should go into every gear cleanly, including reverse.
• ASG automatic: the optional ASG is an automated manual, not a conventional automatic, and it pauses and nods between gears. That’s how it’s meant to work, so make sure you can live with it before buying one. Harsh, slow or noisy changes are a different matter and worth having checked.
• Brakes and steering: the car should stop straight without pulling, and the steering wheel should sit straight on a straight road.
• Suspension: clonks over speed bumps usually mean worn drop links or bushes. Cheap to fix, but useful for haggling.

Paying the right price

Compare like with like: the same body (three or five doors), engine, trim and roughly the same mileage. Mileage and history matter more than the year, so a well-kept 80,000-mile car with a full service record is often a better buy than a neglected one with half the miles.

Budget a little for the first service, tyres and anything the MOT history flagged. And when you’ve bought it, put it on the register: you’ll find owners of the same car who’ve already been through whatever comes up.