£1500 budget for reliable 50 mile commuter car

I have a £1500 budget for 50 mile daily commute and occasional motorway work, hatchback. I have looked at the 1.4 and 1.8 TDCI Fiesta and Focus. I have also seen some BMW 320TD compact, but at this budget the diesels are at about 80-90k and anecdotes suggest that savings in VED and fuel economy could be wiped out through expensive engine trouble. Is a lower mileage petrol Fiesta Focus 1.6 or 1.8 a safer, more reliable and better overall low cost ownership prospect?

Asked on 30 August 2016 by Dexter333

Answered by Honest John
Best car for £1,500 (assuming you can find a good one) is a Toyota Yaris 1.3.
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