Vauxhall Viva that’s apparently lived most at of its life in sunny Engerland. www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202404028219456

Hmm hadn't considered a Viva. They seem to have decent spec. Any experience with them? May have to see if I can get a test drive at a dealer.

Any idea how the i10 rides on 14" wheels?

It depends upon the pairing of the wheel and tyre, especially the tyre sidewall height. My neighbour has a KIA Picanto, the i10's sister car, and it has 15in wheels, which means the tyre sidewall is likely 12mm (or between 10-15%) less than that of a similar car with 14in rims.

The extra air cushioning will help improve ride quality over the lower profile tyre versions. The downside is that there will be a small loss in handling ability, though going one wheel size (1 inch) down rarely makes a huge difference in that regard, especially at legal speeds that are safely achievable for the car. Going up or down (if possible) by two inches on the wheel may well make a discernable difference - good or bad.

Have a look at the HJ reviews section for any car you might consider, and they (alongside Owner reviews on the site) hopefully will give some indication what each sub-model may be like to drive in terms of comfort as well as handling.

If you're going to do driving on local / urban roads and performance and handling isn't so much of a concern, then having a car with smaller wheels and higher profile tyres that help improve ride quality is often of benefit, especially on today's poorly-surfaced roads.

Going that way can also help reduce costs, given higher profile tyres generally last longer than lower profile ones, are less susceptible to damage from potholes, as are their matching wheels, because the rims are further away from the road. Their extra 'air cushioning' also takes some load off the suspension, which will this last longer.

It's also likely that such tyre types cost less, often quite a lot if they are a 'common' size, than less common / lower profile ones. It likely does mean looking at generally lower spec cars, but only going for the minimum spec you need will mean you'll be able to afford a newer example and/or one that is in better condition.

All in all, it could save you a good few £000 (maybe more) over an ownership period. Worth considering with money so tight and significantly inflated costs at the moment.

Chops garage on youtube had an Aygo (or clone) in, looked good overall but underneath was a different story, front subframe rotted completely through, yes lived its early life in Scotland.

Actually you highlight a really good point the death of many a modern car is a subframe of some sort - they are not usually galvanised. The cost of replacing a front subframe can be rather expensive as things like engine / gearbox needs suspending in some way or being removed. The other car killer can be rusty brake pipes if the route of it requires the removal of many components eg engine, subframes, fuel tank etc...