Bought a new car today, a 58 plate Corsa, and got half way home and the head gasket went 
Cue one man and and an orange van later I got taken back where I bought and handed it back to them.
I’ve now got an 06 plate Renault Clio sat on the drive 
The perfect storm of a 13 year old 1 litre motor probably driven by at least two generations of boy racers forced into it by their insurance companies and driving it as though ( they wished ) it was a 2 litre.You were lucky the head gasket was probably just a warning and the tip of an expensive iceberg.It belongs in a scrap yard not a used car forecourt.As for the Clio who knows. 
Apparently my reno is a Dynamique S - apparently quite good and top spec…
I think not bad for 1400…
buying a used car is always a bit of a coin toss.
adam277:
buying a used car is always a bit of a coin toss.
You can tilt the odds more in your favour by prioritising durability and maintenance costs which generally means bigger less stressed engine and simpler = better.The older it is the more that needs to be the case.