Currently on the hunt for a first car for my 18 year old step son.
He really has taken a shine to Vw lupos. However there are not a great deal of them around for sale and they are a fair bit older than a corsa for the
same money.
Which would you go for? An older vw lupo/polo with a few more miles or a newer corsa/Clio/fiesta? I'm not that clued up on the smaller breed of
cars today, is the VAG quality still there?
For example 1999 lupo 1.0 or 1.7 diesel with 80k can be had for 1000-1100 quid. Corsa 1.2 sxi 2004 vintage, 60k for around 1200 quid.
I would buy the corsa or fiesta because there newer...
I sold a 2005 corsa with 11,000 miles last year for £1,200. Took ages to get rid of the piece of crap.
Go for the VW.
Lupo, Insurance will be alot cheaper aswell
All small VW's (Possibly all used VWs) seem to be over priced so I'd not bother also check insurance first as some cars are alot more than
others for no real reason.
I'd deffinitly not pay extra to have a car half as old again with higher millage for a smaller car, of your listed cars it has to be the
corsa.
[Edited on 8/2/14 by morcus]
VW everytime, you may pay a bit more for an older car, but when it comes time to sell, it will go quicker, and will go for more money. As you stated there are not many about, and that's why
I'd take the Fiesta over the VW but the VW over the Corsa.
As others have said above as its for an 18 year old check the insurance before buying as that could be the deciding factor.
Insurance will likely be the main factor. My sister in law found fiestas and ka's to be the only cars that cost less to insure than to buy!
Try a seat a rosa, pretty much a lupo but cheaper and there are more of them arround
quote:
Originally posted by matt5964
Try a seat a rosa, pretty much a lupo but cheaper and there are more of them arround
Just bought a little Lupo for my sister.
Seemed a better bet that the Fiestas, Puntos and Corsas she was looking at.
She seems to like it. Insurance was cheap too.
Wonder if she'll ever pay me back!
It's his first car, mine a mini lasted 6 weeks after getting my driving licence before hitting a grit box, my daughter wrote off her car after 2
hours 
I would look at a £400 fiesta as they seem pretty tough, then trade up after 6 months and use insurance policy that gives 30% NCD early.
From what I've found, the newer the car the cheaper the insurance for a first car
Corsa as we have one great little car for my Daughter
VW build quality is pretty good son had a little Fiat as first car and although it was economical it was very flimsy with a desperately poor crash
test rating. He bought a little 998cc Polo and it drives and feels like a proper car you shut the door and it feels heavy- much safer.
I put it through Mot about 2 weeks ago and guy says it is absolutely solid underneath. lad has just moved to Leeds for first job and can walk to work
so he will bé selling it soon. I have not advertised it yet as MOT bloke might have some student type lined up to buy it. It is a 6N 2 model, 2 dr,
alloys full new exhaust brand new steering pump. Kenwood stereo and 12 months MOT serviced and just over 100k which sounds a lot but not for a 14 yr
old car he will bé wanting about £1100 and car is on Sorn near Carlisle. Would make a cracking safe first car.
Atb
Mike
Cheers for all the input chaps.
For the polo/lupo/fiesta/corsa of the 1.0 to 1.2 varietys the insurance is very similar ranging from 1275 to 1375 so it's just a case of finding
the right car. He really likes the lupos as they are a bit quirky and different and I kind of respect that. Although I'm extremely peeved as
we've just done a 120 mile round trip to see a 'mint' lupo 1.7 diesel which was a rotten wreck.
With reference to a previous comment about newer cars being cheaper to insure, bizzarly it's true. A 2006 corsa 1.2 twin port 80bhp is cheaper to
insure than the 2003 equivalent with 75bhp.