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Author: Subject: First Car
HomersDouble

posted on 2/11/11 at 04:31 PM Reply With Quote
First Car

Hi All,

I am about to start looking for a car for my two sons (one 19 and passed test, one 17 and a learner). As the insurance will be the biggest issue, I guess it will come from the list of usual tiny engined suspects - KA, Polo, Corsa, Panda, Clio etc etc.

Can the collective mind recommend, or not, any of the above in particular ? or do you have any 'don't touch with a barge pole' stories.

Thanks in advance, Chris

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eddie99

posted on 2/11/11 at 04:34 PM Reply With Quote
I have found that you need to find an unusual car, rather than necessarily a 1ltr car. I had a 1.7 puma as my first car because somehow it was cheaper insurance than corsas, polos, clios etc.....
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MK9R

posted on 2/11/11 at 04:40 PM Reply With Quote
Get them something like a GTM rossa, small engine kits can be really cheap to insure. The GTM I bought as a lads first car as it was cheap to insure and easy to work on. It will also be a bit cooler with their mates rather than a beaten up KA





Cheers Austen

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twybrow

posted on 2/11/11 at 04:40 PM Reply With Quote
I agree with eddie. I had a Micra, followed shortly afterwards by a Volvo 440. The Volvo had a good size engine, and was much larger than my mates had, but the insurance was cheap, as it was a grandads car!
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Norfolkluegojnr

posted on 2/11/11 at 04:41 PM Reply With Quote
I've been told by bods at Aviva that the 1.0 micra is about as cheap as it gets.

Loads around for peanuts:

nissan micra 1.0 shape 1996 | eBay

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HomersDouble

posted on 2/11/11 at 04:52 PM Reply With Quote
I had thought that the 'unusual' route might worth a look and had already sown the seeds by discussing the merits of something like a old landie (cheap/ simple to mend when they bend it). SWMBO didn't seem to keen on the idea though............
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mcerd1

posted on 2/11/11 at 04:54 PM Reply With Quote
most things around the 1.0L or less mark should fit the bill, but some are inexplicably more expencive than others…


my first car was a 1.1 mk1 fiesta (in 2001) and its was quite cheap,
but the 1.0 pug 106 (really 954cc and 7hp less) I replaced it with was 1 group higher on the insurance


the 90's 1.0 micra is always a good bet and they cost next to nothing to buy (but horrible to drive IMHO)

[Edited on 2/11/2011 by mcerd1]





-

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DixieTheKid

posted on 2/11/11 at 04:59 PM Reply With Quote
My brother inlaw who is an insurance broker always recomends a Rover 214 for younger drivers, there whats know as an " insurance beater " in insurance linggo!

My brother got one, done the head gasket straight away for him. Thats the problem, they run hot and the orginal headgaskets are pants. But from memory he paid £900 od quid in his 1st year of driving although the insurance company fitted a tracker.

Other quote he had for corsa's etc were in some cases over £2000.

Hope this helps






COS IT'S Worth IT

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Dingz

posted on 2/11/11 at 05:08 PM Reply With Quote
A young lad I worked with had a petrol Landrover as his first car it was much cheaper to insure than his mates with small hatchbacks, and he could drive it into walls without damaging it much!

[Edited on 2/11/11 by Dingz]





Phoned the local ramblers club today, but the bloke who answered just
went on and on.

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PSpirine

posted on 2/11/11 at 05:30 PM Reply With Quote
I wouldn't recommend an old land rover.

Yes they're easy to fix, but they also break down all the time, they're loud, slow, thirsty and not street-cool either most likely. Also not ideal in emergency braking/maneouvering situations if god forbid it ever comes to that.


I'll recommend a Micra! (still have mine so slightly biased). Also have a look at something like an older Accord, Primera or Passat. They sometimes have surprisingly low insurance quotes if you go for the lower specs.


Had a clio but insurance on it was more than other bigger cars (presumably cause everyone claims on them?).

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Johneturbo

posted on 2/11/11 at 06:03 PM Reply With Quote
I've got a little ford Ka as my winter runAbout it's been a good reliable car, and as there are so many on the roads parts are easy to find.
as they only changed the shape last year my 1998 looks the same as a 2010 apart from the odd dent

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rallyingden

posted on 2/11/11 at 06:11 PM Reply With Quote
Hyundai Amica, cheap to insure cheap to tax, cheap to run ............ AND I have one for sale


RD

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Mark Allanson

posted on 2/11/11 at 06:18 PM Reply With Quote
2000 on Fiat Punto, cheap to insure, Cat 5 safety, airbags, cheap to buy, cheap to fix and loads about.





If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation

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HomersDouble

posted on 2/11/11 at 06:31 PM Reply With Quote
Thanks all for your thoughts. Certainly opened up a few options I hadn't considered.
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samjc

posted on 2/11/11 at 06:43 PM Reply With Quote
I recalled deisels seem.cheaper for me as I insure a 1.4fiesta and for the same money I could insure a turbo diesel vectra
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mark chandler

posted on 2/11/11 at 06:48 PM Reply With Quote
I had a 1.1 peugoet for my 18yo daughter, make sure you and your wife are named drivers, this halves it for some reason .
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bmseven

posted on 2/11/11 at 06:51 PM Reply With Quote
Daughter has a Mk4 Zetec Festa 1.25 75bhp and about £400 odd quid for her first years insurance but then its cheaper for girls





BMW 7 Resource
Bures Pit anyone?

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LBMEFM

posted on 2/11/11 at 07:24 PM Reply With Quote
My son bought an old classic Mini (1982) and it cost him £450 a year
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flog

posted on 2/11/11 at 07:27 PM Reply With Quote
first car

How about a Dutton 1300cc!
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flog

posted on 2/11/11 at 07:31 PM Reply With Quote
Sorry, hit the wrong button........
so how about a Dutton Pheaton S1 1300 cc x flow engine. Tops out about 75ut good fun getting there, 30 odd to the gallon, I paid £101 on a new policy although an old man of 43 with Pickles Insurance and £125 to tax (from memory)
Yours for 1500 or haggle to 1400. I'm on Dorset/Somerset border. Send me a message for pitures.

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monck

posted on 2/11/11 at 07:43 PM Reply With Quote
Im only 20 i have a Peugeot 306 Dturbo 1.9 45mpg 1998 100k best car i have ever had for a daily driver and the cheapest (£500 )

insurance bracket 5 so should be able to get a not to bad quote on one ive done 16k and its had no money spent on it just mots and tax

look on ebay the miles one of these can do is unreal !!

Also they cant put a big loud bean can on a diesel so no waking you up when the get in at 1 am !!!!

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lotusmadandy

posted on 2/11/11 at 08:01 PM Reply With Quote
I bought a peugeot 206 1.9 d,for my
17 yo son. The insurance cost £1270 while he
was learning and when he passed two weeks ago
it cost an extra £230, because he is now unsupervised.
Its in group 4 and does 50mpg.

Andy






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Thinking about it

posted on 2/11/11 at 08:03 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
2000 on Fiat Punto, cheap to insure, Cat 5 safety, airbags, cheap to buy, cheap to fix and loads about.


Both my two daughters had them. I have to agree with Mark.

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morcus

posted on 2/11/11 at 09:28 PM Reply With Quote
I'm told 1.6 to 1.8 D segment cars like Vectras and Mondeos are cheaper to insure than 1l superminis, you'll also get a newer car for the same money and spares are probably easier to get. I worked with a 20y/o guy who had mondeos for this reason and his insurance went up when he swapped for a Clio at 23.





In a White Room, With Black Curtains, By the Station.

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britishtrident

posted on 2/11/11 at 09:39 PM Reply With Quote
Avoid Corsas in the age of car you are looking at they all have potential lubrication related valve gear problems in all the various types of engines used.

The old style Micras have a well known fuel system fault that badly affects idle speed control , this used to be very expensive but it was discovered it can be fixed by re-soldering a joint in the air flow meter otherwise bullet proof if horrible to look at. Models introduced post the Renault take over of Nissan the quality is similar to Renault models.

Fiats usually mean a head gasket change at some point in ownership --- a chore rather than a major job. Beware the security system used on older Fiats they were prone to expensive failure although these days it can be neutered and if you do buy one with with the "red key" system make sure you you get the red key with the car.


Renault --- french electrics **** ***** **** **** **** **** !!!!!





[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]

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