thefreak
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 11:34 AM |
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Young driver, 1st car thoughts
Ok, we're shopping around looking to get the step-daughter a car for xmas.
First obvious thoughts are to stay away from the common boy racer cars - Saxo, Clio, Festa and Corsas.
She's not particularly a petrol head, despite trying 
Budget is <£1500 and <1.4 to try and keep the insurance in check. >MY2000 as well to take advantage of the cheaper road tax
Front runners are currently a 2002ish Seat Ibiza 1.2 and Peugeot 206 1.1
The ones coming in budget are close to the 100k mark, but I'm wondering if this is as much of an issue on more modern cars. Would a 105k 1.2
engine on a 10 year old car be one problem after another, or are we going to get 12-18 months of relatively trouble free motoring?
No issues with doing the maintenance on them either, and yes, she will be helping
Also, are there any other suggestions for cars in the budget/spec? Or anyone have one sat around looking for a good home?
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JC
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 11:43 AM |
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When my nephew was looking, he found that the Punto was the cheapest to insure if that helps!
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loggyboy
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 11:50 AM |
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Any reason for not going for the 'boy racer' cars?
The image is only the image when it has stick on bits on it. In standard forms all of the cars you mention are good little starter cars.
Mistral Motorsport
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thefreak
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 11:52 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
Any reason for not going for the 'boy racer' cars?
The image is only the image when it has stick on bits on it. In standard forms all of the cars you mention are good little starter cars.
They are, but doing the quotes on insurance they seem to be loaded by another £200 compared to the others on the list. As she's not even got a
job yet, the closer to £2k all in the better when I'm paying 
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owelly
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 11:54 AM |
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Boy racer cars attract a boy racer insurance premium.
I would avoid French at the sort of money you're spending. I'm sure there will be plenty of folks who love them but they are a bit flimsy
and are ripe with electrical niggles!
If I was looking, I'd be aiming for a Nissan Micra. Cheap to buy, run and insure and happy to munch over 200,000 miles. Obviously check for the
usual crash/repair damage and signs of rust.
Just check the insurance first though as some trim specifications seem to attract a higher insurance premium for younger drivers!!
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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loggyboy
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 12:22 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by owelly
Boy racer cars attract a boy racer insurance premium.
Rubbish.
A standard 1.2 corsa will be assesed as a standard 1.2 corsa, not as a Corsa SRi with alloys and a spoiler.
Mistral Motorsport
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PAUL FISHER
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 12:35 PM |
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This subject keeps popping up from time to time on here.
Ive just gone through this exercise, trying to find a first car for my 17 year old Daughter, ended up with a mint condition year 2000 1.0E VW Lupo
for £900, very cheap on insurance, she's only paying £680 fully comp, its doing over 50mpg around town, well built safe car, Diamond insurance
was by far the cheapest.
[Edited on 19/05/04 by PAUL FISHER]
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thefreak
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 12:40 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by PAUL FISHER
This subject keeps popping up from time to time on here.
Ive just gone through this exercise, trying to find a first car for my 17 year old Daughter, ended up with a mint condition year 2000 1.0E VW Lupo
for £900, very cheap on insurance, she's only paying £680 fully comp, its doing over 50mpg around town, well built safe car, Diamond insurance
was by far the cheapest.
[Edited on 19/05/04 by PAUL FISHER]
Been looking at Lupos as well.
That's about the sort of numbers I'm hoping for.
The Corsas given a similar spec/age are around £200 more to insure. I can only see it as the boy racer tax.
The 1.2 Corsa may well only be insured as a 1.2 Corsa, but most of them are insured by 17-18 year old lads who want to see if the 100mph top speed can
be hit around the local trading estates
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roadrunner
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 12:44 PM |
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My suggestion is VW Lupo or Polo. Great little cars.
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mcerd1
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 01:34 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by owelly
I would avoid French at the sort of money you're spending. I'm sure there will be plenty of folks who love them but they are a bit flimsy
and are ripe with electrical niggles!
the way round that is to find the one thats so old that there isn't much to go wrong 
my little 106 was a great wee car - but it was a 954cc with a single choke carb, 4 gears and no fancy options at all
it claimed to have a massive 45bhp, so the insurance wasn't bad at all
my GF has a 1.2 8v clio which claims to have a giant 60bhp! (last of the mk2's) but it feels like its got less go in that my 106 did  still it
uses very little fuel (probably because its so gutless you don't bother putting your foot down :lol: )
done a few jobs on it now and they arn't any worse too work on than any other cheap little hatch back...
these are the same insurance group as a Lupo, 1.2 ibiza, 1.2 corsa and 1.1 206....
[Edited on 4/12/2012 by mcerd1]
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jps
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 01:40 PM |
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I've only just moved on from my first car, which was a Ford Ka. Great car by my reckoning, although you do see a lot of Rusty ones going about.
Mine had 80k on the clockand i sold it for 1250 although I'd had it from new and had fsh...
If i was 17 again if probably be choosing the car on the basis of insurance costs mainly...
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FazerBob
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 02:48 PM |
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as previously mentioned the Fiat Punto is a good buy, and cheap to insure. I love french cars, and reckon I've had 20 plus over the years, but
the Saxo and Pug 206 seem to be a nightmare.
In the last 6 months I have seen 3 x 206's and two Saxo's through the workshop with collapsed rear axle bearings. Not a cheap job to put
right. Four out of the five mentioned had to have the complete axle replaced, but sourcing a good s/hand one is not easy.
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Slimy38
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 02:57 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by jpsIf i was 17 again if probably be choosing the car on the basis of insurance costs mainly...
My first five years of driving were entirely based on insurance costs, it wasn't until I got old (ish) that I could start having a bit of fun!
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roadrunner
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 03:10 PM |
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I have thought about getting the wife an old car when she passes her test.
MKI Golf cabrio was top of the list.
Then I thought about bad weather driving, and if she was in an accident. Then I changed my mind.
They have no ABS, or airbags and traction control.
So a Beetle cabrio it will have to be.
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femster87
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 03:13 PM |
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1.0 Toyota Yaris, It will never breakdown and insurance is cheap.
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hughpinder
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 03:42 PM |
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2001 polo 1.9 SDI classic is what I got my daughter. Non turbo so simple, low insurance, will still do 90 on the motorway, and is quick enough
elsewhere, quite hard to stall, good on fuel, the classic is the saloon shape and the boot is vast. Pre 2001 models didn't have abs as
standard.
Dont forget to put yourself as named driver on your daughters policy - this a) lets you drive it if you need to do a test, b) dropped the insurance
quote by 25%.
Where my daughter is working a couple of the others have yaris type cars, and they end up going 2 at a time to shop and getting 1 bag of shopping each
- Rebecca gets 3 others in and they get a weeks shopping with loads of spare space ...... In fact the boot will hold more stuff than out BMW320 estate
did.
Regards
Hugh
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mcerd1
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 04:14 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by FazerBob
.....but the Saxo and Pug 206 seem to be a nightmare.
In the last 6 months I have seen 3 x 206's and two Saxo's through the workshop with collapsed rear axle bearings.
yet my old 106
(1992) went to its grave (~18 years and 130k) with the rear axle in perfect working order and its the same as the saxo...
...infact most of the runnig gear is the same as an AX
guess they just don't make them like they used to.....
[Edited on 4/12/2012 by mcerd1]
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Lightning
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 04:55 PM |
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I've got a 2002 Corsa 1.0 comfort (electric widows, manual sunroof) My daughter was learning to drive in, but has lost interest. Sitting there
not doing anything. Must be worth close to £1k U2U if any use.
Steve
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perksy
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 05:23 PM |
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Lupo, Polo, Micra and then Punto (In that order) would be my choices...
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ReMan
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| posted on 4/12/12 at 09:33 PM |
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As above, nowt wrong with the BR cars, especially the Corsa, just a case of avoiding the ones that have been chavved up already
1.4 Corsa for our daughter at 17 was remarkably cheap (for cheap read a complete f-ing rip off, but not as bad as some)
www.plusnine.co.uk
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