Affordable drivers car for a 22 year old?
Discussion
russy01 said:
You lot call yourself PH'ers? Looking for a cheap car to insure and you recommend S2000s! These are notoriously expensive to insure, Id love to see a 22yr olds premium....
To clear up a couple confusions which appear in every S2000 thread. All UK cars are AP1 (2.0), AP2 cars are 2.2 and are sold in different markets.
IMO best cars are 53-55 - these are facelift models which stay in the lower tax band and do not have any driver aids. They are slightly softer than the earlier pre-facelift cars and overall a little easier on the edge... 06 onwards are double the road tax and may have driver aids (it was an option, not standard). The stability control whilst useful is pretty unreliable and fails from time to time - I wouldn't bother with it.
I love mine, great car and now starting to go up in value slowly - although there are some daft prices out there for pre-facelift cars which IMO look old hat now. Get your bum on a seat and you will enjoy it - if you have come from a Turbo car you WILL find it flat - if you have come from a NA car then you will find it awesome! Either way its a quick car, WILL keep up with traffic in higher gears and when you get the opportunity to stir the box up through several 9k changes you'll fall in love. Id have another if it was quicker out of the box, whilst fun the pace of M135i has made the S2000 feel a bit lacking.... an S2000 with 350hp would be perfect. (A lightweight Z4M has to be worth a look!)
Back in 2007 I got my S2000 (Which I sold in 2010) and at 23 and my insurance was a few quid under £2000.To clear up a couple confusions which appear in every S2000 thread. All UK cars are AP1 (2.0), AP2 cars are 2.2 and are sold in different markets.
IMO best cars are 53-55 - these are facelift models which stay in the lower tax band and do not have any driver aids. They are slightly softer than the earlier pre-facelift cars and overall a little easier on the edge... 06 onwards are double the road tax and may have driver aids (it was an option, not standard). The stability control whilst useful is pretty unreliable and fails from time to time - I wouldn't bother with it.
I love mine, great car and now starting to go up in value slowly - although there are some daft prices out there for pre-facelift cars which IMO look old hat now. Get your bum on a seat and you will enjoy it - if you have come from a Turbo car you WILL find it flat - if you have come from a NA car then you will find it awesome! Either way its a quick car, WILL keep up with traffic in higher gears and when you get the opportunity to stir the box up through several 9k changes you'll fall in love. Id have another if it was quicker out of the box, whilst fun the pace of M135i has made the S2000 feel a bit lacking.... an S2000 with 350hp would be perfect. (A lightweight Z4M has to be worth a look!)
Clean Licence, no accidents. I could insure any car from Porsche or Lamborghini at that time for less money. After 12 months the premium dropped dramatically and the specialist brokers were willing to come near me.
I bought mine in November, which seems to be the prime time to crash them (I remember on S2KI every year several would be written off when the roads got cold and wet again).
People get in them and think they can rag around in them on cold tyres and drive them like a hot hatch. Driven correctly, they are superb cars and great fun
Ignoring financial sense, I would say a 350Z! I may be biased (in that I own one) however, for £10-11,000 you can get one of the last HR ones ('09 I think was the last year) on low miles and it should be fairly depreciation proof. I bought my '07 with the HR motor 18 months and 22,000 miles ago and I've lost £500 to depreciation, if that, if the classifieds are to go by. Plus not a thing has gone wrong. Not one thing. 308bhp, 200bhp/ton and a laugh in the wet. Insurance for me is around £600 at 26 with 4 years NCB and 0 points, so it shouldn't be too much worse for you. They're as docile or rabid as you want them to be. The later ones are £505 to tax however, and mine averages 26mpg, and that's only because my commute has long stretches of average speed cameras. Good cars.
However, when I put on my sensible cap, I would suggest a Clio 172/182. Peanuts to buy, peanuts to run and there's a whole heap of aftermarket goodies to bolt on if you're that way inclined. Every bit as quick as the 350Z in the twisties and a damn sight cheaper in about every respect. There's so many around you can afford to be picky, although there are lots of s
tters out there. But IMO one of the best all-rounders of the last 10 years. There's a reason why every man and his dog takes these things on track, but still manages daily duties with them.
As tempting as it may be, don't blow your wad on one car and then sell it on for a considerable loss in a few years unless you can absolutely afford to. Buy something cheap (Clio), and put the rest towards a house. If you can afford to blow £15k and still save up a considerable house deposit, then your list of potential motors is long.
These are my two suggestions for each scenario.
However, when I put on my sensible cap, I would suggest a Clio 172/182. Peanuts to buy, peanuts to run and there's a whole heap of aftermarket goodies to bolt on if you're that way inclined. Every bit as quick as the 350Z in the twisties and a damn sight cheaper in about every respect. There's so many around you can afford to be picky, although there are lots of s
tters out there. But IMO one of the best all-rounders of the last 10 years. There's a reason why every man and his dog takes these things on track, but still manages daily duties with them. As tempting as it may be, don't blow your wad on one car and then sell it on for a considerable loss in a few years unless you can absolutely afford to. Buy something cheap (Clio), and put the rest towards a house. If you can afford to blow £15k and still save up a considerable house deposit, then your list of potential motors is long.
These are my two suggestions for each scenario.
BRABUS Smart Roadster Coupe
It's great looking, great sounding, super cheap to insure, low road tax, good economy, fairly practical, pretty reliable and most of all it's rare.
Buy one, spend some money doing tweaks like a better clutch for faster gear changes, remap the engine for more power (110hp is a good amount) and upgrade any visuals you like. Such as interior trim or wheels, but I'd keep those as they suit the car.
£6000 for the car, £1000 for running costs, £2000 on mods and you have a £9000 fun car
It's great looking, great sounding, super cheap to insure, low road tax, good economy, fairly practical, pretty reliable and most of all it's rare.
Buy one, spend some money doing tweaks like a better clutch for faster gear changes, remap the engine for more power (110hp is a good amount) and upgrade any visuals you like. Such as interior trim or wheels, but I'd keep those as they suit the car.
£6000 for the car, £1000 for running costs, £2000 on mods and you have a £9000 fun car
Mintiest 172/182 you can find = sensible option, I've had 2 and I love them
E46 M3 /Z4M = pushing the boat out
996 911 = ultimate option if you can pick up a cheap one for £10-£12K and have a mini slush fund
It all depends on how much on top of £15K is available annually for insurance/servicing though. And if you get the 911 you'll be a bit shafted as you'll have set a very high bar for future cars to beat!
E46 M3 /Z4M = pushing the boat out
996 911 = ultimate option if you can pick up a cheap one for £10-£12K and have a mini slush fund
It all depends on how much on top of £15K is available annually for insurance/servicing though. And if you get the 911 you'll be a bit shafted as you'll have set a very high bar for future cars to beat!
E46 330D 208bhp decent torque decent MPG and can be fun too and you can save a load for when you turn 25 and your insurence drops.
123D msport yet again around 208bhp decent mpg fun rear wheel hot hatch that looks the part all for under 10k
for mainly insurence purposes a mitsubishi colt ralliart?
GT86
I insured some decent cars at 22 or before in a high crime area with no garage all for under 1k just depends on what you want to spend and also if you buy something cheap and fun now it will allow you to save a chunk at the moment and save for another 2 years and buy something bigger and better when you turn 25.
123D msport yet again around 208bhp decent mpg fun rear wheel hot hatch that looks the part all for under 10k
for mainly insurence purposes a mitsubishi colt ralliart?
GT86
I insured some decent cars at 22 or before in a high crime area with no garage all for under 1k just depends on what you want to spend and also if you buy something cheap and fun now it will allow you to save a chunk at the moment and save for another 2 years and buy something bigger and better when you turn 25.
In 2013 i was in the same boat as you (Abeit a little younger with a lower budget)
I had £3000 for a sports car and was 20 years old with 1 year NCB.
My Shortlist consisted of the following.
Toyota MR2 Mk3 1.8
Toyota MR2 Mk2 2.0 (Wanted this one quite a lot)
Mazda Mk1 or Mk2 1.6 or 1.8
MG TF 160
Toyota Celica Mk7
I had done some quote testing on the phone with my current company.
All the cars on my list were less than £1000 to insure fully comp.
The cheapest was the MK2 MR2 (which was odd , because it is also the most powerful on the list)
In the end i went for a 1997 MR2 Mk2 NA , I paid £2500 for it , it only had 57000 miles and was in great condition with FSH.
Its really cheap to insure (Compared to my first ever quote of £1800 a year and a bit earlier, Age 19) , Changing the vehicle on my then current policy the company refunded me £250 ( My previous car was a 1.6 2003 Renault Megane )
So my Insurance worked out at just north of £600 for the MR2
Result!
And after nearly 3 years of ownership the insurance now is just over £500
And then we have my Dad who has over 30 years no claims and gets lower quotes than that for a Ferrari F430!
Good luck buddy! I hope this comment helps you out a bit!
(And what the others on here have said about house deposits is not a bad idea given how difficult getting a house for people our age is these days!)
Maybe spend a little on a car and keep the rest saved away?
£3000 will get you a neat toy!
I had £3000 for a sports car and was 20 years old with 1 year NCB.
My Shortlist consisted of the following.
Toyota MR2 Mk3 1.8
Toyota MR2 Mk2 2.0 (Wanted this one quite a lot)
Mazda Mk1 or Mk2 1.6 or 1.8
MG TF 160
Toyota Celica Mk7
I had done some quote testing on the phone with my current company.
All the cars on my list were less than £1000 to insure fully comp.
The cheapest was the MK2 MR2 (which was odd , because it is also the most powerful on the list)
In the end i went for a 1997 MR2 Mk2 NA , I paid £2500 for it , it only had 57000 miles and was in great condition with FSH.
Its really cheap to insure (Compared to my first ever quote of £1800 a year and a bit earlier, Age 19) , Changing the vehicle on my then current policy the company refunded me £250 ( My previous car was a 1.6 2003 Renault Megane )
So my Insurance worked out at just north of £600 for the MR2
Result!
And after nearly 3 years of ownership the insurance now is just over £500
And then we have my Dad who has over 30 years no claims and gets lower quotes than that for a Ferrari F430!
Good luck buddy! I hope this comment helps you out a bit!
(And what the others on here have said about house deposits is not a bad idea given how difficult getting a house for people our age is these days!)
Maybe spend a little on a car and keep the rest saved away?
£3000 will get you a neat toy!
Edited by FIREBIRDC9 on Friday 9th October 08:39
Edited by FIREBIRDC9 on Friday 9th October 08:41
Edited by FIREBIRDC9 on Friday 9th October 08:55
MrAllen, I suggest something big, comfy, cheap and not too likely to get you into trouble. Sports cars at your age are just asking for speeding fines and/or getting nicked for driving w/o due care/attention... and insurance costs are horrendous.
My elder son (24) currently has an infatuation with the Mercedes W124 estate, but nice ones are too rare and they need garaging, ideally, so a beater W210 would be a better idea (if you can find one that isn't rusted to hell). Volvo V70s are probably a more sensible bet, and the 1990s V90 (an updated 960) is a jolly nice thing.
If you want something interesting and vaguely fun, an X350 Jaguar XJ is outrageously cheap to buy and insure for what it is, as is its predecessor, the X300/X308 (the X305 version being probably the cheapest way there is into a V12!).
When I was your age I was driving a Mk3 Cortina 1600E - probably the equivalent of a Focus Zetec today. The Cortina was RWD but no oversteery fun to be had, the Focus (first generation especially) has a reputation for being a decent drive... also, the Volvo C30 is quite a nice thing for a medium-size hatch, a bit different and available with the same 2.5 litre 225bhp five-cylinder and has the same chassis as the Focus ST - except that the Focus ST will attract 100x more police attention as the mechanically identical Volvo!
Hydraulically-sprung Citroens are jolly nice. My son also really fancies a Xantia Activa, but there are fewer than 50 left on the road in the UK, alas. People don't seem to realise what a fantastic car it is - cornered faster in the Teknikens Värld slalom than all the supercars of its era. The big barges - CX, XM, C5, C6 - are also rather nice with the hydraulic springs, and preferably a V6 engine (CX was 4-pot only, alas).
Your budget will also, if you're utterly mad, get you into a first-generation Bentley Mulsanne/Turbo R... not sure what insurance on it would be like, though! Prohibitive, I suspect! A more sensible alternative would be an L322 Range Rover - at your budget it'd be a BMW 4.4 litre engined example.
In terms of a sleeper barge, a Lexus LS400 is cheap and more-or-less indestructible. Californian motoring journalist Matt Farah's LS400 has finally blown up its autobox at 922,000 miles. The 1UZ-FE V8 will take 1200bhp on stock bottom end with no problems.
My elder son (24) currently has an infatuation with the Mercedes W124 estate, but nice ones are too rare and they need garaging, ideally, so a beater W210 would be a better idea (if you can find one that isn't rusted to hell). Volvo V70s are probably a more sensible bet, and the 1990s V90 (an updated 960) is a jolly nice thing.
If you want something interesting and vaguely fun, an X350 Jaguar XJ is outrageously cheap to buy and insure for what it is, as is its predecessor, the X300/X308 (the X305 version being probably the cheapest way there is into a V12!).
When I was your age I was driving a Mk3 Cortina 1600E - probably the equivalent of a Focus Zetec today. The Cortina was RWD but no oversteery fun to be had, the Focus (first generation especially) has a reputation for being a decent drive... also, the Volvo C30 is quite a nice thing for a medium-size hatch, a bit different and available with the same 2.5 litre 225bhp five-cylinder and has the same chassis as the Focus ST - except that the Focus ST will attract 100x more police attention as the mechanically identical Volvo!
Hydraulically-sprung Citroens are jolly nice. My son also really fancies a Xantia Activa, but there are fewer than 50 left on the road in the UK, alas. People don't seem to realise what a fantastic car it is - cornered faster in the Teknikens Värld slalom than all the supercars of its era. The big barges - CX, XM, C5, C6 - are also rather nice with the hydraulic springs, and preferably a V6 engine (CX was 4-pot only, alas).
Your budget will also, if you're utterly mad, get you into a first-generation Bentley Mulsanne/Turbo R... not sure what insurance on it would be like, though! Prohibitive, I suspect! A more sensible alternative would be an L322 Range Rover - at your budget it'd be a BMW 4.4 litre engined example.
In terms of a sleeper barge, a Lexus LS400 is cheap and more-or-less indestructible. Californian motoring journalist Matt Farah's LS400 has finally blown up its autobox at 922,000 miles. The 1UZ-FE V8 will take 1200bhp on stock bottom end with no problems.
Edited by RoverP6B on Friday 9th October 09:06
Varn said:
Funny, I thought the thread title mentioned drivers car.
Why are FWD/AWD being proposed?
your ignorance is laughable, a car can't be a drivers car unless its rear wheel drive??? you should have told him to buy some leather driving gloves and a flat cap to fit with your out dated views!Why are FWD/AWD being proposed?
Ignoring the FWD/AWD comment, I'd have a look at Lotus Elan. Minimal depreciation from here and the late turbo ones, especially in BRG with yellow detailing look great. I went through a similar process as you, discounted the MX5, didn't fancy early Boxster and in the end thought "sod it" and bought a Chimera 500. I just closed my eyes when paying the bills for it, Simple!
R56 Mini JCW - a hoot to drive as long you are OK with firm standard suspension (IMO don't consider the even harder optional sport suspension). I am biased because I have 2009 one that I bought at 2000 miles and it is a keeper (I have other cars).
The JCW has one of the naughtiest standard exhaust noises around. The turbo boost is addictive. It is FWD but RWD was not a stipulation of the OP. You could buy a fairly recent low mile high specification one within your budget. They are group 36 insurance so not too silly.
The running costs are fairly low. The front tyres get a hardish time - keep using premium tyres and replace at 3mm and you will be fine. My car was improved when I junked the Run Flats and put on Michelin PS3s.
Whatever you end up with the journey will be fun - try to keep some money back to cover eventualities and pick a car with low depreciation so that your next car is easier to upgrade to.
My 22 year old car enthusiast son just bought an E46 318i Touring (his first car was a mint E36 318iS). He wanted a decent to drive car that he can carry his stuff in and be able to afford to do longer journeys - of course the project car is being planned.
as long you are OK with firm standard suspension (IMO don't consider the even harder optional sport suspension). I am biased because I have 2009 one that I bought at 2000 miles and it is a keeper (I have other cars). The JCW has one of the naughtiest standard exhaust noises around. The turbo boost is addictive. It is FWD but RWD was not a stipulation of the OP. You could buy a fairly recent low mile high specification one within your budget. They are group 36 insurance so not too silly.
The running costs are fairly low. The front tyres get a hardish time - keep using premium tyres and replace at 3mm and you will be fine. My car was improved when I junked the Run Flats and put on Michelin PS3s.
Whatever you end up with the journey will be fun - try to keep some money back to cover eventualities and pick a car with low depreciation so that your next car is easier to upgrade to.
My 22 year old car enthusiast son just bought an E46 318i Touring (his first car was a mint E36 318iS). He wanted a decent to drive car that he can carry his stuff in and be able to afford to do longer journeys - of course the project car is being planned.
If I was in your situation I would budget five grand on car, insurance and modifications. Then you've got ten grand left for mortgages etc.
I wish I had been more sensible with my cash during my twenties.
I'm a saab guy so for me it would be a classic saab 900 turbo or even cheaper and a lot faster a 9000 2.3 turbo. A well sorted 900 handles amazingly and is a lot of fun. A tuned 9000 is an absolute beast of a car and handles really well on new suspension. Don't blow all your cash!!!!
I wish I had been more sensible with my cash during my twenties.
I'm a saab guy so for me it would be a classic saab 900 turbo or even cheaper and a lot faster a 9000 2.3 turbo. A well sorted 900 handles amazingly and is a lot of fun. A tuned 9000 is an absolute beast of a car and handles really well on new suspension. Don't blow all your cash!!!!
MK1RS Bruce said:
your ignorance is laughable, a car can't be a drivers car unless its rear wheel drive??? you should have told him to buy some leather driving gloves and a flat cap to fit with your out dated views!
I suppose you'd also propose that he gets an 'auto' instead of a manual clutch?Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff