1st Car for the kids

[Downward]

Is there an official what Car to buy thread ?

[biggbn]

The best and safest one you can afford.

[Turtle Shed]

Aygo

Peanuts to run, low insurance group, nicely lacking in power, won't ever go wrong because it's a Toyota.

[ITP]

Budget?

[Downward]

Ok
Dunno if this sounds right ?
Manual
Hatchback
£1500 ?
Not sure what Insurance is like ? Is it best to put the Parent as Main Driver and Child as named whilst learning ?

[CouncilFerrari]

Something not particularly special that you don't mind getting wrecked.

Japanese tend to be the most reliable, so Swift, Micra, Aygo, Yaris etc

[Pilotguy]

Turtle Shed said:

Aygo

Peanuts to run, low insurance group, nicely lacking in power, won't ever go wrong because it's a Toyota.

‘09 Aygo - MoT had flagged up rear sub-frame corrosion a few months earlier. Dismantled itself while in motion, not a collision!

[Jonny_]

Pilotguy said:

Turtle Shed said:

Aygo

Peanuts to run, low insurance group, nicely lacking in power, won't ever go wrong because it's a Toyota.

‘09 Aygo - MoT had flagged up rear sub-frame corrosion a few months earlier. Dismantled itself while in motion, not a collision!

[Levin]

Well, seeing as you may have been put off the Aygo / C1 / 107, how about a Yaris or a Micra? The K11 Micras are becoming sort of cool nowadays.

[Downward]

How about Polo, Clio. Corsa ?
Wife had a Clio for her 2nd car and it was nice.

[ITP]

Mk7 fiesta with over 100k miles on but well maintained, harder to find than you’d think. Lots have no history, cheaply maintained as they get older.

But newer, so safer, with high miles to reduce price, better than older, low miles but less safe.

Also, put them as main driver, as they can build up no claims. If you stick it on a multicar policy with yours/any others each ‘main driver’ is allocated no claims. Also on ours each driver only needs to be active on the policy for 90 days to get a full years no claims on renewal!

Can be handy for when they pass, as this is when the price rockets, it’s cheap with L plates. You could reduce the first high premium with 1 years no claims this way.

Edited by ITP on Wednesday 24th August 18:44

[Edible Roadkill]

I was always told get something cheap they’ll probably smash it anyway.

[Bobupndown]

VW Up was a great learner car for our son. Nice enough to drive but only 60hp so a bit slow. He changed it for a 1.2 Tsi Polo after a year gaining experience and a years NCB.

[Regbuser]

Skoda citigo, great little cars

[stevemcs]

Up the budget and go for a VW Up or the Skoda/Seat version, so much better (reliability wise) than the Polo.

If not go for a Fiesta - just not the 1.0.

[ITP]

ITP said:

Regbuser said:

Skoda citigo, great little cars

Good choice but can you get a Citigo for £1500?

[ChocolateFrog]

20 years ago the answer was always something a bit oddball, usually with a decent sized engine.

Volvo saloons were way cheaper to insure than a 1l supermini for example.

It used to be anything that young people didn't bin on a regular basis no idea if that still holds true.

It was that or do what quite a lot of my mates did and buy a new Saxo VTR to get the 2 years free insurance, which was worth upto about £3k back then on a £9k car.

[Tom4398cc]

A year ago we were facing the same question. A friend suggested looking at cars that don’t get crashed or damaged often, as the insurance would be less. We looked into this and it proved to be good advice - the classic first cars (Clios, polos, Aygos) were more to insure than the old people’s spec 2006 Mercedes A170 we ended up buying. It is reassuring that our son isn’t in an under-powered car and one that is a bit bigger/safer than some others.

[ZX10R NIN]

Downward said:

Ok
Dunno if this sounds right ?
Manual
Hatchback
£1500 ?
Not sure what Insurance is like ? Is it best to put the Parent as Main Driver and Child as named whilst learning ?

Have your child as the main driver, with you & you wife as named drivers.

Cars that aren't so popular are sometimes cheaper than the regular options, take a look at these & see what the numbers come out like.

Vauxhall Astra 1.4:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208078...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110208...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206086...

Alfa Mito Veloce:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208239...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208138...

Kia Rio Strike:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208229...

Ceed Strike:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208208...

VW Beetle:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202207157...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208118...

[DT1975]

Downward said:

Ok

Not sure what Insurance is like ? Is it best to put the Parent as Main Driver and Child as named whilst learning ?

It was about £800 for our daughter in a C1 a few years back mind....its cheaper when they're learning. If they pass it then goes into orbit. You want to register it in the nippers name, them as main driver and as said have you and mum as named drivers. If you don't and put yourself as main driver they'll see straight through it (its called fronting).