First car - Apprenticeship Wage

[alangbrook]

Evening ladies, just posting up here as probably all of you have more experience than me when it comes to cars. I've booked my tests and looking at cars/insurance, I know for a fact my jaw will hit the floor when I see the quote with me being 17 it ain't going to come cheap. Just wonering if anyone has any useful suggestion(s).

[JimNotJon]

Pink Nissan Micra, HTH

[schmalex]

Series 3 Landy. Cheap as chips to buy. Join the local Young Farmers & call NFU Mutual for a good insurance quote

Edited by schmalex on Tuesday 26th October 22:27

[harryowl]

old fiat panda or a fiat 126. Both ins group 1. The 126 is only 0.7L so extra cheap insurance (and exra crap peformance!!!)

[chrisispringles]

I'm in the same boat, except I'm at school so I have no income to speak of and can't get a job without a car because I live in the countryside and coldn't commute without one.

Don't bother with anything remoteley boy-racerish. I know you are going to want a hot hatch of some sort, but you're just going to have to do time in some little stbox and get a real car when you can afford one. Oh, and for the love of all that's holy, do not front your insurance, it's a type of fraud and insurers are cracking down hard on it.

[alangbrook]

Thanks for the two sensible replys - not looking forward to trying to sort insurance out!

[FreeLitres]

alangbrook said:

Thanks for the two sensible replys - not looking forward to trying to sort insurance out!

Just go on a comparison site and try putting in the details of few makes/models.

[Gizmo!]

It's going to kill you.

But seriously - drive something sh!t. You have no other option.

The insurance will cost you much more than the purchase price of the car.

If it was me? Saab 9000.

[alangbrook]

Was looking at a saxo but not got round to getting a quote as of yet.

[Merp]

I had a 1990 VW Polo for £300. Utterly crap, but I want it back. Quality times to remember with your first!

It was 1.0 and the "estate" square back shape. £1000 insurance for the year though at 18

Edited by Merp on Tuesday 26th October 23:41

[Diablos-666]

Spread your legs...

Generous helping of vasoline...

Take it like a man!

Good luck

[The fatboy]

Nissan micra, corsa, toyota yaris, suzuki alto, swift, hyundai jetz, vw lupo
i suggest these 1.0 should be cheap and reliable

[Wacky Racer]

You will probably not get much change out of £3k for insurance, unless you think outside the box...(hate that expression)..Old Landie, kit car, old classic car...Cortina/Escort etc.

My 18yr old son paid 2.5k for a 3 year old Kia Picanto, and he really tried hard, beleve me.

Now down to £900 now he's 21.

[Merp]

I would be gutted insuring a picanto for £900 at 21. Had my ST at 20 for £800 with bell/elephant/admiral group!

[DaveL86]

alangbrook said:

Was looking at a saxo but not got round to getting a quote as of yet.

Saxo's have a boy racer image, I have no doubt insurance companies will provide high quotes as lots of them get written off by young males.

Try something like a 1.3 KA, while is isn't the most masculine car but they are cheap and shouldn't be too difficult to insure, not a bad engine either.

Try Elephant/Bell/Admiral for insurance, they seem to be pretty good for young drivers (currently insured with Elephant my self) but also check the comparison website, don't use the "Go Compare" website as it only fuels them to make more annoying adverts

[Ricky_M]

I insured a Peugeot 306 DTurbo for £1500 tpft at 17. Was cheaper to insure than a lot of smaller engined cars and a lot quicker. Sounds like a tractor though.

[boolay]

Go Classic. A nice original Mini or MGB GT. Great fun, cheap parts, cheap insurance, easy to work on and you will learn a hell of a lot about cars

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1997510.htm

[rich85uk]

lets be honest at that age you just want a car that you can pick your mates up in and have enough room to shoehorn some bird in the front/back seat

another vote for the 306TD, they look quite nice( mine was in good condition, phase 2 i belive) cheap on fuel and insurance and aslong as they havnt been neglected very cheap to run.

probably the quickest of the obvoius choices (insurance group 5)ok its by no means a hot hatch, or even a warm hatch but when i had a hire car that was a 1.0l micra it was painfully slow compared to the 306

[sicarumba]

harryowl said:

old fiat panda or a fiat 126. Both ins group 1. The 126 is only 0.7L so extra cheap insurance (and exra crap peformance!!!)

This.

My wife has have a Fiat 126. OK we're a little older than 17, but the last time we insured it, it was £79 for both of us.

24 bhp is your friend.

And you get lots of mechanical experience fixing it all the time, and lots of exercise pushing it down the road...

[mk1matt]

I vaguely remember reading somewhere on this site, that possibly the cheapest thing for a 17 year old to insure was a classic beetle.

It'll seat 4, and won't be embarrasing to be seen in. Of course, it'll also be painfully slow, but at least you'll learn how to repair stuff over the course of its ownership.