First car for a teenager

[davidjpowell]

Step=son is 15, and I am now thinking ahead to 17th birthday and first car (with far more thought than him)...

I'm tempted to buy a cheap car relatively soon, with the idea of improving it over the next 12/24 months. Hopefully in that way he will take care of it.

I'm also tempted to choose something like a basic C class merc. Slow as hell, which hopefully is represented in insurance, and also lot many teenagers driving them to push up the risk profile.

What do you think - am I demented?

Something like this... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270804117854?ssPageName=... Let's face it, if it's too rusty to repair, it will scrap at that.

[Lets Torque]

If you want a more intresting car. Footman James will class some modern cars as classics.

Jaguar - after 5 years.

BMW/Mercedes Benz - After a decade.

So that means you can insure a 2001 BMW E46 316i on classic insurance as an example. I know the 316 is slow but it is better IMO than a Fiesta.

Rules are it must be garaged and do no more than 5,000 miles per year. I also don't know about age restrictions. Worth giving them a ring. It was all explained in a Auto Express a couple of weeks ago.

[davidjpowell]

Lets Torque said:

If you want a more intresting car. Footman James will class some modern cars as classics.

Jaguar - after 5 years.

BMW/Mercedes Benz - After a decade.

So that means you can insure a 2001 BMW E46 316i on classic insurance as an example. I know the 316 is slow but it is better IMO than a Fiesta.

Rules are it must be garaged and do no more than 5,000 miles per year. I also don't know about age restrictions. Worth giving them a ring. It was all explained in a Auto Express a couple of weeks ago.

now that is interesting!

[p4cks]

I can't help but think that a BMW wouldn't be the ideal choice for a 17 year old who has just passed his test.

[ChiChoAndy]

Same answer I give all these sorts of threads. A corsa, fiesta, civic, etc. They need to learn to drive before you give them 'owt fancy.

[P100]

unless you are paying the insurance, you have little choice but to go for a small basic (and cheap), euro box.

The insurance companies just load the young drivers premiums so high no matter what model.

As previously said go on to the comparison websites and have a fright !!

[croyde]

There was a thread not long ago about the fact that as Corsas, Saxos etc are the normal choice for young drivers thus far more of these cars are involved in accidents making the insurance costs very high.

I'm sure that the poster found that it was cheaper to insure his kid on a Jaguar XJ6 or some other car that you would not normally find a 17 year old in.

[Liquid Knight]

Rover 213S?

Seriously after two no fault claims in two years and a bit of "history" my normal car insurance was over £2,500. No fault claims do not effect your policy my arse! The Rover qualifies for a classic policy and when I renew I've been getting quotes under £500 again.

[RizzoTheRat]

Get him involved in fixing it up before he's 17 and hopefully he'll drive it with a bit of mechanical sympathy. Of course if he's the one with the biggest car he'll be one who's always got a car full of mates which does tend to effect the driving style at that age...

[CraigyMc]

In the newish insurance rating systm (1-50 instead of the old 1-20) these are all the new cars in group 1-5:

Group 1:
Chevrolet Spark 1.0i Base
Fiat Panda 1.1 Active ECO
Fiat Panda 1.2 Active, Mylife
Vauxhall Corsa 1.0 ecoFLEX Expression
Volkswagen Fox 1.2i Base, Urban

Group 2:
Citroen C1 1.0i VT
Ford Ka 1.2 Studio, Metal
Nissan Pixo 1.0i Visia, Acenta
Toyota Yaris 1.0 VVT-i T2, TR, T Spirit


Group 3:
Ford Ka 1.3 TDCi Zetec
Peugeot 107 1.0i Urban Lite, Urban
Peugeot Partner Tepee 1.6 HDi 75PS, S, Zenith
Smart fortwo coupé 1.0 mhd 90PS Passion
Toyota Aygo 1.0 VVT-i Base, +
Toyota iQ 1.0 VVT-i
Toyota iQ 1.0i Base

Group 4:
Fiat  Panda 1.2i Eleganza
Skoda Fabia 1.2i 60PS S
Skoda Fabia 1.2i 70PS S, SE, Elegance
Skoda Fabia Estate 1.2i 70PS S, SE, Elegance
Smart fortwo coupé 0.8 cdi Pulse, Passion
Suzuki Alto 1.0i SZ2, SZ3, SZ4
Toyota iQ 1.33 VVT-i 3
Volkswagen Polo 1.2i 60PS Various

Group 5:
Chevrolet Spark 1.2i LS, LS+ LT
Citroen C3 1.1i VT
Fiat 500 1.2i Various
Fiat Qubo 1.3 MultiJet Various
Ford Fiesta 1.25i 60PS Studio
Ford Fiesta 1.25i 82PS Studio
Peugeot 207 1.4 HDi 70PS Urban, S(AC)
Peugeot Bipper Tepee 1.4 HDi S, Outdoor
Suzuki Splash 1.0i GLS
Vauxhall Agila 1.0i 12v ecoFLEX Various
Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 CDTi ecoFLEX S/S
Vauxhall Corsa 1.2i VVT ecoFLEX Various
Vauxhall Corsa 1.2i S, S(AC)
Volkswagen Polo 1.2i 70PS Various

[R12HCO]

I wouldnt even consider it yet. It will be a complete waste of money and will just be 'in the way'.

I bought myself a 1.4 corsa sport when i was 16 and it sat for months on the drive doing nothing. It use to fustrate the hell out of me that i couldnt take it out

[Ozzie Osmond]

I'd wait until he's 17 or close.

Any car you buy now will be 2 years more out of date by then and also insurers may change their views on ratings. When the time comes, start with the insurance angle and then choose a car to fit.

[StottyZr]

croyde said:

There was a thread not long ago about the fact that as Corsas, Saxos etc are the normal choice for young drivers thus far more of these cars are involved in accidents making the insurance costs very high.

I'm sure that the poster found that it was cheaper to insure his kid on a Jaguar XJ6 or some other car that you would not normally find a 17 year old in.

+1 I had my Mg Zr 160 aged 18 I was paying £1800 for insurance. At college a aquaintance drove a 1.2 Sxi Corsa C and was paying £2400. Same age, all same details pretty much. I put it down to, a few 18yr old in the past most probably owned a Zr 160 and didn't make a claim. (oddly I think he thought his 73hp Corsa was faster than my 160hp Zr (which also weighed less)) but thats for another thread

[6potdave]

I can't see any harm in it to be honest, a friend of mine was bought a Mini when he was 15 and it kept us occupied for many a Sunday afternoon! It's still in his garage 14 years later but it taught us a lot about car mechanics (mainly that we were rubbish at it!) Even if it never gets to the road it will give him something to do, something to tinker with while his mates are all sat on the park throwing Cider at eachother.

[mgmrw]

4options:

1) classic. Find one, light resto. Slow as hell, fun and "cool". Bung it on your name, name him on it. Job jobbed. (add in some step-son time for bonus points)

2) buy newer. Accept you're going to get reamed, and live with it. But he'll drive something st, slow, and appalling.

3) Buy a "modern classic" that is essentially worthless. No-one else will go that way on. Merc C class, old BMW 316, old ford orion? something that's old, unloved by teens, but he can reap the rewards in cool factor from

4) go out with £500, and buy THE dirtiest cheapest korean offering. Around here a 4door 1800cc kia with leather and air con is £450 on a 2001 plate. Then accept the fact that a) it's crap, b) he'll hate it and c) it'll get thrashed. BUT console yourself with the knowledge that it's worthless, only £500, and that he'll probably then divert his attention to banging drunken 16-18year old girls.

[mercfunder]

davidjpowell said:

I'm also tempted to choose something like a basic C class merc. Slow as hell, which hopefully is represented in insurance, and also lot many teenagers driving them to push up the risk profile.

What do you think - am I demented?

Quite possibly. What self respecting 17 year old is going to be seen driving an old C Class? Look for small engine and size and low insurance group, at 17 1.0 feels like a v8 when you are let lose on your own.

[mgmrw]

I remember 2 days after passing going from a 32bhp fiesta to a 105bhp rover, that revved freely to 8k. Was an awesome day

[chrisispringles]

Insurance companies have cottoned on to young drivers buying left-field cars like old Volvos and little Korean dishwashers, they are all expensive now. The best advice I can give, as someone who is 18 and has just had their full licence arrive in the post, is to get him a bus pass when the time comes. If he plans on leaving home when he is finished with school, be it for work or university, then he is going to have to sell the car as there will be no way for him to pay the insurance for it without you waving the magic money wand for him.

[carl_w]

p4cks said:

I can't help but think that a BMW wouldn't be the ideal choice for a 17 year old who has just passed his test.

Why not, it' s a 316? Is it because it's RWD? In the 1960s nearly all cars were RWD.

[mgmrw]

carl_w said:

p4cks said:

I can't help but think that a BMW wouldn't be the ideal choice for a 17 year old who has just passed his test.

Why not, it' s a 316? Is it because it's RWD? In the 1960s nearly all cars were RWD.

automatic 316 e36, 200quid car. what can he do with that?