First Car Ideas

[BeMo]

Normally I would be happy to help someone I know choose their car using knowledge from reviews I have read etc. However when it has finally come round to my own I'm finding it rather difficult to decide.

I have a budget of £8000, and would like something fairly new, no later than 2008 although ideally newer as some warranty left would be a bonus.

I'm currently torn between a Panda 100hp and a Mk6.5 Fiesta Zetec S, any experience of either of these cars would be a great help, and also any other suggestions.

Cheers!

[BeMo]

Yes, sorry I should have been more clear I am 17, have recently passed my test and this would be my first car. I knew that was coming! I can see fully where you are coming from though, you're not the first and I doubt the last

I was set on a fairly nice car though and I disagree with buying one for say £1500 and then spending double that insuring it... I also found that oddly it is more to insure a 1.25 fiesta than a 1.6. So while I understand, I'll probably end up taking the plunge anyway and it'll all end in tears in a few months time...

[visual123]

Insurance on a Zetec S at 17 will be killer. As will a 100HP, possibly. Starting off with something cheap, relatively basic and fun will probably give you more laughs. A Panda 1.2 for example could be a laugh. If you spend £8000 you'll just lose a lot in depreciation.

[Benbay001]

doogz said:

Have you just passed your test? Are you a new driver? Or have you just never owned a car of your own before?

If you're new to this driving malarkey, i'd suggest against spending that much money on your first car. However good you may be at driving, there's a good chance it's going to get shunted at some point.

Im not so sure on this, all of my friends that have had big crashes/ writen cars off, were all driving st tips.
All the ones with cars in nice condition, are the ones that still have cars in a nice condition.
Edit- OP go on Admiral's website and try to insure one of these cars, just so all the "Haterzz" will stop the "insurance for youngins is high on anything but a smart car malarkey.
I would split the budget, spend a few £100 pounds more and get something you can keep a few years. Like..http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3350956.htm

Edited by Benbay001 on Wednesday 26th October 11:25

[BeMo]

With regard to insurance, I keep getting quotes from the RAC on confused.com for around £1200-1600 a year as a named driver on most of the cars I have looked at. Although this does seem too cheap and is a lot cheaper than even coverbox-the tracker one. But at the end of the day it's what they are advertising so when the button is pressed that is the insurance sorted. My mother will also be using the car occasionally to prevent and "fronting" issues and her name will be on the registration documents. Pretty much everyone I know does it this way and has never had any problems regarding insurers or police. Just as a point of reference I put a group 1 107 into confused.com for my own policy and the cheapest I could get it to was £3400 which quite frankly is ridiculous, so what do they expect people to do...

[George7]

For that sort of money, and at your age, something like an Aygo/C1/107 would be ideal. I'd personally suggest getting something a bit older though, perhaps something from the early 00s. It means you'll lose a lot less in depreciation.

[Alex@POD]

BeMo said:

With regard to insurance, I keep getting quotes from the RAC on confused.com for around £1200-1600 a year as a named driver on most of the cars I have looked at. Although this does seem too cheap and is a lot cheaper than even coverbox-the tracker one. But at the end of the day it's what they are advertising so when the button is pressed that is the insurance sorted. My mother will also be using the car occasionally to prevent and "fronting" issues and her name will be on the registration documents. Pretty much everyone I know does it this way and has never had any problems regarding insurers or police. Just as a point of reference I put a group 1 107 into confused.com for my own policy and the cheapest I could get it to was £3400 which quite frankly is ridiculous, so what do they expect people to do...

If your mum will only use the car occasionally, you must be insured as the main driver, otherwise it is fronting. Just because everyone you know hasn't been caught doing it doesn't make it legal, sorry.

For cheap quotes you will need to look at older and bigger cars, I'm sure a E39 5 series will be in budget for example.

[trickywoo]

BeMo said:

as a named driver....... My mother will also be using the car occasionally to prevent and "fronting" issues and her name will be on the registration documents....... Pretty much everyone I know does it this way and has never had any problems regarding insurers or police.......

[Actus Reus]

It is indeed fronting - if you run somebody down and kill them it's a whole lot different to denting Doris from next door's Polo. Be very careful...

As to a car choice - I too would suggest older and cheaper. In fact, for the second time this week, i'm gonna suggest an MX-5 - a Mk.1. Cheap to buy and, maybe even insure?

[Spanna]

One of the biggest regrets I have is spending so much money on my first car. Whatever you get you'll have fun, so get something older, worth less and you won't mind bumps and scrapes then. Just because it is older does not mean unreliable.

£8k of car will be around £5k after only a year of use I would imagine. Use the other money to go on holiday or do some advanced driver training. Don't do what I did and pile all your money into, it's not worth it. Especially spending that sort of money on what is a mundane, dull vehicle with little performance which I'm certain you will be bored of in no time.

[300bhp/ton]

BeMo said:

Yes, sorry I should have been more clear I am 17, have recently passed my test and this would be my first car. I knew that was coming! I can see fully where you are coming from though, you're not the first and I doubt the last

I was set on a fairly nice car though and I disagree with buying one for say £1500 and then spending double that insuring it... I also found that oddly it is more to insure a 1.25 fiesta than a 1.6. So while I understand, I'll probably end up taking the plunge anyway and it'll all end in tears in a few months time...

Is that £8k cash or finance?

I agree with doogz tbh, too much money to waste if you are a new driver.

And why must it be so new and have warranty? Only leaves boring and mundane offerings really.

[Roger Dodger]

Spend £2k on something (fiesta/civic etc) run it for a year, then when you haven't written it off, reward yourself with something nicer.

[BeMo]

Actus Reus said:

It is indeed fronting - if you run somebody down and kill them it's a whole lot different to denting Doris from next door's Polo. Be very careful...

As to a car choice - I too would suggest older and cheaper. In fact, for the second time this week, i'm gonna suggest an MX-5 - a Mk.1. Cheap to buy and, maybe even insure?

Never got that though even if it is a big accident, it could happen when the occasional driver is driving just as it could the main it is no more likely either way. The fact that she will be driving it aswell the differences aren't really defined well enough as month to month use may vary.

With regard to car, something newer gives peace of mind for not letting me down one morning, believe me if reliability and safety didn't come into it I'd have a Mk2 1600E Cortina in a heartbeat. Also require 4 seats as you can't go anywhere with mates in an MK5. So was after the most fun smallish hatchback that I could afford.

[Actus Reus]

Well, just be aware the an insurance company will treat a big claim differently to a small one.

As to five seats, good point. I'd still be inclined to take a small risk on reliability and get something older (E36 BMW 318is for exmample), but if you're going to stick to your guns on 08 and later I'd have to suggest a Focus - handles well, cheap to fix, lots of choice and, if you're into it, a fair few mods available for styling and, I suppose, performance?

[BeMo]

300bhp/ton said:

Is that £8k cash or finance?

I agree with doogz tbh, too much money to waste if you are a new driver.

And why must it be so new and have warranty? Only leaves boring and mundane offerings really.

Will be cash. While I appreciate it doesn't really give a broad range, it will be coming to Uni next year and I have visions of being stuck in a car park when something won't start. Also it needs not to rust when sat outside for long periods of time.

[BeMo]

Actus Reus said:

Well, just be aware the an insurance company will treat a big claim differently to a small one.

As to five seats, good point. I'd still be inclined to take a small risk on reliability and get something older (E36 BMW 318is for exmample), but if you're going to stick to your guns on 08 and later I'd have to suggest a Focus - handles well, cheap to fix, lots of choice and, if you're into it, a fair few mods available for styling and, I suppose, performance?

Yes, I appreciate that and I think I may look in to other insurance companies rather than comparison sites and see what I can come up with instead, as I don't want a car that I can't insure if it gets cancelled...

Thanks for the other suggestions off to the classifieds now to see what I can find!

[FreeLitres]

Do you really need your car while at Uni?

I didn't have a car through my Uni years and I never felt like I was missing out.

[300bhp/ton]

BeMo said:

Will be cash. While I appreciate it doesn't really give a broad range, it will be coming to Uni next year and I have visions of being stuck in a car park when something won't start. Also it needs not to rust when sat outside for long periods of time.

eh?

A new car is just as capable of not starting. In fact with all the electronics it could be more likely.

Rust??

Buy a car that isn't rusty?

[StottyZr]

At 17 you have a budget of £8000 :shock:

[kayzee]

Me and most of my mates spent around £2k on a first car, definitely the right thing to do imo. In fact, after owning a couple of expensive cars (to me, at least) I would say hand on heart I prefer more of a budget motor.

My friend at work here just bought a 1.4 Fiesta Ghia (07 reg) and she's paying £1,200 insurance! Crazy... she's 19 btw. Sometimes I'm glad I'm going bald and need glasses.