1st car for a non-PH'er

[vit4]

Mate's passed his test, and is looking for a first car. By his own admission he's not really in the know, but is after something not too old looking, small with a budget of £750.

His ideas were Clio, Punto, Fiesta & Corsa. Talked him out of the Clio but he seems to have his heart set on a Punto, am I right in thinking these are pretty much 'avoid like the plague'? Would be a mid-late 90's edition.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...
Quite liked the look of this Fiesta, from what I know these would be the best of the bunch?


He also liked the idea of a Polo, again the mid-late nineties ones, am I right that these are pretty reliable?



I know it's a thread topic that's been done to death but I'm actually having trouble trying to think inside the box! MGB's and Sierras and Routemaster buses were all that came to my mind, but I emphasise for a non-PH'er!

[twazzock]

vit4 said:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...
Quite liked the look of this Fiesta, from what I know these would be the best of the bunch?

Find a 1.25, not the 1.3

[vit4]

twazzock said:

Find a 1.25, not the 1.3

Quite a leap on insurance though; I've got the 1.3 in an Escort, and it's a very old-school but essentially bulletproof engine, is the 1.25 better enough to warrant the premium? No experience of it.

[Ibizahoo2]

twazzock said:

vit4 said:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...
Quite liked the look of this Fiesta, from what I know these would be the best of the bunch?

Find a 1.25, not the 1.3

1.3 is deathly slow!! I had a 1.25 zetec as my 1st car, absolutely quality, beats late 90's 316 beemers in a race and they are almost indestructible, well mine was,

ahh the made up route time trials at lunchtime!! those were the days.

[magpie215]

he could do a lot worse than a K11 Micra

[va1o]

Polo is best for that budget, Surprisingly nice to drive.

I'd recommend a 1.4 CL, offers the best combination of equipment, low running costs and cheap insurance. Don't bother with the entry 1.0 cars they are dead slow and basic (no pas).

Back in the day it was the car winning all the group tests and awards. Its much more solidly built than anything else of that era, better equipped and the most modern. A Fiesta feels like a tin can by comparison.

Watch out for gearbox issues, and make sure the cambelt has been changed in accordance with the schedule. They all rust on the bottom of the doors, some worse than others.

[vit4]

Well, no helping some people Had a call earlier that he bought a Punto.

Saying that, does look absolutely mint, not particularly low mileage but supposedly a massive file of service history

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...

[fido]

Waste. He could bought a newer 5dr Almera with lower mileage, more reliable and cheap as buttons to service.

[magpie215]

fido said:

Waste. He could bought a newer 5dr Almera with lower mileage, more reliable and cheap as buttons to service.

+1

[Jesus TF Christ]

magpie215 said:

he could do a lot worse than a K11 Micra

For a first car, most certainly.

[anonymous-user]

From experience I can say Puntos don't work. They are cars that like to stay at home

[vit4]

PSBuckshot said:

From experience I can say Puntos don't work. They are cars that like to stay at home

Had a poke around it today, really is as clean as a whistle. Clearly been VERY well looked after, the passenger/back seats looked as if they'd never been sat in and no wear to talk of on the driver's seat. Were it not for the odometer it could've been a brand new car tbh, one tiny dent. Got it a lot cheaper than advertised price too.



Give it a few weeks and await the "Advice please, mate's Punto has x wrong with it" threads