19 years old. Want a car that stands out
Discussion
My first car at 17 was a 1.4 polo, then this year I've been driving a 2007 2.2 cdti civic. Both have been good cars and really reliable, but I want something that I LOVE. I was happy with them but there has just been something missing. The fact that I'll drive the civic and will 9/10 times see another one almost identical to mine within 10 minutes takes away any special feeling from the car. I will be looking to buy my next car in a few months. I have been looking at a 3.0 Alfa 166 on auto trader but Alfa' s reputation for reliability is not the greatest by any means. I am drawn to the Alfa as it is both gorgeous and is a big move away from the mundane, run of the mill cars i have had previously (and of course the V6😉). Insurance is £500 cheaper than on the civic, without a black box as well! If anyone could give me some other suggestions on cars less common and attractive, but which are also not stupid expensive to insure. 2 or 4 seats, doesn't matter too much. Preferably petrol but may consider a diesel. Running costs above 25 mpg. Budget is around 3k maximum.
Mx5, or any small sports car for that matter.
They are fairly common, but no where near that of any hatchback. For personal experience owning one in my early 20s, it gets a lot of compliments, from punters who just see 'sports car' and car guys who recognise it as the 'budget' enthusiast option.
Not to mention it is an absolutely great car to drive, just fast enough to be fun, easy to chuck about, reliable until they rust. Great to commute in, particularly with a hard top.
They are fairly common, but no where near that of any hatchback. For personal experience owning one in my early 20s, it gets a lot of compliments, from punters who just see 'sports car' and car guys who recognise it as the 'budget' enthusiast option.
Not to mention it is an absolutely great car to drive, just fast enough to be fun, easy to chuck about, reliable until they rust. Great to commute in, particularly with a hard top.
caelite said:
Mx5, or any small sports car for that matter.
They are fairly common, but no where near that of any hatchback. For personal experience owning one in my early 20s, it gets a lot of compliments, from punters who just see 'sports car' and car guys who recognise it as the 'budget' enthusiast option.
Not to mention it is an absolutely great car to drive, just fast enough to be fun, easy to chuck about, reliable until they rust. Great to commute in, particularly with a hard top.
Never really been an MX-5 fan. Just don't like the stylingThey are fairly common, but no where near that of any hatchback. For personal experience owning one in my early 20s, it gets a lot of compliments, from punters who just see 'sports car' and car guys who recognise it as the 'budget' enthusiast option.
Not to mention it is an absolutely great car to drive, just fast enough to be fun, easy to chuck about, reliable until they rust. Great to commute in, particularly with a hard top.
58impala said:
Rubin215 said:
How about an older luxury car?
Amazing bargains to be had in your price range and will certainly draw a lot more attention than the usual £3k young-man's car.
That is an idea I have been looking into. Any particular cars you can recommend in that bracket?Amazing bargains to be had in your price range and will certainly draw a lot more attention than the usual £3k young-man's car.
58impala said:
Rubin215 said:
How about an older luxury car?
Amazing bargains to be had in your price range and will certainly draw a lot more attention than the usual £3k young-man's car.
That is an idea I have been looking into. Any particular cars you can recommend in that bracket?Amazing bargains to be had in your price range and will certainly draw a lot more attention than the usual £3k young-man's car.
58impala said:
Rubin215 said:
How about an older luxury car?
Amazing bargains to be had in your price range and will certainly draw a lot more attention than the usual £3k young-man's car.
That is an idea I have been looking into. Any particular cars you can recommend in that bracket?Amazing bargains to be had in your price range and will certainly draw a lot more attention than the usual £3k young-man's car.
Good suggestions above. Big Jags are hugely underpriced for what you get, and the MR2 is a beautiful design.
I’d also recommend an MGB GT. You can still get a decent one for £3k, great fun to drive, great looking, cheap parts, maintenance, tax and insurance. Plus, prices are creeping up, so may even make a profit when you sell.
I’d also recommend an MGB GT. You can still get a decent one for £3k, great fun to drive, great looking, cheap parts, maintenance, tax and insurance. Plus, prices are creeping up, so may even make a profit when you sell.
kieranblenk said:
Chrysler Crossfire? Yes it's an old Merc underneath but it should be reliable enough and the styling is a bit marmite but you can pick them up for a song. Failing that consider an MG ZT; plenty of choice including a big V6 and sensible running costs.
I've always liked the crossfire. I'll have a look at insurance costs. Thanks for the suggestion. 58impala said:
My first car at 17 was a 1.4 polo, then this year I've been driving a 2007 2.2 cdti civic. Both have been good cars and really reliable, but I want something that I LOVE. I was happy with them but there has just been something missing. The fact that I'll drive the civic and will 9/10 times see another one almost identical to mine within 10 minutes takes away any special feeling from the car. I will be looking to buy my next car in a few months. I have been looking at a 3.0 Alfa 166 on auto trader but Alfa' s reputation for reliability is not the greatest by any means. I am drawn to the Alfa as it is both gorgeous and is a big move away from the mundane, run of the mill cars i have had previously (and of course the V6??). Insurance is £500 cheaper than on the civic, without a black box as well! If anyone could give me some other suggestions on cars less common and attractive, but which are also not stupid expensive to insure. 2 or 4 seats, doesn't matter too much. Preferably petrol but may consider a diesel. Running costs above 25 mpg. Budget is around 3k maximum.
Suspect you’ll find the Alfa is no better or no worse reliability wise than anything of comparable age/market segment. Having said that. It’s cool that you are considering it. But the 166 is still somewhat mundane. It’s a mass market fwd commuter style car built and sold for daily duties. The Alfa name carries more weight than the actual design of the car.
Not saying you shouldn’t consider it though.
As for cars to consider. Look for more oddball cars maybe classics or even kit cars. Really comes down to how many seats you want. What you want from the Vehcile and if you are maybe prepared to tinker on the Vehcile if required.
Often left field cars can be quite insurance friendly too.
When I was 19 I bought a 5.3 litre V12 Jaguar XJ-S. It cost the same to insure full comp as my mate was paying 3rd party on a 2.0 litre Sierra. Although I admit mpg was a lot less in the V12...
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