Good starter car for 17 year old - £750-£1500 budget?

[greenarrow]

Searching for a car for my daughter..... there's a lot of choice out there and I quite like the Toyota Yaris, because it has a good reliability record and I enjoyed the one I drove extensively when it was new.....

I wondered about the Honda Jazz, but the image is perhaps a bit OAP for a 17 year old, ditto the Nissan Micra......

Also quite keen on Ford Fiestas as again, they seem to have a good reliability record according to the reliability index online tool...have seen a Ml4 1.25 Zetec on line for £600 with 61000 miles on it. Seems to represent good value for money, even if its a bit old now.

Vauxhall Corsa? These don't seem to have such a good record but very popular with youngsters I am sure for good reason...

VW Polo/Skoda Fabia/Seat Ibiza, all seem a bit more expensive for what you get!

Fiat Panda... wondered about these (especially if I could find a 100hp model, lol!!)

So any recommendations from fellow dads out there who have bought their offspring a cheap first car?

[Slow]

Oddly enough a Skoda Octavia was the cheapest car we can find insurance wise for my 17 y/o brother.

[MRichards99]

Yaris', Micra's and Jazz's all have an OAP reputation - but this is good for a young driver as it means cheaper insurance! As an 18 year old, a Yaris is far cheaper to insure than any Fiesta or Corsa. You might get lucky on insurance on a really oddball choice such as the Skoda above, I wasn't able to find anything like this though (would your daughter be happy driving some big, powerful estate because it has cheap insurance?). As a Yaris owner, I'd vote for one of those - probably the least old person car out of the three OAP choices but still quite quirky for a young person I think. 1 litre models (of which I have) aren't dangerously slow unlike other 1.0 models of other cars due to the VVTi (so you have enough grunt to not be a mobile chicane). Backboxes, drop links are consumables in Yaris' - you'll see in 8/10 Yaris MOT histories that they've failed on drop links at some point. Other than that, pretty good cars! Set up to understeer (car has been given a very safe setup from factory) but you can make it oversteer if you do it right . Hope you find something good!

[Bumblebee7]

I had a Panda as a first car and loved it. Yaris is a good shout really reliability. As a new driver I'd rather something small than an oddball choice just because it has slightly cheaper insurance. I wouldn't go for a corsa though. My O/H has one and if something could go wrong it has. Everything from door motor, windscreen wiper motor, bonnet release, wiper stalk, boot not unlocking, key disintegrating, all shock absorbers and the rear bench become jammed in a halfway position has gone wrong. From a reliability perspective I couldn't recommend it at all.

[greenarrow]

MRichards99 said:

Yaris', Micra's and Jazz's all have an OAP reputation - but this is good for a young driver as it means cheaper insurance! As an 18 year old, a Yaris is far cheaper to insure than any Fiesta or Corsa. You might get lucky on insurance on a really oddball choice such as the Skoda above, I wasn't able to find anything like this though (would your daughter be happy driving some big, powerful estate because it has cheap insurance?). As a Yaris owner, I'd vote for one of those - probably the least old person car out of the three OAP choices but still quite quirky for a young person I think. 1 litre models (of which I have) aren't dangerously slow unlike other 1.0 models of other cars due to the VVTi (so you have enough grunt to not be a mobile chicane). Backboxes, drop links are consumables in Yaris' - you'll see in 8/10 Yaris MOT histories that they've failed on drop links at some point. Other than that, pretty good cars! Set up to understeer (car has been given a very safe setup from factory) but you can make it oversteer if you do it right . Hope you find something good!

I remember a 300 mile round trip to Birmingham in a 1 litre Yaris in 2001, it was 3 up and I barely dropped below 90 MPH all the way home down the M40/A34/A31. It was quite nippy if you ragged it to the redline and the car had very good body control..the memory of the drive has always stayed with me as I was shocked at how composed it was at speed...

My research suggests the Honda Jazz can be troublesome with age and miles...not as good as a Yaris.

Nissan Micra- I am a big fan of the Mk2 having thrashed several as courtesy cars, the frog shaped Mk3 however has a lot of Renault parts so I wouldn't be as keen!

I hadn't thought about the Yaris being an OAP car, I guess you're right...just less so than a Jazz or Micra. I live near Bournemouth and every other OAP seems to have a Jazz!!

Edited by greenarrow on Saturday 31st March 14:30

[ZX10R NIN]

Focus 1.4 LX these sometimes work out cheaper to insure than the Fiesta:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Clio 1.2T Expression

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Dynamique

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

2.0 Beetle these are as cheap to insure as some of the cars above surprisingly.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[greenarrow]

..Aside from these all being 100 miles or more away from my address, I'm a bit wary (rightly or wrongly) of buying Renault and the others are a bit big..

although the last gen Fiesta she is learning in is probably scarcely smaller than a Mk1 Focus, which gives me an idea, as they're cheap and plentiful.....

..anyone know how expensive a Mini is to insure?

[CJG1]

I would vote Polo. They’re a bit more pricey but you get what you pay for. Really solid little cars. The 1.2 is a fun engine however comes in a 55hp 6v version as well as a 65hp 12v, get the 65 if you intent to get to 60mph . I had a 2006 1.2 which I bought as my first car and took it from 90000 miles to 110000 miles, didn’t need anything apart from a coil pack (well known issue).

Another thing to think about is don’t just look at 1.2’s. I paid £1300 for my first years insurance. My brother who is 2 years younger than me passed his test 6 months ago, ended up with a 2003 Polo 1.9 TDI 100bhp, for £1200 a year! Look at the 1.9 SDI as well, bulletproof engines that will go for 100,000’s of Miles If looked after.

[ZX10R NIN]

They're just to give you an idea of options, I'm sure you can refine the search more locally to you.

[MrGTI6]

Loads of decent, suitable cars about.

I quite like the 206s. Loads of cheap-to-run 1.1s and 1.4s about. Easy to find a well looked after one for less than a grand. The 2.0HDi is surprisingly cheap to insure as well and very reliable. They do an 'Eco' version with a longer fifth gear that's only £30 a year to tax.

[Shiv_P]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

I drive one of these albeit a 55 plate pre-facelift (grandads car) and it's a v fun car to drive. It's slow, reeeeeally slow but I only drive it once a week or less so don't need to get anything for myself yet and for a first time driver enough power. Down a b road though it's really good fun, the stock clutch is easy to get used to and I found it much easier to drive than my instructors 1.6 diesel 66 plate clio (which had a horrible gearshift and electric steering so not particularly confidence inspiring). It's also quite small so great for new drivers to get used to with parking etc and decent visibility

The 1.25 needs to have had the cambelt done and make sure the gearbox runs nicely (can be a little tough to get into 1st and reverse when cold but when warm loosens up nicely) as they are made of semi-cheese
Parts are also plentiful and cheap such as body panels for when/if he prangs it from breakers

[defblade]

My daughter's getting an 11 year old Aygo, as it's my wife's old car (she's just bought a Citigo) and it didn't seem worth part-exing the Aygo for £200 when daughter will be 17 in 6 months and then we'd be looking for the same car again, at £1000.

I've been driving it full time the last 2 weeks so it's been getting past 4,000rpm regularly for the first time in it's life, turns out it's fine for traffic
It's actually quite good fun to drive, without ever getting near any sort of handling limit. Reminds me of old Fiats (127 in particular) - keen to get up and go somewhere, plenty of zip, no actual power

My girl has got no choice, but I'd certainly consider a C107go even if we didn't have one already.

[gca117]

I would back the Polo. Bought a 52 Plate 1.2E 10 years ago for my son to learn to drive in with 90K on the clock. He drove it for 6 years with no major issues other than normal wear and tear. I took it on 3 years ago as a run about when he bought another car and I now use it to commute 125 miles a day. Can service it myself in about an hour and still going strong with just over a 153K miles on the clock and aiming to hit the 200k mark.

[MorganP104]

defblade said:

My daughter's getting an 11 year old Aygo, as it's my wife's old car (she's just bought a Citigo) and it didn't seem worth part-exing the Aygo for £200 when daughter will be 17 in 6 months and then we'd be looking for the same car again, at £1000.

I've been driving it full time the last 2 weeks so it's been getting past 4,000rpm regularly for the first time in it's life, turns out it's fine for traffic
It's actually quite good fun to drive, without ever getting near any sort of handling limit. Reminds me of old Fiats (127 in particular) - keen to get up and go somewhere, plenty of zip, no actual power

My girl has got no choice, but I'd certainly consider a C107go even if we didn't have one already.

I had one of these as a courtesy car a while back (no toys, steel wheels without trims, smallest engine, peasant gears, the lot). Although initially disgusted by the sheer awfulness of what I perceived to be one below the lowest rung on the automotive ladder, I soon warmed to the thing. As my learned colleague above has already stated, they have an energy that belies their (lack of) power, and the handling is both secure, and (whisper it) rather a lot of fun.

Granted, not quite as much fun to throw around as a Fiat 500 (I've driven a courtesy car one of those, too), but a helluva lot cheaper to buy than the considerably more desirable Italian.

[greenarrow]

The 107/C1 and Aygo are a good shout, I like them a lot. The only problem is they have good residuals and tend be worth more than £2000.

I was rather hoping for something cheaper tbh, hence £750-£1500 budget in the title. I haven't seen any that cheap anywhere near me. Cheapest locally, is about £1995.

Fiesta Mk6 1.25 is also a good shout. My wife has a Mk6 ST and they're very solid cars, which clearly can take a lot of abuse.

The Polo is another one I will consider although my opinion of the 2002 onwards era Polo Is tarnished through experience of one as a hire car in Lanzarote. I thought it was the most gutless, roly poly handling little car I had every driven! Hated it! That was a 1.4 too, as I recall. Being overtaken by 1.2 Corsas on every trip is a memory that has stayed with me!!

As a leftfield shout, I also quite fancy a Panda 100hp. They're only group 11 insurance (lower for example than a 1.3 Suzuki Swift) and as the car will be shared by me and I am selling my beloved Mazda MX5 to make way for it, tbh, I want to buy something that's enjoyable to drive as well as cheap to run. For that reason, I also am strangely drawn to the original Ford Ka, as they're a blast to drive....

[defblade]

greenarrow said:

The 107/C1 and Aygo are a good shout, I like them a lot. The only problem is they have good residuals and tend be worth more than £2000.

I was rather hoping for something cheaper tbh, hence £750-£1500 budget in the title. I haven't seen any that cheap anywhere near me. Cheapest locally, is about £1995.

There are plenty of sub-1500 Aygos on Autotrader (I didn't check C1s or 107s)... don't know about the "local" bit though. Still, a long train trip to see the car followed by praying it gets all the way home is good way to buy

[greenarrow]

defblade said:

greenarrow said:

The 107/C1 and Aygo are a good shout, I like them a lot. The only problem is they have good residuals and tend be worth more than £2000.

I was rather hoping for something cheaper tbh, hence £750-£1500 budget in the title. I haven't seen any that cheap anywhere near me. Cheapest locally, is about £1995.

There are plenty of sub-1500 Aygos on Autotrader (I didn't check C1s or 107s)... don't know about the "local" bit though. Still, a long train trip to see the car followed by praying it gets all the way home is good way to buy

You're right, there are a fair number...I'm down on the South Coast and they're all a fair drive away. When I stick in "within 50 miles", no C1s, 107s, or Aygos are available for £1500 or less. I'm not a fan of long drives/train journeys to look at cars, because people are generally bad at describing their vehicles and I've been too many wild goose chases in the past to look at "mint condition" cars that have turned out to have numerous issues.....

I will keep looking in the local ads, sometimes bargains crop up.

At the moment I have to say that a cheap Yaris, Fiesta or even a Mk2 Micra is top of my list...

[Mo28]

You should be able to get a 06/07 Yaris for around £1500 and are known for great reliability

[RSTurboPaul]

greenarrow said:

the car will be shared by me and I am selling my beloved Mazda MX5 to make way for it

Why not insure said 17 year old on the MX5?

Parts are super cheap, they are simple to fix, stick it on some decent brand 14" tyres and buy an afternoon of skidpan training - the entire world drove RWD before FWD became common, so no reason not to start with RWD now.

[Kinky]

Interesting topic which I'm following as kinky Junior turns 17 in a few weeks time

We already have a car sorted for him (an '07 1.4 Fiesta which has been in the family since new), But kind of a spin-off from the 'what car' question is the 'what insurance' question. I've not started nosing around yet, but Marmalade were mentioned to me by a few people, as a specialist: https://www.wearemarmalade.co.uk/

Just wondering if anyone has any experience or guidance on the best way to approach it.

Sorry for thread hi-jack, although it is kind of the next consideration after the car