18yr Old First Car Sub £1500 Decent NCAP

[V8RX7]

My friend's son is now 18 and has passed his test and is looking for his first car

He is only concerned about image and wants a new shape fiesta

His Dad suspects he'll crash it and wants at least 4* NCAP and is loathe to lend him any more than £1500 as he remembers how we drove

My suggestion is a 1.3 Suzuki Swift - I've never liked Fiestas, it's a 4* car and IMO looks decent (it's a relative term)

However as it's been a while since I was 18 perhaps some younger PHers could comment

[HustleRussell]

...Wait, what's wrong with the Fiesta, other than the fact that his Dad's friend doesn't like it?

Obv for £1,500 we're talking 'old' new shape, but still post mk6...

[V8RX7]

HustleRussell said:

...Wait, what's wrong with the Fiesta, other than the fact that his Dad's friend doesn't like it?

Obv for £1,500 we're talking 'old' new shape, but still post mk6...

Not being the current shape makes it "an old bin" apparently



and I've never liked them - I just think there's something better and as his mates have current shape (company) ones it's easier if he has something different IMO.

[HustleRussell]

Some years ago now my friend sought my advice on what car to buy which would be like his Dad's 10-plate Fiesta which he liked but not a Fiesta because he couldn't possibly have the same model car as his Dad. I directed him towards the Mazda 2. 7 years and 80,000 miles on I'm still waiting for the 'James I have a problem with my car' phone call. I service it every year, I put tyres on it sometimes. The subframes and exhaust look a little crusty these days but it's only superficial and on the whole it's a great little car. I prefer the way it drives to the fiesta, and the 1.3L engine I reckon is better than the 1.25L one in the Ford.

[300bhp/ton]

V8RX7 said:

My friend's son is now 18 and has passed his test and is looking for his first car

He is only concerned about image and wants a new shape fiesta

His Dad suspects he'll crash it and wants at least 4* NCAP and is loathe to lend him any more than £1500 as he remembers how we drove

My suggestion is a 1.3 Suzuki Swift - I've never liked Fiestas, it's a 4* car and IMO looks decent (it's a relative term)

However as it's been a while since I was 18 perhaps some younger PHers could comment

NCAP doesn't really mean much tbh. The ratings have changed over the years and the cars are only measured against something their own weight and similar size. Thus a 2 star big car is still likely a lot safer than a 4 star small car if they crashed into each other or into a ditch.

[ZX10R NIN]

Clio Dynamique

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

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

Jazz

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

Seat Ibiza

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

Mitsubishi Colt

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

[SCEtoAUX]

Aygo. Cheap, safe, reliable, fun, not ugly.

[ninjag]

Suzuki Swifts are great little cars, very fun to drive - almost go-kart like. We replaced our Yaris with one as it's a little more substantial but still small and manageable for her. Try and go for a newer type SZ2 or SZ3 one,
rather than GTX etc, there's one or two in budget about. The 1.2 is nippy around local roads and can keep up on the motorway but needs working a little for anything more at speed, which is probably a good thing for a new driver.

Brakes are excellent, stopped quicker than my 3 series, but it is a much lighter car. Drums at the rear so you can get a little travel before the brakes engage. Tightening the handbrake can eliminate this but makes the handbrake pretty brutal to use. Good safety systems, there's a few roundabouts in my area which have that constant greasy surface and negative camber which would often throw our old Yaris in a spin as it has no traction / stability control but the Swift doesn't even twitch. It's also a timing chain.

[dhutch]

To save a new thread, my brother is looking for his first car, similar requirements. He is in his twenties but has no ncd.

- £1000 target cost
- Cheap insurance
- Reliable and cheap to run

Current thoughts are a fiesta/bravo/206 type affair, fords are known if popular new drivers fiats hold value like a leaky bucket, pugs usually reasonably screwed together. Family friend who runs a Citroen indi recommends a 107/C1 as very cheap to run, the Yaris's are nice enough and maybe good on insurance?

Obviously he hunt through auto-trader and ph classifieds, and will run online quotes for insurance, but any thoughts and suggestions welcome.


Daniel

[andymc]

yaris or small engined corolla

[HustleRussell]

dhutch said:

206

Daniel

Even by 21st century Peugeot standards the 206 is a bad car IMO. I'd rather drive a 106 however they aren't the safest.

Would echo 107/C1/Aygo
Suzuki Swift
Mazda 2
I like the Clio and the Twingo however I am out of touch with how they're fairing in terms of reliability.
Seat Mii
Skoda Citigo

[IN51GHT]

However daft this may be our 17y/o daughter has just bought herself a low mileage 1.8 Tigra Twintop, actually quite a nice car (albeit a little uninvolving to drive)

[Torquey]

IN51GHT said:

However daft this may be our 17y/o daughter has just bought herself a low mileage 1.8 Tigra Twintop, actually quite a nice car (albeit a little uninvolving to drive)

Nice suggestion.

Also available in 1.4 petrol too.
Insurance shouldn't be too bad with metal roof. Pretty much the same as a Corsa of that era but with better looks and less seats

[dhutch]

IN51GHT said:

However daft this may be our 17y/o daughter has just bought herself a low mileage 1.8 Tigra Twintop, actually quite a nice car (albeit a little uninvolving to drive)

Yeah, I am sure the more left-field options attract lower insurance too. Lonts drive the corsa having learnt in one.

[RSTurboPaul]

What is the Ford Puma like to insure?

They are cheap to buy but I'm not sure how 'sporty' they might look to insurance companies.

[fightingtorque]

I'm going through this excercise, my eldest Daughter will be 17 in 2019. Trying to decide whether to get her a car then, or replace one of our cars now with something a bit more suitable to start with - we have an A6 estate (2.7T) and a Zafira SRi as daily drivers but neither are exactly ideal learner cars, also have a T4 Caravelle which we use for long trips and holidays as we have 4 kids. So we could tolerate one of the dailys being downsized to a smaller car.

She would like a Fiat 500 but....... I think if you are getting a 500 it has to be a twinair and they are quite rare. And I'm tight, so the only way I can see to pull it off within a reasonable budget is to get a lightly shunted one and fix it up - there are tons in the auctions but the twinair are pretty rare.

Some insurance quotes I got using comparethemarket, based on a full license/ having just passed at 17 and a few months old. Mostly co-op are the lowest provider:

Fiat 500 - twinair or regular 4- pot - about £1050
Fiat panda 100hp (I think it's ideal but she things they are ugly) - about 1050
Citroen DS3 (1600 petrol) - about 1350
Ford Ka (1600 petrol) - about 1350
Mini Cooper (not S ) - about 1350
Fiat 500 Abarth - 1900
Ford Puma - 3k (surprised/ disappointed by that)
Mini cooper S clubman - 3k
Toyota Celica (someone told me they were bizarrely cheap to insure) - 4 k
Lotus Esprit - 6.5k
Reliant Scimitar GTE - comparethemarket system couldn't recognise the reg. plate.
<Last two are in there for comedy value as I happen to own them>

amongst all that, I think the regular mini cooper (it was an R53) and the DS3 are quite interesting options. And the Fiat 500 Abarth isn't such a stupid idea - ok it's an extra 800-900 in the first year, but to avoid buying something crap........

[Blanchimont]

fightingtorque said:

I'm going through this excercise, my eldest Daughter will be 17 in 2019. Trying to decide whether to get her a car then, or replace one of our cars now with something a bit more suitable to start with - we have an A6 estate (2.7T) and a Zafira SRi as daily drivers but neither are exactly ideal learner cars, also have a T4 Caravelle which we use for long trips and holidays as we have 4 kids. So we could tolerate one of the dailys being downsized to a smaller car.

She would like a Fiat 500 but....... I think if you are getting a 500 it has to be a twinair and they are quite rare. And I'm tight, so the only way I can see to pull it off within a reasonable budget is to get a lightly shunted one and fix it up - there are tons in the auctions but the twinair are pretty rare.

Some insurance quotes I got using comparethemarket, based on a full li

Fiat 500 - twinair or regular 4- pot - about £1050
Fiat panda 100hp (I think it's ideal but she things they are ugly) - about 1050
Citroen DS3 (1600 petrol) - about 1350
Ford Ka (1600 petrol) - about 1350
Mini Cooper (not S ) - about 1350
Fiat 500 Abarth - 1900
Ford Puma - 3k (surprised/ disappointed by that)
Mini cooper S clubman - 3k
Toyota Celica (someone told me they were bizarrely cheap to insure) - 4 k
Lotus Esprit - 6.5k
Reliant Scimitar GTE - comparethemarket system couldn't recognise the reg. plate.
<Last two are in there for comedy value as I happen to own them>

amongst all that, I think the regular mini cooper (it was an R53) and the DS3 are quite interesting options. And the Fiat 500 Abarth isn't such a stupid idea - ok it's an extra 800-900 in the first year, but to avoid buying something crap........

My Mrs has got a twinair Fiat 500, the 85hp one. She loves it. I hate it. On the odd occasion I drive it, I put it below 2k rpm the whole car shudders when you try to accelerate. Above 2krpm it's fine and it does pick up relatively well to be fair.

Have a look at a Fiat Grande Punto, the 1.4 T-Jet model perhaps. 1.4 turbo, decent wedge of torque, quick-ish and can get well over 40 on a run.

(Edited to comply with posting rules)

Edited by Scrump on Thursday 10th January 18:00

[fightingtorque]

Blanchimont said:

My Mrs has got a twinair Fiat 500, the 85hp one. She loves it. I hate it. On the odd occasion I drive it, I put it below 2k rpm the whole car shudders when you try to accelerate. Above 2krpm it's fine and it does pick up relatively well to be fair.

Thanks that's interesting to hear and I think I will have to try driving one before putting any more time into it. I drove the normal 1.2 petrol as a rental a couple of years back and was very disappointed. Performance seemed really lame and the engine had no enthusiasm to it. Maybe the German Autobahn wasn't the fairest place to test it. I owned a Cinq sporting in the past that had more sparkle to it.

I'm afraid the Punto probably won't cut it for the looks. But I have found that we don't share the same views as I had a total fail persuading them a Mk1 Golf Cabrio was cool as I was arranging to go and look at one.

[RSTurboPaul]

fightingtorque said:

Blanchimont said:

My Mrs has got a twinair Fiat 500, the 85hp one. She loves it. I hate it. On the odd occasion I drive it, I put it below 2k rpm the whole car shudders when you try to accelerate. Above 2krpm it's fine and it does pick up relatively well to be fair.

Thanks that's interesting to hear and I think I will have to try driving one before putting any more time into it. I drove the normal 1.2 petrol as a rental a couple of years back and was very disappointed. Performance seemed really lame and the engine had no enthusiasm to it. Maybe the German Autobahn wasn't the fairest place to test it. I owned a Cinq sporting in the past that had more sparkle to it.

Isn't the point of the twinair that it needs thrashing to get anywhere, rather than having the torque-tastic delivery that seemingly everything with a turbo is tuned to deliver nowadays?

I think I'd prefer that myself, as revving an engine out is surely more interesting than just surfing a wave of torque that is gone by 4k rpm...

... and the bonus of peak power delivery being higher up the rev range is that a new driver is probably less likely to get into trouble, my logic being that mid-range torque can be deceiving and you can end up travelling faster than you planned/intended, whereas if you have to thrash the nuts off of an engine to get some speed up, it's easier to meter out the power and not get into trouble.

[IN51GHT]

Having had a chance to get to know the Tigra a little better it's actually an OK car.

Dynamically it's a little dim witted, not one to be hustled along a B road, but if I'd had one as my first car I'd have been made up.