First car? Open to “alternative” choices

[LightningBlue]

I like the C30/S40s especially if you can get an R Design, would probably have to be a 1.6 for you. Underneath they’re essentially a Focus but they look better and have smarter interiors. Otherwise how about a 1.8 Civic Type S or even a CRZ? Not sure what the insurance would be like but they feel a lot more perky than the performance figures suggest, really quite nice to drive and well built.

[TameRacingDriver]

LandOTheBrave said:

Ran some quotes on Cooper S and they come out around 1900 so pretty much the same as other quotes for “slower” cars. They do ride very hard but still think they’d be a smart first car. Would I get a good one for 2k ish though? I suppose needs to be a later one for cheaper road tax? I’m aware they’re not practical lol but just seems like more of a car you can get for basically same insurance as other things

Try and get one with 16" alloys, ditch any runflats if it still has them, and then the ride wont be such a big deal.

Also mine is a late one, 2006 (assuming you're talking about the first gen model), and is £340 for a years tax.

[RSTurboPaul]

LandOTheBrave said:

Ran some quotes on Cooper S and they come out around 1900 so pretty much the same as other quotes for “slower” cars. They do ride very hard but still think they’d be a smart first car. Would I get a good one for 2k ish though? I suppose needs to be a later one for cheaper road tax? I’m aware they’re not practical lol but just seems like more of a car you can get for basically same insurance as other things

Edited by LandOTheBrave on Friday 28th May 13:46

If you can get a Cooper S instead of a yawn-tastic 1.6 econo-box, get the Cooper S


There are whole MINI forums out there with buying guides on them - IIRC some early MINIs had chocolate gearboxes, so you need to be aware of what you're looking for!

The bonus with the MINI is that it's another 'cult' car, so there is a strong community to give advice and lots of options for parts / modifying (when it won't destroy your insurance, lol)

[RSTurboPaul]

Quite a few options on the MINI front, although I'm not up to speed on why some versions have more power than others:

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds?Category=u...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?make=MINI&...

[LandOTheBrave]

LightningBlue said:

I like the C30/S40s especially if you can get an R Design, would probably have to be a 1.6 for you. Underneath they’re essentially a Focus but they look better and have smarter interiors. Otherwise how about a 1.8 Civic Type S or even a CRZ? Not sure what the insurance would be like but they feel a lot more perky than the performance figures suggest, really quite nice to drive and well built.

The Volvos are nice I like that they aren’t that common. The CRZ are smart but out of budget, same with Type S they seem to pop up sometimes though not seen any recently. If all else fails will probably go for the 1.8 civic as family have owned ones before so is proven, hope I can get a type s lol.

TameRacingDriver said:

LandOTheBrave said:

Ran some quotes on Cooper S and they come out around 1900 so pretty much the same as other quotes for “slower” cars. They do ride very hard but still think they’d be a smart first car. Would I get a good one for 2k ish though? I suppose needs to be a later one for cheaper road tax? I’m aware they’re not practical lol but just seems like more of a car you can get for basically same insurance as other things

Try and get one with 16" alloys, ditch any runflats if it still has them, and then the ride wont be such a big deal.

Also mine is a late one, 2006 (assuming you're talking about the first gen model), and is £340 for a years tax.

RSTurboPaul said:

If you can get a Cooper S instead of a yawn-tastic 1.6 econo-box, get the Cooper S


There are whole MINI forums out there with buying guides on them - IIRC some early MINIs had chocolate gearboxes, so you need to be aware of what you're looking for!

The bonus with the MINI is that it's another 'cult' car, so there is a strong community to give advice and lots of options for parts / modifying (when it won't destroy your insurance, lol)

Just spoke to a relative that has a Cooper S and he said it’s caused him a lot of grief with the chain snapping. I do like them although I think at this budget it wouldn’t be wise going for it, read over the PH buying guide and I’m doubtful any car around 2k is going to be free of most of those issues . I’m a fan though and could be something to go for later on when i’ve got more funds to maintain it.

[Oilchange]

MINIs are hardly alternative too, about as mainstream as you can get.

Another suggestion would be a Suzuki Swift but haven't looked into it.

eta actually loads on autotrader for well under budget

Edited by Oilchange on Friday 28th May 16:53

[LandOTheBrave]

Oilchange said:

MINIs are hardly alternative too, about as mainstream as you can get.

Another suggestion would be a Suzuki Swift but haven't looked into it.

eta actually loads on autotrader for well under budget

Edited by Oilchange on Friday 28th May 16:53

Yeah that’s true to be honest you see them everywhere, was surprised at the insurance for the S though. Swifts are on the list, though something bigger even just marginally like a civic interests me more (even though there’s tons of them around)

[LandOTheBrave]

Anyone got experience with Marshmallow Insurance? Definitely the cheapest quotes and no black box although have some googling suggests they can be a pain to deal with if I need to make a claim.

[anonymous-user]

Alfa MiTo Twinair or 1.4, Cheap to buy, cheap to run, bit of fun and surprising;y cheap to insure

[RSTurboPaul]

LandOTheBrave said:

Anyone got experience with Marshmallow Insurance? Definitely the cheapest quotes and no black box although have some googling suggests they can be a pain to deal with if I need to make a claim.

Will you be claiming off a Comprehensive policy to fix your own car?

I sort of think that if the market value is a couple of grand or less when one crashes, it's probably cheaper in the long run just to buy a new car and not mention it to the insurance... lol

[LandOTheBrave]

MonkeyMatt said:

Alfa MiTo Twinair or 1.4, Cheap to buy, cheap to run, bit of fun and surprising;y cheap to insure

Looked at these but all over budget at the moment

RSTurboPaul said:

LandOTheBrave said:

Anyone got experience with Marshmallow Insurance? Definitely the cheapest quotes and no black box although have some googling suggests they can be a pain to deal with if I need to make a claim.

Will you be claiming off a Comprehensive policy to fix your own car?

I sort of think that if the market value is a couple of grand or less when one crashes, it's probably cheaper in the long run just to buy a new car and not mention it to the insurance... lol

I mean if had any accident I’d prefer want not to go through the insurance, just a bit wary of going for a lesser known insurance company. Will give their policy a read, the quotes are far cheaper than others

[A500leroy]

Hyundai Coupe?

[ZX10R NIN]

Alfa Mito Veloce 95 good cars that come back with sensible numbers & with so many outputs you can find one to fit your insurance window.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105263...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105283...

120

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105102...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105192...

140

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105202...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105102...

155

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105222...

Grande Punto T Jet 120

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105253...

[WakeFlakes]

I second the Swift that has been recommended (I had a swift as my first car). Honestly anything Japanese is going to be solid. You need to make a list of everything you want and then prioritise them because at this price point you cannot tick every box. Instead tick as many as the ones that you can that are most important to you.

It’s your first car, you aren’t expected to keep it until the end of time, get something cost effective & reliable it will buy you time so you can save up for a car that does tick all the boxes (of which many will have changed as you realise what is important to you).

Smart ForFour - cheap as st. High miles, but might not be a problem if you don’t need to do a lot of miles yourself
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105263...

Suzuki Alto - no frills, but low mileage https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105273...

Kia Picanto - zero road tax, 2014 car https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104221...

[mike9009]

LandOTheBrave said:

Just spoke to a relative that has a Cooper S and he said it’s caused him a lot of grief with the chain snapping. I do like them although I think at this budget it wouldn’t be wise going for it, read over the PH buying guide and I’m doubtful any car around 2k is going to be free of most of those issues . I’m a fan though and could be something to go for later on when i’ve got more funds to maintain it.

The R56 MCS from 2007 onwards have the timing chain issues. These are the second gen MINI and are turbo charged. A second gen Cooper or One do not have the same issue.

The R53 MCS (2001 - 2006) do not have the same timing chain issue. These are supercharged and are an absolute hoot. The superchargers can get tired at about 100k though. The regular Cooper or One are also good fun but the gearboxes on these are not great up to about 2004 when they changed the gearbox for another type. So at your price range, a post 2004 Cooper would be my pick of the bunch.

[RSTurboPaul]

mike9009 said:

LandOTheBrave said:

Just spoke to a relative that has a Cooper S and he said it’s caused him a lot of grief with the chain snapping. I do like them although I think at this budget it wouldn’t be wise going for it, read over the PH buying guide and I’m doubtful any car around 2k is going to be free of most of those issues . I’m a fan though and could be something to go for later on when i’ve got more funds to maintain it.

The R56 MCS from 2007 onwards have the timing chain issues. These are the second gen MINI and are turbo charged. A second gen Cooper or One do not have the same issue.

The R53 MCS (2001 - 2006) do not have the same timing chain issue. These are supercharged and are an absolute hoot. The superchargers can get tired at about 100k though. The regular Cooper or One are also good fun but the gearboxes on these are not great up to about 2004 when they changed the gearbox for another type. So at your price range, a post 2004 Cooper would be my pick of the bunch.

So aim for a 2005 or 2006 model and one would be pretty safe?

Noted for future reference myself... lol

[ScoobyChris]

LandOTheBrave said:

Anyone got experience with Marshmallow Insurance? Definitely the cheapest quotes and no black box although have some googling suggests they can be a pain to deal with if I need to make a claim.

I’m with them on my M140 - not had to test them but they came in significantly cheaper than others and the online portal is straight forward to use!

Chris

[LandOTheBrave]

The Mito’s do look nice but all over budget around me. Did see a low mileage Swift around but slept on it and decided I want something a little bigger. Looking like i’m set on a mk2 Focus, I do like Civics but seems they’ve went up in price a bit

Edited by LandOTheBrave on Tuesday 1st June 15:21

ScoobyChris said:

LandOTheBrave said:

Anyone got experience with Marshmallow Insurance? Definitely the cheapest quotes and no black box although have some googling suggests they can be a pain to deal with if I need to make a claim.

I’m with them on my M140 - not had to test them but they came in significantly cheaper than others and the online portal is straight forward to use!

Chris

Yeah a lot cheaper than others, obviously must be paying for it somewhere else but does look good value

Edited by LandOTheBrave on Tuesday 1st June 15:23

[LandOTheBrave]

Seen a 2011 Megane GT 2.0 turbo petrol, got quotes not much more than for a basic focus so I am interested. Anything to look out for on these?

[ZX10R NIN]

Nope but make sure the cambelt has been done, they're a rare car to find 180bhp nice spec & decnt handling.