The new beetle
Discussion
So I am looking for a 1st car for the OH, I have spent years trying to get her into cars with some progress but its slow
She has been learning for a while now and I want to get her a car of her own so she can get more practice and hopefully be used to it when she passes
She likes Mini's (which girl doesn't) but I think my 3k budget will be a bit slim for a Mini and understand the gearboxes on pre 04 cars can be dodgy
She also likes the look of the Beetle, now my understanding is its essentially a rebodied Golf, whilst this probably boils the piss of some on here, is it such a bad thing to be looking at for her? Sound platform, easy spares and a decent ish engine
Or is it truly truly awful?
She has been learning for a while now and I want to get her a car of her own so she can get more practice and hopefully be used to it when she passes
She likes Mini's (which girl doesn't) but I think my 3k budget will be a bit slim for a Mini and understand the gearboxes on pre 04 cars can be dodgy
She also likes the look of the Beetle, now my understanding is its essentially a rebodied Golf, whilst this probably boils the piss of some on here, is it such a bad thing to be looking at for her? Sound platform, easy spares and a decent ish engine
Or is it truly truly awful?
king huge in them so it is not so easy to judge the front end.She's new to driving. Have you ever sat in a Beetle? the extremities of the car are impossible to see. those wheel arches make it 6" wider than it feels like it should be. The deep MPV-style dashboard robs you of your perception of where the front is.
IMO it's a fine car and I don't hate it as much as some on here, but it's not suitable as a first car.
IMO it's a fine car and I don't hate it as much as some on here, but it's not suitable as a first car.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Ah, so not the new Beetle then.....The older new Beetle takes a lot of stick on PH. I'm not a VAG fan, but I think it's undue. As a means of transport to get from A to B they are perfectly fine and are certainly better looking and more interesting than the Golf that underpins them.
So it's a thumbs up from me.
Another car you might want to consider, although they tend to be nearer £4k is the Nissan Figaro. Another car that likely takes stick. But they are IMHO certainly more interesting than something like a Micra. They look great inside and out and hark back to years past in Japanese motoring and design.
They are all auto's though.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2955840.htm
Also might be worth looking at the smart ForTwo.
Cheers for all the replies guys
The Puma has already been considered and is still very much in the running although I know they like to rust so finding a good one may be tough
The Bini if in budget I thnk would be the one but finding them in budget is the task
I am proud that some of my teachings have rubbed off, although this has caused me issues as she now doesn't give 2 hoots about the standard fare like Micra's, Fiestas, Corsa's etc as they all look bland and the same
Have taken on board the comments about the size and ease of seeing extremities on the Beetle
300BHP, nice leftfield suggestion, we need some form of hatch though as I am taking this opportunity to get myself an MX5 so we need one 'practical' car, she would prefer that over any others though I think
Will keep an eye out for Swifts but again they seem to be top whack
The Puma has already been considered and is still very much in the running although I know they like to rust so finding a good one may be tough
The Bini if in budget I thnk would be the one but finding them in budget is the task
I am proud that some of my teachings have rubbed off, although this has caused me issues as she now doesn't give 2 hoots about the standard fare like Micra's, Fiestas, Corsa's etc as they all look bland and the same
Have taken on board the comments about the size and ease of seeing extremities on the Beetle
300BHP, nice leftfield suggestion, we need some form of hatch though as I am taking this opportunity to get myself an MX5 so we need one 'practical' car, she would prefer that over any others though I think
Will keep an eye out for Swifts but again they seem to be top whack
300bhp/ton said:
v8will said:
A Bini would be a much better car to drive.
Is that likely to be important though? Seems the potential owner/driver of the car won't be a car sort of person, nor give a damn with how it handles on the limit or during lift off over steer.300bhp/ton said:
Is that likely to be important though? Seems the potential owner/driver of the car won't be a car sort of person, nor give a damn with how it handles on the limit or during lift off over steer.
'Better' does not have to extend to the finer points of lift off oversteer and so on.Dimensionally I think it would be a better (that word again) car for a less experienced driver. I've only driven one example of each but found the Mini a much nicer car to drive.
Someone suggested an A2, an excellent little car and well worth a look.
Your leftfield Figaro choice is quite good, I like them.
Your 3k budget pretty much rules out a Swift Sport, MINI or most of the others suggested. I considered this quandary a month or two ago and the contenders boiled down to a Suzuki Ignis Sport which I doubt she would like as they are a bit untrendy or a Ford Sportka which she would probably like in the metallic blue. It has 90hp from memory and girls love Kas.
300bhp/ton said:
Is that likely to be important though? Seems the potential owner/driver of the car won't be a car sort of person, nor give a damn with how it handles on the limit or during lift off over steer.
She is getting there with becoming a car sort of person and I wouldn't be a proper PH'er if I didn't teach her properly about effects and what happens when. IMO she is learning to pass her test right now, then she will be learning how to driveShe loved my E30 and the fact I could get the back end to step out on occasion and has been begging me for a go in the MPS so she will get there
In answers to others, yes I will have cause to drive this on occasion and then when I am happy enough with her skill level will let her loose on the MX5 (and probably lose all access to it)
SportKa is also a contender but I am a bit worried I wouldn't fit (am 6'1 and stocky)
Forgot about the Ignis could be worth a look
The other thought was the Civic, sure they did a 1.4 Sport that had Civic Type R styling
Will insurance be a nightmare? We will both be insured on it, she will be a new driver but she is 27 so would that help?
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