Strange what car!

[dozydavenport]

Right guys, here is my predicament, I've currently got a 1997 saxo 1.1 and it's borked! I need a car that's cheap on insurance(I'm 19 and been passed since nov 2012) only criteria is that it's close to 500 not much allowance on budget, preferably something that has more than two doors(think 4 doors and hatch) no bigger than a 1.4, and within 30 miles of either Cwmbran in South Wales or 30 miles of Weymouth, Dorset!
Help greatly appreciated!
Cheers guys

[Slow]

Try a mk1 focus tddi, 1.8l but its diesel.

Was the cheapest car for insurance when i passed at 17.

[dozydavenport]

Slow said:

Try a mk1 focus tddi, 1.8l but its diesel.

Was the cheapest car for insurance when i passed at 17.

Seriously? I never even considered it, my saxo as I said is 140 a month but when I phoned my insurance they said it would be a return premium and a 1.2 punto elx would reduce it to 112, giving them a call again I think!

[GenePoolReject13]

dozydavenport said:

Seriously? I never even considered it, my saxo as I said is 140 a month but when I phoned my insurance they said it would be a return premium and a 1.2 punto elx would reduce it to 112, giving them a call again I think!

My mapped and modified 1.8 TDCI focus was rather cheap to insure as a 20 year old with 1 year NCB.

[Raize]

Confirming Focus diesels are stupidly cheap to insure for what they are.

[6fire]

Bigger than 1.4 but you might find a saab 9-3 is cheap to insure and should give you mid to high 30's mpg on a run.

If it absolutely must have a tiny engine a Toyota corolla is of course the right choice. Cam chain engines, driven by grandads and serviced accordingly, you'll get a minter for peanuts and it'll go forever.

[dozydavenport]

Guys, the only reason I say low engine is insurance really, I don't go many places, maximum 5 miles and then when I see my family it's a trip from South Wales to Dorset, have been looking at foci? And I've gotta say I'm sure I could stretch the budget to get one!

[dozydavenport]

Right it seems I have found a couple of cars, first two are mark 2 punto 1.2 elx's the first being an X reg and the second being a '51 reg, know lots about the first but hardly anything about the second, first one has 12 months mot and 6 months tax, not sure about the second one, the third car is a W reg astra 1.4 with tax and mot, not sure how much, all around the same price and i feel a bit stupid but I kind of want the punto, just looking online though and there seem to be horror stories with power steering motors, head gaskets, gearboxes and coil packs! I wanted to get away from unreliability with my saxo but I'm a bit worried now, should I be?