UK First Car that my grandma wouldn't drive
Discussion
Consider unusual cars too - a car that most 17 year olds don’t drive. When I first started I could have insured a Jag XJR for less than a Clio 182, for example (still extortionate of course).
Edit: though saying that I think for £1700 max you might be too limited to get something quick, even if it is unusual. Probably best to get something with a tiny engine but entertaining handling - will still be a lot of fun (my current car has 60 bhp so I feel I’m qualified to comment) and will teach you a lot about maintaining momentum, using the gears etc.
Ignore the various family members that will no doubt tell you that “it’s your first car so you are going to crash it”, neither I nor anybody I know picked up so much as a car park ding on our first cars, so you don’t have to get a shed that’s covered in dents already.
And finally, when you do pass I recommend the IAM Advanced Driving course (pass plus is a waste of money IMO) and you’ll find that even with little experience and a slow car, you’ll be faster in the right places and more importantly safer than a lot of other drivers. Plus you might get a few quid off the cost of your insurance.
Good luck with the lessons and welcome to PH!
Edit: though saying that I think for £1700 max you might be too limited to get something quick, even if it is unusual. Probably best to get something with a tiny engine but entertaining handling - will still be a lot of fun (my current car has 60 bhp so I feel I’m qualified to comment) and will teach you a lot about maintaining momentum, using the gears etc.
Ignore the various family members that will no doubt tell you that “it’s your first car so you are going to crash it”, neither I nor anybody I know picked up so much as a car park ding on our first cars, so you don’t have to get a shed that’s covered in dents already.
And finally, when you do pass I recommend the IAM Advanced Driving course (pass plus is a waste of money IMO) and you’ll find that even with little experience and a slow car, you’ll be faster in the right places and more importantly safer than a lot of other drivers. Plus you might get a few quid off the cost of your insurance.
Good luck with the lessons and welcome to PH!
Edited by Jbeale96 on Friday 6th April 19:28
OP - I know the urge to buy something 'interesting' or modify what you buy will be huge but take it from someone older; buy the cheapest thing you can to insure, regardless of what it is. Build up your no-claims as cheaply as possible and save the money you would've spent on higher insurance and any mods.
You will quickly be into something MUCH more interesting than a MkIV Golf (they're renowned for being s
t to drive anyway and my experience with the V6 4Motion and, for a short time, a V5 agrees with this). Save money now and get something MUCH more interesting in a year or two, rather than spending a lot now on something half-arsed.
Also don't bother modifying a cheap, used car - it won't make it much better to drive on the whole, it's throwing money away and your insurer WILL fk you for the privilege.
If you absolutely MUST drive something a bit more engaging, look off the beaten path; for example I've read that something like a Volvo T5R is cheap to insure pretty much regardless of age and would certainly be a brisk way to get about. Rather than getting something fast you could always get something fun; two of the best-handling cars I've chucked around were a Ford Puma and a first-gen Ford Ka. Not quick but great fun to hustle, especially the Puma.
You will quickly be into something MUCH more interesting than a MkIV Golf (they're renowned for being s
t to drive anyway and my experience with the V6 4Motion and, for a short time, a V5 agrees with this). Save money now and get something MUCH more interesting in a year or two, rather than spending a lot now on something half-arsed.Also don't bother modifying a cheap, used car - it won't make it much better to drive on the whole, it's throwing money away and your insurer WILL f
k you for the privilege.If you absolutely MUST drive something a bit more engaging, look off the beaten path; for example I've read that something like a Volvo T5R is cheap to insure pretty much regardless of age and would certainly be a brisk way to get about. Rather than getting something fast you could always get something fun; two of the best-handling cars I've chucked around were a Ford Puma and a first-gen Ford Ka. Not quick but great fun to hustle, especially the Puma.
Edited by Funk on Friday 6th April 19:10
Funk said:
OP - I know the urge to buy something 'interesting' or modify what you buy will be huge but take it from someone older; buy the cheapest thing you can to insure, regardless of what it is. Build up your no-claims as cheaply as possible and save the money you would've spent on higher insurance and any mods.
You will be into something MUCH more interesting than a MkIV Golf (they're renowned for being st to drive anyway and my experience with the V6 4Motion and, for a short time, a V5 agrees with this). Save money now and get something MUCH more interesting in a year or two, rather than spending a lot now on something half-arsed.
Also don't bother modifying a cheap, used car - it won't make it much better to drive on the whole, it's throwing money away and your insurer WILL fk you for the privilege.
If you absolutely MUST drive something a bit more engaging, look off the beaten path; for example I've read that something like a Volvo T5R is cheap to insure pretty much regardless of age and would certainly be a brisk way to get about.
Outof interest I just checked how much it would be for me to insure the only 850 T5 on AT (not R): 967 cheapest quote at 26 with 5 years licence and 2 years NCB, no accidents disclosed. Can t imagine it will be cheap at 17 You will be into something MUCH more interesting than a MkIV Golf (they're renowned for being s
t to drive anyway and my experience with the V6 4Motion and, for a short time, a V5 agrees with this). Save money now and get something MUCH more interesting in a year or two, rather than spending a lot now on something half-arsed.Also don't bother modifying a cheap, used car - it won't make it much better to drive on the whole, it's throwing money away and your insurer WILL f
k you for the privilege.If you absolutely MUST drive something a bit more engaging, look off the beaten path; for example I've read that something like a Volvo T5R is cheap to insure pretty much regardless of age and would certainly be a brisk way to get about.
Integroo said:
Outof interest I just checked how much it would be for me to insure the only 850 T5 on AT (not R): 967 cheapest quote at 26 with 5 years licence and 2 years NCB, no accidents disclosed. Can t imagine it will be cheap at 17
Your mileage may vary...! Stuff like Volvos and Saabs aren't generally driven or crashed by young drivers so the risk profile is often lower for that make/model.He might do better going for 'fun' rather than 'fast'...
First sign of a mod on your insurance declaration and you'll hear them LOLing from a hundred miles away. Similarly when you make your first insurance claim, you'll be able to sense the smirk even over the Internet, just before declining your claim and landing you with a big bill and void insurance. When you get stopped for the 93rd time that week because you are a 17 year old in an unusual / modded motor, you might find that the Generic Small Car 1.0 possibly wasn't a bad choice after all.
Anyone who has watched the TV reality cop shows will have noticed that drug dealer "pool" cars are often cars you don't associate with young people, and the police do look out for young people driving them. Get one of the cars that all the other 17 year olds are driving, get a good few thousand miles under your belt, then worry about what you are going to get next. By then you'll have decided what your priorities and needs are, rather than what you want. For instance, at 19 if you do the student thing a hundred miles away, or go off to festivals a few times a year, you'll suddenly be really popular if you have a diesel estate car. If, on the other hand, you want to hang around McDonalds looking for 14 year old girls who are impressed by stanced Saxos then.. well PH probably isn't for you anyway.
Anyone who has watched the TV reality cop shows will have noticed that drug dealer "pool" cars are often cars you don't associate with young people, and the police do look out for young people driving them. Get one of the cars that all the other 17 year olds are driving, get a good few thousand miles under your belt, then worry about what you are going to get next. By then you'll have decided what your priorities and needs are, rather than what you want. For instance, at 19 if you do the student thing a hundred miles away, or go off to festivals a few times a year, you'll suddenly be really popular if you have a diesel estate car. If, on the other hand, you want to hang around McDonalds looking for 14 year old girls who are impressed by stanced Saxos then.. well PH probably isn't for you anyway.
I drove a 4.2 Jag XJ6 when I was 18 or 19 and a 5.3 XJS when I was 20 in the late '90's.
Both were considerably cheaper to insure than the typical golfs, escorts and astras my friends were driving. I was never stopped by plod for driving an unusual car.
I did have 2 years no-claims by that point though.
Both were considerably cheaper to insure than the typical golfs, escorts and astras my friends were driving. I was never stopped by plod for driving an unusual car.
I did have 2 years no-claims by that point though.
Jbeale96 said:
Probably best to get something with a tiny engine but entertaining handling
Totally agree - I had a Citroen AX Gt when I was in your position, but I wouldn't recommend that unless you're a recreational swordswallower or BASE jumper in which case you might find driving about in a motorised tissue box not at all worrying.I'd recommend this (unless you're build like Tyson Fury in which case you might look, well, a little odd).
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C977562
Or perhaps....
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C906981
Edited by Dapster on Friday 6th April 22:12
There's a reason young drivers drive small hatchbacks. That's because they are the cheapest to insure usually. I tried all sorts of random cars and the cheapest is always a small hatchback ie corsa or fiesta. But the corsa is crap so imo the go to young driver car for your budget is a mk6 1.25 facelift fiesta
I've always thought this guy wins 'Best Teenage Wheels'
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=15...
however, he was 19 when he got it, second car after a Fiesta. And they're nothing like £1500, and don't include a roof. But it does show that insurance isn't a complete blocker on young drivers driving properly interesting cars.
and in a similar vein
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=87...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=15...
however, he was 19 when he got it, second car after a Fiesta. And they're nothing like £1500, and don't include a roof. But it does show that insurance isn't a complete blocker on young drivers driving properly interesting cars.
and in a similar vein
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=87...
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