A question you all dread, What first car would you recommend
Discussion
Hello everyone!
This is my first time posting here and I love looking at the amazing build threads on here!
My name is Kye and I am 16. I soon will be on the verge of starting driving lessons in hopes to start a big goal in life- my motoring journey!
With that being said, I’m going to ask the dreadful question that is probably asked here everyday:
What first car would you recommend me to buy?
Now, yes I am a petrolhead. I am aware I’m not gonna be getting no track spec car or drift spec car or show car or a car that will teach me much about driving, except getting me from A to B. The insurance is going to be the killer for me (as any new driver it would too).
I have done as much research as I can into what cars can throw out the cheapest insurance prices while still being a nice car all round. Obviously, the prices I have found are only estimates as I’m still not of age to actually get myself insurance quotes (even though I have a provisional license). The best so far has been a 1.2 Skoda Fabia HTP which is in Insurance group 02 and has lower tax prices than some others I have looked at. I also have family members who work in the automotive industry and have been told to stay away from cars such as Fiesta’s, Corsa’s and the dreaded Fiat 500 (ew) as they all have higher insurance prices because a lot of young drivers buy them.
With all this being said, im hopefully setting myself up in a vehicle technician apprenticeship soon, so I will be earning myself some income which will all be spent on my car.
I’m genuinely quite clued up (as bad as some think for my age. But i do have a lot of knowledge about cars, nothing else though haha)
I am currently making a spreadsheet with multiple factors to see which cars come out to be the best across multiple aspects. So if I can, I may post it here when it’s near completion (if that’s something people may want?)
So, what are your thoughts? I know some factors will change pricing of insurance and even cars themselves in geographical location terms, but I’m curious to hear what you have to say!
(Please be easy on me, I hope I won’t get slated too much in the replies from this
)
I look forward to hearing what you have to say!
This is my first time posting here and I love looking at the amazing build threads on here!
My name is Kye and I am 16. I soon will be on the verge of starting driving lessons in hopes to start a big goal in life- my motoring journey!
With that being said, I’m going to ask the dreadful question that is probably asked here everyday:
What first car would you recommend me to buy?
Now, yes I am a petrolhead. I am aware I’m not gonna be getting no track spec car or drift spec car or show car or a car that will teach me much about driving, except getting me from A to B. The insurance is going to be the killer for me (as any new driver it would too).
I have done as much research as I can into what cars can throw out the cheapest insurance prices while still being a nice car all round. Obviously, the prices I have found are only estimates as I’m still not of age to actually get myself insurance quotes (even though I have a provisional license). The best so far has been a 1.2 Skoda Fabia HTP which is in Insurance group 02 and has lower tax prices than some others I have looked at. I also have family members who work in the automotive industry and have been told to stay away from cars such as Fiesta’s, Corsa’s and the dreaded Fiat 500 (ew) as they all have higher insurance prices because a lot of young drivers buy them.
With all this being said, im hopefully setting myself up in a vehicle technician apprenticeship soon, so I will be earning myself some income which will all be spent on my car.
I’m genuinely quite clued up (as bad as some think for my age. But i do have a lot of knowledge about cars, nothing else though haha)
I am currently making a spreadsheet with multiple factors to see which cars come out to be the best across multiple aspects. So if I can, I may post it here when it’s near completion (if that’s something people may want?)
So, what are your thoughts? I know some factors will change pricing of insurance and even cars themselves in geographical location terms, but I’m curious to hear what you have to say!
(Please be easy on me, I hope I won’t get slated too much in the replies from this
)I look forward to hearing what you have to say!
- Edit to this:
Edited by kharris04 on Wednesday 27th May 01:08
Edited by kharris04 on Wednesday 27th May 01:15
Edited by kharris04 on Wednesday 27th May 01:44
kharris04 said:
MissChief said:
Something really small, really slow and really cheap. Citroen C1, Toyota Aygo. Insurance will absolutely kill you.
Thanks for the reply!I did look for Aygo estimates and they were actually not too bad going (considering being a new driver).
Have a look at 1.4 Civics; 8 / 9G Depending on your purchase budget.
They're a bit larger than some of the other options, and seem to have dodged the "young driver insurance problem" as you mention.
With the platform being shared with the Type R's, There are plenty of direct bolt-on handling & exterior / interior mods you can do quite easily
They're a bit larger than some of the other options, and seem to have dodged the "young driver insurance problem" as you mention.
With the platform being shared with the Type R's, There are plenty of direct bolt-on handling & exterior / interior mods you can do quite easily
MissChief said:
kharris04 said:
MissChief said:
Something really small, really slow and really cheap. Citroen C1, Toyota Aygo. Insurance will absolutely kill you.
Thanks for the reply!I did look for Aygo estimates and they were actually not too bad going (considering being a new driver).
I’ll also look into those, thanks for the suggestion. Surprisingly enough, I’ve found diesels with higher engine sizes to actually come out cheaper on some estimates I’ve gathered which I never thought I’d see!
Haltamer said:
Have a look at 1.4 Civics; 8 / 9G Depending on your purchase budget.
They're a bit larger than some of the other options, and seem to have dodged the "young driver insurance problem" as you mention.
With the platform being shared with the Type R's, There are plenty of direct bolt-on handling & exterior / interior mods you can do quite easily
Thanks for the reply!They're a bit larger than some of the other options, and seem to have dodged the "young driver insurance problem" as you mention.
With the platform being shared with the Type R's, There are plenty of direct bolt-on handling & exterior / interior mods you can do quite easily
I have looked for pre 2000 registered Civics like the eg, ek, ej sorta style (sorry I’m not teched up on honda’s much haha) with the 1.4 non- VTEC and 1.5 I-VTEC engines and I must say, the seem quite nice!
Also tried to find EP2 Civic Sport quotes as they’re in a lower insurance group (sub group 15), but couldn’t find much.
Budget will be relatively low, but hopefully not to low if life goes to plan right now. Size doesn’t matter as long as I can make it look “passable“ when insurance pricing comes down!
Edited by kharris04 on Wednesday 27th May 01:32
kharris04 said:
I have actually looked into Polo breadvans funny enough. Couldn’t find any quotes on them, but some people I’ve seen have had them as their first cars and although they’re oldish, they seem like great fun!
I’ll also look into those, thanks for the suggestion. Surprisingly enough, I’ve found diesels with higher engine sizes to actually come out cheaper on some estimates I’ve gathered which I never thought I’d see!
I'm a bit of a Polo nut and have had a few mk2 breadies, Coupe S and facelift mkF from 1990-94 which are sometimes (wrongly) called mk3 polos. There are tonnes of clubs/forums with loads of info/parts for these things. Plus GSF/Euro car parts can provide all the service gear for barely any ££I’ll also look into those, thanks for the suggestion. Surprisingly enough, I’ve found diesels with higher engine sizes to actually come out cheaper on some estimates I’ve gathered which I never thought I’d see!
A 92-94 1.3 injection model referred to as a SPI is a good combination of classic body with electronic ignition/management which makes them reliable and no messing with Pierburg carbs. If you can find one a Polo GT 1.3 multi point injection is a 75hp with a close ratio gearbox which makes them so much fun, they are a baby G40 as they have all the body kit plus better interiors and you can fit for example a mk2 golf GTi 8v digi intake system an MAF, a 4branch and legal decat which combined with a PoloAce chip will give around 100hp in a sub 900kg package.
My younger brother had one as his second car and at 18 it was cheaper to insure than his newer 1999 Polo 1.0 45hp!!!
Have you got a budget?
My sister in laws first car was a Ford KA I think it was around £1,200 for the years insurance as a provisonal licence holder. Then went for a Feista (KA went bang!) and it was slightly more as it was a 1.4 compared to a 1.2 or something.
Girlfriend has a Micra which is cheap to insure for her but it's a Micra...
What's cheap for one person to insure might not be for you due to job or where you live.
Different cars can be cheaper than you think as well as less people have crashed them.made a claim.
Would you consider a black box? They don't suit everyone due to restrictions on times you can drive, but they aren't too bad and you could save a fortune compared to without.
My sister in laws first car was a Ford KA I think it was around £1,200 for the years insurance as a provisonal licence holder. Then went for a Feista (KA went bang!) and it was slightly more as it was a 1.4 compared to a 1.2 or something.
Girlfriend has a Micra which is cheap to insure for her but it's a Micra...
What's cheap for one person to insure might not be for you due to job or where you live.
Different cars can be cheaper than you think as well as less people have crashed them.made a claim.
Would you consider a black box? They don't suit everyone due to restrictions on times you can drive, but they aren't too bad and you could save a fortune compared to without.
Eyersey1234 said:
I remember reading about one young lad, think he was about 17 or 18, that found it was cheaper to insure a V6 Jaguar than a Fiesta/Corsa etc. Obviously there are a lot of variables with insurance and what's cheapest for one person night not be for someone else.
I think that's an urban legend. I did a load of quotes once based on a 17 year old in various Volvo 740s, Omegas, saab 900/9000/9-3, Rover 600/800s versus a Aygo and all of the old barges were upwards of 5X the cost, imagine spending over £7k on any of those. kharris04 said:
MissChief said:
Something really small, really slow and really cheap. Citroen C1, Toyota Aygo. Insurance will absolutely kill you.
Thanks for the reply!I did look for Aygo estimates and they were actually not too bad going (considering being a new driver).
1. They are cheap to tax. My daughter's (her first car) is £20 per year.
2. The cam is chain driven rather than belt, so no big bills for replacement or repair.
3. The Toyota Aygo, Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 are on the same platform so you have a choice of 3 body styles on the same underpinnings.
It's by no means a fast car, but like all tiny cars, it's a hoot to drive well.
The only negative is that they are very very basic. For the same money you can get cars with more equipment/refinement.
New = safe but the insurance will be high
What about a classic - yes it won't have a Euro NCAP safety rating but it will get you on the road, give you experience and you'll be able to feel what the car is doing where you wouldn't in a new one - not at legal speeds anyway.
Original mini
Morris Minor (stop it stop laughing)
MGB
You see as well as being your first car think about what you'll be using it for - commuting, social, attracting, and how long you might have it.
What about a classic - yes it won't have a Euro NCAP safety rating but it will get you on the road, give you experience and you'll be able to feel what the car is doing where you wouldn't in a new one - not at legal speeds anyway.
Original mini
Morris Minor (stop it stop laughing)
MGB
You see as well as being your first car think about what you'll be using it for - commuting, social, attracting, and how long you might have it.
My first two cars were Fabias, I started off initially with a red 2004 Mk1 1.2 Classic for six months then an orange 2007 1.2 HTP 2 which I ran for about a year.
For a first car, I cannot recommend the Fabia enough. Yes it's bland and it's not the most youthful looking model, but both of mine were bulletproof in terms of reliability when newer cars caused me problems, cheap to run and because they're a bit bigger than your normal C1 type first cars, being a tall guy I felt much safer in the Skoda.
It was insurance that swung me toward the Fabia, as I was originally planning on a Panda or an Aygo, but the Skoda was cheaper than both. My first year was £1300 fully comp with no black box, then my second year dropped to £780 again fully comp no black box however I do live in a low risk area and this was six/seven years ago.
After having major problems with my next two cars after the Fabias, I actually ended up buying a brand new Monte Carlo in 2017 which I only handed back a few months ago at the end of the PCP - again this was another brilliant little car which never put a foot out of line.
For a first car, I cannot recommend the Fabia enough. Yes it's bland and it's not the most youthful looking model, but both of mine were bulletproof in terms of reliability when newer cars caused me problems, cheap to run and because they're a bit bigger than your normal C1 type first cars, being a tall guy I felt much safer in the Skoda.
It was insurance that swung me toward the Fabia, as I was originally planning on a Panda or an Aygo, but the Skoda was cheaper than both. My first year was £1300 fully comp with no black box, then my second year dropped to £780 again fully comp no black box however I do live in a low risk area and this was six/seven years ago.
After having major problems with my next two cars after the Fabias, I actually ended up buying a brand new Monte Carlo in 2017 which I only handed back a few months ago at the end of the PCP - again this was another brilliant little car which never put a foot out of line.
This may sound stupid but its your first car. You don't have to love it,
I always say something small, something slow and something within budget.
You will inevitably have a few scrapes and dings whilst you are learning to drive around on you own, so i'm a firm believer in a cheap run around until you gain enough experience / confidence to drive around on your own. Then bin the run around after a year or so and buy something you really want. I'm known so many people of the year who buy the children new cars when they pass, and they end up upset when they have a little ding in a carpark etc (not that everyone is going to have an accident of course). when mine boy is old enough to drive (and its some way off), i'll be getting him a cheap shed to drive around in for the first year, then upgrade afterwards.
Just my opinion of course.
I always say something small, something slow and something within budget.
You will inevitably have a few scrapes and dings whilst you are learning to drive around on you own, so i'm a firm believer in a cheap run around until you gain enough experience / confidence to drive around on your own. Then bin the run around after a year or so and buy something you really want. I'm known so many people of the year who buy the children new cars when they pass, and they end up upset when they have a little ding in a carpark etc (not that everyone is going to have an accident of course). when mine boy is old enough to drive (and its some way off), i'll be getting him a cheap shed to drive around in for the first year, then upgrade afterwards.
Just my opinion of course.
tbox, is amplified by having an engine to absolutely thrash.Petrolsmasher said:
Suzuki swift sport, so much fun, dont cost much to run and insurance may be okay (not sure)
Think the insurance would be a killer for a 17 year old.Though I would recommend a standard 1.2 Swift - I had one as my first car and it was reasonable on insurance, cheap to run and was actually quite fun to drive.https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...
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