First car? Open to “alternative” choices

[LandOTheBrave]

Recently passed my test and while not in a huge rush (lol), I am hoping to get a car in the next month or so tops. Budget wise i’m aiming 3500 ish all in, so about 1500 on the car 1800-2000 on insurance. I’m not too picky but just want something solid, fairly economical and modern. I’m really open to going for a less common type of car so the insurance isn’t as bad. I do like the look of Volvo C30s but in regards to it as an actual car I’d appreciate some knowledge on how they are mechanically and nvh. Also like Ford Focus, seems at this price range would be a 2008 or thereabouts on. Going to have family members on insurance so whilst I like 2 doors, a 5 door could be handy if they need to use it but not a dealbreaker. Current family car is a 2009, would be nice to get something bit more modern although don’t think I can for this much money. I’m after something focus sized instead of fiesta, or even a small saloon like Mondeo. I’ve seen S40s cheap no idea if they’re any good, SAABs too.

Edited by LandOTheBrave on Thursday 27th May 11:15

[LandOTheBrave]

ZX10R NIN said:

Engine size will be the big deal breaker insurance wise so you'll want to near 100bhp, as a side note C30's seem to come out high on insurance.

1.4 Astra

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

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

1.6

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104302...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104271...

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

Mazda3 Sport

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105122...

C4 VTR

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104040...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101117...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104091...

Thanks for the suggestions. Not bad cars though i’m looking for something a bit more modern. Not got much money to work with I understand but would still like something a bit smarter especially if it means going for something leftfield. I’ve ran quotes on c30s, focus, around 1800-2500 not too bad since that’s without anyone else on it. Is there any other cars you’d recommend?

[LandOTheBrave]

WonkeyDonkey said:

I had the same criteria as you looking for my first car in 2010. Ended up getting bored to tears looking at hatchbacks and ended up with a 2004 MX5!

Was reasonable on insurance and fantastically reliable. Not massively practical though!

Would definitely want to try an mx5 at some point although yeah too impractical for the now

[LandOTheBrave]

Timoo said:

What exactly do you mean by “more modern”?

A quick look on autotrader setting a budget of £2k shows the most “modern” car you could get with sensible mileage would be a 2012 plate. However these are all small cars such as clios or corsas so you’re going to have to compromise somewhere I’m afraid.

You’re not going to get much more modern than the Vauxhall’s ZX10 posted above, VX tend to be one of the best value makes in relation to the age of their cars.

My suggestion would be a petrol Honda Civic if insurance works out alright, reliable and cheap to run.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105232...

If insurance is cheap for them, it might be worth looking at the 1.8 engine as at least then you can have a bit of fun.

Edited by Timoo on Friday 28th May 01:16

I don’t mind an older car but then i’d want it bit more solid. Not going to lie whilst I like how those old Astras just not into vauxhall. I am a fan of those civics and family members have had them previously so if the insurance wasn’t too bad i’d go for it. Megane 3 insurance seems decent. Insurance on Focus seems to vary quite a bit.

[LandOTheBrave]

RSTurboPaul said:

Panda 100hp?

Oilchange said:

Panda was my second thought, Mito first. The 0.9 twinair. Gutsy little motor for the size and you will get a good insurance quote on it but the cheapest on Auto trader is about £2800

I did think of the Panda, although I think I want to go for something that’s smooth, pretty sure they’re a bit stiff? Mito’s look nice too but yeah seem more expensive. Been browsing Focus, Civic, C30, Megane. Looks about two grand insurance or thereabouts though that’s without any other drivers so will go down a bit when I actually do it. Am I missing anything else? Like I said would definitely be open to something more Mondeo sized than a hatchback and get something that could be easier to insurance as it’s less chosen

Edited by LandOTheBrave on Friday 28th May 01:47

[LandOTheBrave]

Martin30 said:

When my eldest was looking for a first car two years ago with a similar budget, the 1.6 naturally aspirated petrol C30 was a standout in terms of lowest insurance - any of the more powerful engines were significantly more.

You want to look for something that has as much safety kit as possible, so think NCAP ratings and particularly anything with autonomous emergency braking (you need new-ish for that). The scary claim for insurers is you, and four mates upside down into a tree with the corresponding whole life care costs after that. You *might* find that something 3 or 4 years old with better safety kit may be £2k more to buy, but will save that in 2 years of insurance.

As said above, two seaters can occasionally be cheaper as you cannot fit 4 mates in. After his first year with no-claims, the MK1 Audi TT was surprisingly reasonable for the performance.

I am surprised to hear £2k for insurance, but that depends where you live I guess. My son's was about £900 for his first year on an inherited Peugeot 207 1.4.

I assume you are accepting you will be having a black box/telematics policy?

Martin.

I’m in Glasgow, the 2k is just with me on it which isn’t bad as main driver imo. When the time comes i’d put family members on it so it’d lower a bit.

ZX10R NIN said:

LandOTheBrave said:

Thanks for the suggestions. Not bad cars though i’m looking for something a bit more modern. Not got much money to work with I understand but would still like something a bit smarter especially if it means going for something leftfield. I’ve ran quotes on c30s, focus, around 1800-2500 not too bad since that’s without anyone else on it. Is there any other cars you’d recommend?

You're either going to have to raise your budget or lower your expectations in terms of newness.

What do you mean by more modern?

Family currently use an 09 3 series as a family car, i’d like my car to be at least as “modern” or just not feel ancient compared to that lol. Although I understand slim pickings at this budget

RSTurboPaul said:

Personally I would pay more to avoid a black box... lol

Yeah that’s with no black box, no way i’m getting one. To be honest doing quotes not many of them actually come up with black box, and the ones that do aren’t that much cheaper than without. I’m 22 so perhaps it isn’t as bad as if I was 17

[LandOTheBrave]

RSTurboPaul said:

LandOTheBrave said:

RSTurboPaul said:

Panda 100hp?

Oilchange said:

Panda was my second thought, Mito first. The 0.9 twinair. Gutsy little motor for the size and you will get a good insurance quote on it but the cheapest on Auto trader is about £2800

I did think of the Panda, although I think I want to go for something that’s smooth, pretty sure they’re a bit stiff? Mito’s look nice too but yeah seem more expensive. Been browsing Focus, Civic, C30, Megane. Looks about two grand insurance or thereabouts though that’s without any other drivers so will go down a bit when I actually do it. Am I missing anything else? Like I said would definitely be open to something more Mondeo sized than a hatchback and get something that could be easier to insurance as it’s less chosen

Edited by LandOTheBrave on Friday 28th May 01:47

The Panda's do seem to be, er, 'firmly sprung' from what I've read lol

Being young is the perfect excuse to have a car that rides like a go-kart


Have you thought about a Mini, sorry, a MINI? Plenty of options, the lower power versions should hopefully be pretty reasonable to insure as there are so many of the bloody things, lol.


EDIT: Forgot to say - 'modern' is just another way of saying 'has a lot to go wrong and cost you money' so don't be afraid to go for something older. And if the general trend reported in the motoring press is true, an older car should have more 'feel' as well, which is a good thing.

Something go kart like would be interesting but at the moment i’d want something practical so that other people could use it when they need to. Depending on the right spec I do like a Mini, would they be sh@gged at this budget though? And what model to go for

[LandOTheBrave]

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

[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.

[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.

[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

[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?

[LandOTheBrave]

ZX10R NIN said:

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

Seller wasn’t responsive and now it’s listed as sold so the search continues. Lots of Focus everywhere but seeing that I can get a newer faster better equipped car for not much more insurance is what’s throwing me off a bit. Doubt i’ll come across another Megane that spec though. Is there any other leftfield type of choices? Would prepare to spend nearer 2000 ideally 1600/1700 max for something bit nicer inside otherwise if it’s a basic older Focus or etc would want it around a grand

Edited by LandOTheBrave on Sunday 13th June 17:58

[LandOTheBrave]

I’ve seen some old A3 1.6 and Golf 1.4 advertised with relatively low mileage for pretty much same as what cars like mk2 Focus and Civics come up at. They are poverty spec though and everything I read online tells me they’ll be woefully slow. Are they that bad? They don’t really excite me at all though for the money seem okay value to me. Is there anything i’m missing? That Megane GT I got a quote on was a 2 litre turbo giving me same insurance quotes as a boggo golf. I’m trying to think what similar type of cars are out there, decent spec and performance that isn’t a common choice so could be not too harsh on insurance. When browsing i’ve seen some 1 series although I’m thinking at this sub 2k budget they’d either be wrecked or crap spec

[LandOTheBrave]

ZX10R NIN said:

Astra SRI 180

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106133...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106033...

I like the look of that on paper but i’m just not into Vauxhalls, not a badge snob at all i’m open to other marques though just not them. Any other “warm” hatches out there? I wouldn’t be averse to a slightly larger car if that widened the options although I know it’s slim pickings. Based in Glasgow so looking at vehicles not too far from there.

[LandOTheBrave]

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.

A couple of Mini’s come up local, doesn’t look like i’d get into a Cooper S for under 2k, I suppose even the normal Cooper would feel more lively than a 1.6 bigger car. On the normal cars is there anything in particular to look out for or avoid?

[LandOTheBrave]

ZX10R NIN said:

As I suggested earlier the Mito 155

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106143...

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

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106163...

Nice but all are too far.

Have thought about something like a Swift which i’m sure is a good car but I just want something bigger. If I could find a good civic i’d be happy though nothing came up yet

[LandOTheBrave]

Okay still not found anything. Been insured on the family e90 past couple of weeks so not been looking for cars however the check engine light came on so that’s off to the garage. 320i is hardly quick and I understand i’m not going to get something fast as a first car however after driving the beamer i’d like something that isn’t going to feel much slower than it. An a3 2.0 fsi popped up on facebook not really exciting though doesn’t look bad for the price, anything to look out for? Open to paying nearer 1600/1700 for a good spec quicker car whereas want it nearer 1000-1200 for something more basic although after driving the bmw for a while I think it’s best if I spend that bit extra to get something bit nicer