Finally passed!!!

Mo do you realise we have almost identical post count, and we joined on the same day :eek.

Mo yeah I have been surprised a little bit too, I am surprised how cheap the Fiesta 1.25 Ghias are as they have 75bhp, big alloys etc you would expect insurance to be very high, but its cheaper than the slower 1.3.

Seen another car today, W reg Corsa 1.0, it was offered with a 30 day warranty and machanicaly it seemed ok, but it had 90,000 miles and no service history I think its just too risky for £1k, I didn't trust the garage.

 

I learned to drive in one of those 3-pot corsas.

Don't do it.

They are dangerously slow... sitting on a dual carriageway, unable to maintain speed up a hill (even without any back seat passengers or luggage, even if dropped a gear or two) with traffic in the other lane and an HGV bearing down on you who is not intent on losing speed is not a pleasant nor safe situation to be in.

The day after I passed my test I began driving my parent's 3.0 V6 Shogun, and I swore there and then that I would never own a small nor a slow car.

The 1.25 litre ford engine is, as you know, really a yamaha engine and is a peach, unlike the neolithic 1.3.

Don't necessarily go by insurance groupings either... sometimes higher group cars have other factors (like low crash rates) that weight their premiums lower than low group cars (eg which would you expect more likely to crash with a young man at the wheel? A Saxo or a Toyota Avensis?). In fact, a friend of mine who recently passed his test (aged 21) can get insurance on a 1.8l Avensis VVTI for less than his Corsa C 1.4 (both autos... the avensis also uses less fuel and same tax bracket). The avensis is group 7 and the corsa group 4.

 

A big car would be a problem parking though . I was wondering about the 1.0 litre Corsa's speed too. I will only be doing city driving but even then I would feel happier with a bit of speed.

I will avoid the 1.2 too as that is even slower, then there is the 1.4 which I would have to avoid unless its cheap or has a new cambelt (it drives the water pump too so that will also need changing).

I will also avoid the 1.3 Fiesta, my dad has one and although its nice to drive just wish it had the 1.25.

The 1.25 Fiesta I will look more into again, they just seem to hard to get hold off unless they aere shed, people keep the good ones.

 

Why would it be a problem parking? I don't have any trouble with the accord that I wouldn't have with a smaller car (ie neighbours with 2-3 cars on a road with room for 1 car per house).

 

I suppose I have a ago tomorrow to see how much I can issue them for. Although I am not sure I know how to handle anything above 80bph . Having said that my learner clio had 75bhp and it seemed quite slow to me.

Something like a 2000 Acord (Post Rover) design would be quite nice. I have a feeling the insurance will be stupid but still worth trying to see. The good thing about larger cars is I will be able to get ABS on my budget. I have learned to drive with cars with ABS, although I am also very used to cars without it, in a real emergency I would much rarther have ABS.

The problem is with my budget all the Mondoes/Accords etc will have stupid milleage.

 

I've looked at some Mondeos and they I can get a car 70k 2.0 one for around £600 with FSH with ABS etc, the insurance will be £100 a month but the cost of credit would be a lot cheaper meaning it would cost the same as a supermini.

However would something like be too much a problem to run in terms of fuel? The accords are all £130 plus a month to insure

The amazingv thing about the Mondeo is the 2.0 version costs less to insure than the less powerful 1.8.

I am too confused now, nothing makes sense anymore.

Just seen a 1.8 Mondeo with 3 months warranty, FSH, 56k, 1 previous ownerm 1996 P reg, ABS, twin airbags, electric windows, aircon, PAS, for £800, it will cost me £100 a month to insure third party . These larger cars are suddenly quite tempting but will I find them too big? I am used to driving a new shape Clio 1.2.

 

MundaneO's are great, I put intergalactic miles on mine without a hiccup, oddly refused to rust too. I've also owned a clio, but would take the Mondeo over it for a comfy drive. The build quality on my Clio was dire, whole chunks would come off in my hand, I hope yours wasn't built on a Friday afternoon...

 

Check out the Avensis. It's better on fuel and cheaper to insure than most cars in the class. Accord is a bit more than others, and Galant is a lot more.

 

I've looked at some Mondeos and they I can get a car 70k 2.0 one for around £600 with FSH with ABS etc


Probably a lot of car for the money.

Don't forget though that a 70K you are starting to look at a few expenses. Stuff will start wearing out at this point. Which is why the previous owner is moving it on of course.

£100 /month ins is a might heavy.