First Car

Having passed my test towards the end of last year, I've not been behind the wheel since!

I don't really know much about cars and just want something half decent that's not going to fall apart, and is cheap on insurance.

What should I be looking at?

 

Depends on budget, intended usage, etc.

I'd suggest Skoda Fabia, Seat Ibiza, Toyota Yaris as being worth looking at among small cars.

 

yeah, what dev said...

oh - and as a rough guide - read through AT's car threads and avoid those...

 

the usual stuff

novas. fiestas, contempory crop of japanese stuff

the lads at work who have just passed seem to be homing on novas.

as you'll know diesels are economical

 

quite right.....scrub fiestas

 

Not really sure of an exact budget. As little as possible I guess. Usage will just be back and forth to work and visiting friends.

Really I just want something to get started out in and maybe last a year or so and then look at something else after that.

I've seen a few Rover 400's and Punto sx for around the £500 mark.

 

I guess anything like that

you taking a chance all the time

puntos are italian......expensive spairs

rovers basically honda engined (??) thererfore gonna be relable until it goes bang....then megga ££££s. Compllex 16valve dohc engine.

novas use a simple 8v ohc

a fair bit of guess work above so don't take it as gospel

 

Punto SX,
N REG,
12 MONTHS MOT,
6 MONTHS TAX

£650 ono

Thoughts?

 

an n plates going back a bit isn't it?

'93? '94??

if so.too old


too expensive anyway....unless its pretty damn good

 

..but then again if its got a full 12 months mot......

if it was me .......+it was a really nice example.....pull 500 notes out your account.......stick them under his nose.......see what happens

(provided you like the car/tested/checked it out etc)

 

£650 sounds too much for that sort of a car at that sort of age...

David - you're recommending a car that was discontinued in 1993 (nova) yet complaining about a '96 (N reg)?

On autotrader there's a 2000 Daewoo matiz 1.0 with 50k on it for £595. More reliable than italian, much newer and not a bad car underneath. Cozy, but a good start.

 

What did I say?

 

You said you'd give me your car for free and pay for my insurance and running costs?

What, you don't remember?

 

I do now. You are of course welcome to it. It's a Porsche 935. It's so good it doesn't even need petrol, and parking's a doddle due to it's length (75mm).

 

Isaac,

no....

own quote "a fair bit of guess work above so don't take it as gospel "

At that age its all guess work and chance anyway ...there are many/loads of variables in the equation.

The Nova mgiht go on forever.

 

Rover 400 shared some of the Honda engineered stuff but is nothing like as reliable - used their K series engine which suffers from head gasket issues.... ever overheat it and expect big bills.

Punto - nothing like as unreliable as Fiats of old. Can be run cheap too.

Nova/Corsa/Saxo - I wouldn't personally.

The 306TD are cheap to insure (group 5) for the performance, and they handle well - being french though they could be at the starting to fall apart age for your budget.

Yaris will be too expensive I would guess - but a Micra may be suitable.

Petrol or Diesel ..... unless you are doing over 20k miles a year, I would stick to a small petrol engine (unless you find the perfect car and it happens to be a TD) as you will buy it cheaper and with the cost of derv vs. petrol, there will be little in it running costs wise.

Suzuki Ignis is a good little car - not sure how much though.

Have a peruse on auto trader and come back with some options - I am sure between us we can give some views. Whether right or not is another matter

 

saxos....i saw a which reprt which was less than flattering

micra.....yes, if you 'd be seen dead in one....proably a good bet. Unburstable jap mechanics....+ these days agood ish body. I persoanally would prefer to walk though.

Peugoats....I haven't heared much good about them from my work colleagues tbh. I wouldn't.

you might check out the "which" motor reports from your local library. The snag is they tend to be a bit too over the top intheir testing.

 

I was confused about the Nova references too, I was beginning to think that they must have started making a new version! I passed my test in one, in '86! Pile of shit, preferred my Mums renault 6, ha ha.

Isaacs recommendation of the Matiz might be worth looking into if you can face driving around in a pensioners cars, I'm looking for another cheap as chips run-around and I was reading owner reviews of the Matix t'other day - all fairly positive other than image and struggling a bit on hills. All tiddly cars like that look a bit crap, but they're about as cheap to run as it gets, and as someone else mentioned the diesel vs petrol thing ain't as straightforward as it used to be with current prices......

I had a 306td, had a good engine but everything else seemed like it was about to break. We have a Nissan Almera at the mo', '98 1.4 with 65k on the clock in as new condition.....£800, cheap reliable (but dull) motoring.

 

I think the only novas you can buy have had extensive body work done to hem, and do you really want to be seen driving one of those?

 

Pile of shit?

Maybe but a cinch to work on.....that ohc is tough as old boots (I had 1.3 astra, so I know......I hammered mine) and totally simple.

There si nothing there to phase a mechanic....tricky electric chips or anything....so i wouldn't be too quick to dismiss them.

Like I say the new lads at work have them.


Only a suggestion anyway .