1 st car

I'd go for a clio or saxo or something, for a slightly less guff interior.

Plus you may get some extra toys.

1.9 diesel unless turbod, which I doubt it is, will feel lethargic. I would be more inclined with a small petrol lump personally.
 
That's an unusual choice for a first car (or at all, actually). What are you looking for in the car, e.g. mileage, price range, age of car etc? There are some pretty smart people on this forum who could offer some alternatives.
 
Looks fine. Should run for ever, be cheap to insure and shouldn't have the electrical faults that a French car will have.
 
Biohazard said:
I'd go for a clio or saxo or something, for a slightly less guff interior.

Plus you may get some extra toys.

1.9 diesel unless turbod, which I doubt it is, will feel lethargic. I would be more inclined with a small petrol lump personally.
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Buying a Clio or a Saxo for a better interior. lol.
 
Woo a car on here I can actually talk about!

I've got one of these, it's still my first car, had it for 6 years.

In that time not much major has gone wrong with it. They have an issue with exhausts rusting through at one point, I'm on my second replacement but this time the guy replaced the whole lot so hopefully it's good for quite a few more years. It was only £70 from an independant though! It's overheated twice, once was water pump, the other was thermostat iirc. It's had new front discs and pads... that's about it!

So in 6 years of motoring, no services, it's cost probably about £400 to fix. I'm pretty happy about that.

The interior feels fairly solid to me. Whilst it's a bit bland, I prefer it to most of the bendy plastic alternatives that my friends have. The stock speakers are ok... Loads better than my sisters punto anyway! I also like the driving position, I find it pretty adjustable which is great as I was having difficulty in other cars when I was looking (I'm not that tall, 6'2)

Why are you going for a diesel? Mine is a 1.4L, 3 door, certainly not quick but it feels nippy about town. Bit noisy on motorway. I would go for a five door if i had the choice again. The 3 doors are really heavy, too big, and swing away from you if you're not careful. I keep grounding it on high kerbs.

Not loads of room in the back but it's better than some! I get more head room in the back of my car than others, which is my main issue with being in the back of little hatchbacks. Boot space is good:)

I'd say go for it. They seem like pretty solid little things to me (in my limited experience!)
 
The guys who got me into VW are all clubpolo members so my opinions may be biased.

But to be honest they're a pretty solid choice for a first car, reliable enough, decent mpg, cheap to insure, they scrub up nicely. They're practical. The 1.9N/A lump is seriously rubbish as far as performance goes but it's a good way of getting A-B, you won't have many problems with it.
 
As long as its all there and works, I cant see whats wrong with that as a first choice for a car.

A bit bland, but so what, its better than walking.
 
Stupot_ said:
So in 6 years of motoring, no services, it's cost probably about £400 to fix. I'm pretty happy about that.
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I feel sorry for your car.....but happy for your pocket! :D

I got, and still have, a little 1.1 saxo has my first car. Unfortauntly I like things to be 'right' and its French, so its never 'right', hence why it costs me so damn much money :P

Give the car a good checking over before you buy, check forums for common problems, you cant go much wrong :)
 
pmilne1 said:
Any hints or tips would be grand :)

Thanks
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Take a look at a few online checklists, print one off that you like the look off, and take it with you to go through with the car. Here are a few to take a look at:

http://www.topgear.com/content/buyersguides/02/8.html

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/car-buyers-guide/cbg_diyinspection.html

http://www.2pass.co.uk/checklist.htm

That should give you an idea of what sort of things to look for when you actually view the car. No doubt several things will be identified as needing work or not being in the best condition; use these to haggle the price down. Even if the car seems mint, I'd still suggest offering a couple of hundred less that the asking price just to see if there's any leeway.
 
I have nothing to add regarding the car itself but for insurance I can help out- try i-kube.co.uk for it. They are significantly cheaper than mainstream insurers and this is because they install a tracker on your car and you're not allowed to drive from 11pm-5pm (well, you can but it's £45 per night).

If you aren't bothered about driving at those times then it's a very good choice, though its only for young drivers (I'm assuming you are one). It's also fully comp, which is nice.
 
Make sure you do a reg check on it. Also look on parkers website to get a valuation of what it should be worth. Or use autotrader to see what they are usually going for. I would take it to a garage and get it checked personally but thats cos i am paranoid!
 
dane3388 said:
Make sure you do a reg check on it. Also look on parkers website to get a valuation of what it should be worth. Or use autotrader to see what they are usually going for. I would take it to a garage and get it checked personally but thats cos i am paranoid!
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Clearly, it's not a bentley, it's a cheapy car. Not the sort of thing you'll be checking over with a fine tooth comb.

Give it your average test drive making sure you test the clutch and transmission, look for things to knock the price down, give it a once over to look for any evidence of bodging or accidents.
If you're really worried give it a HPI check.

It's a little more pricey than i'd expect given that the paintwork looks like it's fading a little, and being a woman driver it'll be sporting ditchfinders, you could probably knock it down to £900
 
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