Does pretty much everyone upgrade their motor when they hit 25?

petayV8

petayV8

petayV8

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18 Apr 2012
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Hi all. Im new to the forum but have been browsing for a few weeks and its got a nice vibe, so here i am.

Im 25 in July and have been looking at new cars for the last 3 months basically because i will be able to actually afford to insure something decent for once. Also was wondering is this common to upgrade your motor at this age because of insurance. Ive got a MK1.5 2002 1.6 Focus and I have to say its a great little car, good on fuel and reliable and only just hit 50k. However ive always wanted something comfy with plenty of bells and whistles and although the ride is great on the foci its nothing special and not great for long journeys.

My first choice is a Lexus IS200, I know the general comments are its underpowered rubbish on fuel and the interior is horrible, but i have to say the standard kit you get on them is impressive for the price and i actually think the interior is very well designed even if it looks tacky, plus ive read there quiet and ride well and im not after something fast. And I like there RWD and have a smooth reliable V6 plus my commute is only 7 miles round trip so MPG isnt a concern for me and im prepared to spend my wages on fuel for a half decent car unlike some. Other options ive looked at are V6 and Turbo charged Audi A6's, V6 Accords, V5 and Turbo Passats, BMW 523's even elite Omega's. As you can see i like saloons and petrol cars (or coupes) thats just my taste so deal with it all you hatchback lovers lol and ill save V8's for when im 30 hehe

Im wondering whether to keep the foci tho, its good on fuel, reliable and a good little run a bout to be honest. Tell me your thoughts anyway.
 
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No they dont for the simple reason that like the aleged drop in insurance cost @21, the drop @25 doesnt really exist either!
 
My insurance hasn't been unreasonable on hot hatch caliber cars for years, so hitting 25 hasn't made me suddenly want a new car, nor has it really driven my premiums down.

How much do you have to spend?
 
Nope, I started driving a 2.2 prelude at 22 after finding out the only reason being 25 was an issue was if I didn't have an alarm. I saw no drop in my insurance at 25, or at 21 either really.
 
I was the same - can't remember if I had my mr2 turbo or one of the VR6's at 25 but there was no appreciable drop in insurance. The best thing that happened for me was admiral/elephant gave me third party other cars cover so I could actually borrow someone elses car if needed!
 
wow thats weird, nearly everyone i know says your insurance will drop at 25, but i have to say my premium has been around the same since i was 19 on all the cars ive had, maybe dropped £200 at the most and im 24 now. Ive got about £2500, not a lot i know basically because im saving to emigrate in a year or two, but you can get a lot of car for you money these days, especially with this obsession with having a diesel, petrol cars are cheap as chips :)

However im sure i remember getting quotes when i first passed my test for half decent cars and it was something ridiculous like 2k, but now most quotes are hovering around the 500 mark, so im guessing it wont change much on my b'day lol
 
MikeHiow said:
If you are saving to emigrate, then a new car is a waste of time, surely?

Keep your Focus running.
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I know i know! Its definitely the sensible option to keep it. but I love my boys toys lol and I cant see how changing the car is going to be such a hassle especially if i part ex it. but then again running costs will be higher.... MPG, tax and insurance maybe.
 
I didnt realise insurance was much cheaper until I hit 25 when I was insuring my Impreza. I wouldnt change cars simply because I hit 25.
 
I remember checking out insurance on an XJR @ 20 and it being £~2500, then when I got one, now being 21, its only £~750. Only a difference of around 8 months, unless the stars realigned or something, as they often do with insurance.

Then again, some cars it didn't change. I won't pretend to understand!
 
MikeHiow said:
If you are saving to emigrate, then a new car is a waste of time, surely?

Keep your Focus running.
Click to expand...

A lot of people talk about emigrating and very few actually do something about it.

Back on topic, never had an issue insuring cars, bought cheap fast ones and had fun in them.

Now I am a bit older, I am spending more money (but expressed as a percentage of income, probably less than I used to) on more reliable cars whilst saving for other things.
 
petayV8 said:
My first choice is a Lexus IS200, I know the general comments are its underpowered rubbish on fuel and the interior is horrible, but i have to say the standard kit you get on them is impressive for the price and i actually think the interior is very well designed even if it looks tacky, plus ive read there quiet and ride well and im not after something fast. And I like there RWD and have a smooth reliable V6 plus my commute is only 7 miles round trip so MPG isnt a concern for me and im prepared to spend my wages on fuel for a half decent car unlike some.
Click to expand...
I had an IS200 for about 5 years. Apart from it being woefully underpowered it was a good daily commuter and by far the most reliable car I ever owned - I never had a single thing go wrong and only ever replaced tyres, pads etc.
You wouldn't exactly want to take it to a track day, but for the daily run to work etc if it is the car you want then it is not the worst choice you can make, if you can live with the lack of grunt and poor economy.
I'm not sure of the (insurance) implications of buying an imported IS300, but from what I hear the additional power makes them a far superior car.
Alternatively the is220d/is250 are improved all-round if they are an option for your budget.
 
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