Noob driver needs advice

snave

snave

snave

Associate
Joined
10 Apr 2012
Posts
333
Afternoon chaps and chapettes,

Unfortunately a change in my job role now requires me to learn how to drive and I thought I'd try and pick you collective brains for advice.

I'll be doing a "crash course" once I've passed my theory so can anyone recommend some good study aids for the theory test?

The next part of course is the big question - which car do I get!

I'll have access to a company car for the majority of the time but we get paid 50p per mile we drive in our own cars and this seems like a good potential earner for me!

Can anyone recommend a decent, economical car that is cheap to run and preferably cheap to buy. What I'm hoping to do is buy some crappy little car at first and then save up the money from my driving allowance to get something a bit nicer in the long term.

Hope all that makes sense!
 
snave said:
we get paid 50p per mile we drive in our own cars and this seems like a good potential earner for me!
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Unless you find something cheap to insure (with business usage included) as a new driver, that is reliable and extremely cheap to run then it's not even remotely a good potential earner, it will just about cover the costs of running the car at best.

You almost certainly wouldn't be able to use it to save up for a nice car, unless by long term you're thinking about 15 years :p
 
Plus if you drive to a central office every day that 50p wont be paid for that trip - i believe technically your employer shouldn't even pay you the first x(x being the distance of your home to work) miles of any business journey when you are not going to your main place of work as your first trip of the day.

40/25p per mile wasnt enough to make me any money about 6 years ago when I done lots of company miles but also lived 30 miles from work so I doubt 50p/whatever the 10k plus rate is enough in many cases now -especially when you're q new driver
 
rodenal said:
Plus if you drive to a central office every day that 50p wont be paid for that trip - i believe technically your employer shouldn't even pay you the first x(x being the distance of your home to work) miles of any business journey when you are not going to your main place of work as your first trip of the day.

40/25p per mile wasnt enough to make me any money about 6 years ago when I done lots of company miles but also lived 30 miles from work so I doubt 50p/whatever the 10k plus rate is enough in many cases now -especially when you're q new driver
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Currents rates are 45p and 25p after 10k, so he'd have to pay tax on some of that 50p rate anyway as I understand it.
 
Not sure if things are different for the company I work for but the lady who was driving me around for the last few weeks received £500 for 1000 miles + petrol charges + food allowance so about £750 in total.

Other people I work with have done exactly the same thing that I'm proposing so I know it's viable, I'm just looking for advice on cars.
 
So 50p per mile and then fuel paid for on top of that? Are you sure?

Run some 1.8 Focus' through some comparison sites, then do the same but selecting business use.
 
GeX said:
So 50p per mile and then fuel paid for on top of that? Are you sure?

Run some 1.8 Focus' through some comparison sites, then do the same but selecting business use.
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I double checked today and I'm correct.

So now my company policy has been discussed can anyone help me out with some recommendations?
 
They're also flying the entire company out on a all inclusive holiday in September, just got into the top 100 companies to work for too.
 
study aids for the theory, there is a generic PC-CD you can get with loads of practice questions that is worth getting.

as for a car - Rover 220d. you can buy one for well under a grand, they are cheap to insure because its an old rover. parts are peanuts too. you can get over 60mpg out of them as well.
 
rodenal said:
Plus if you drive to a central office every day that 50p wont be paid for that trip - i believe technically your employer shouldn't even pay you the first x(x being the distance of your home to work) miles of any business journey when you are not going to your main place of work as your first trip of the day.

40/25p per mile wasnt enough to make me any money about 6 years ago when I done lots of company miles but also lived 30 miles from work so I doubt 50p/whatever the 10k plus rate is enough in many cases now -especially when you're q new driver
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It's the "triagulation" theory or something...

50p plus fuel seems pretty good, what are the tax implications on that as I'm sure all employers would love to pay their employees like this is there were no NI ERS or PAYE implications.

As you dont have to pay for fuel perhaps a Focus ST? I guess you want something "premium", what's your budget?
 
No idea on the tax implications I'm sorry. I just fill out a mileage sheet and put in any receipts for fuel I have, alternatively they'll give me a fuel card to use but I haven't looked into that seeing as I dont have a car!

My budget will be around £1000 and really I'm just looking for something reliable and cheap to run.
 
snave said:
Not sure if things are different for the company I work for but the lady who was driving me around for the last few weeks received £500 for 1000 miles + petrol charges + food allowance so about £750 in total.
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Your employer sounds absurdly generous. And possibly inept. Or you're exaggerating.
 
Vonhelmet said:
Your employer sounds absurdly generous. And possibly inept. Or you're exaggerating.
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I used to get 5p per mile + fuel when petrol was 70-80p per gallon in the late 70's

I had a Mk 1 capri 3000E at the time


I suggest the OP gets a Fiesta or Focus
 
Vonhelmet said:
Your employer sounds absurdly generous. And possibly inept. Or you're exaggerating.
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Many companies pay the 50p + fuel instead of paying a car allowance + fuel, it really isn't that rare or generous when compared to £400 a month allowance + fuel.

The 50p per mile part is generally taxable.
 
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