New drivers and their first car

£30 Mk1 Escort 1300GT for me.
A mate of my then Grandfather was giving up driving because of disability and I got first refusal..
I took his hand off :D

No agonising over what make or model to get to "look cool" back then (1990) and the next however many months/years were spent in it hooning round town..

FREEDOM!!

until I also got banned. :o
 
They're from the generation where mummy and daddy drove a Freelander and draped themselves with Ralph Lauren's largest horses. The 105% mortgage isn't a factor.
 
My first car (2007) was an N reg Ford Escort. It was brown and the paint was flaking off all over. None of the electrics worked properly and it quite often used to cut out going round a roundabout. I didn't care, I loved it! Its still my favourite car I have owned!
 
Jumping back a few years people had to make-do with cars that they could buy with cash only. Finance was a thing reserved for very few rich people, and often the thought of car finance was beyond many people's ability of comprehension.

People were forced to buy cars that required weekly maintenance, and were generally, not that safe at all.

Nowadays, salaried pay and wages are delivered monthly into the bank, very few people get ultra-short-term cash in hand pay and we mostly have some semblance of job security. This allows us to consider car finance.
 
It's not that the posts are being more critical, the examples of "I bought mine for £50 and called it day" don't warrant a 'first car, which car?' thread. Hence, a lot of the first car threads you see are with people like myself who are analysing all our choices and making sure we get the best thing to suit our needs.

I'm 23, full time job, worked for my savings, not considered a loan and my parents don't drive so I don't have the typical dad to fall back on who would pick a car for me. Nor am I filled with entitlement as they're far from rich and won't be contributing to my first car :)
 
I didn't need a car so left passing my test till I was 23 in 2005 then went out & bought a 20 odd year old Ford Capri 2.8i and spent loads having the paint & bodywork sorted. Cost me £2046 to insure it iirc.
 
A £2000 MK3 Clio. Worked my arse off for a year in retail to be able to afford it, followed by another skint year of paying a £1800 insurance premium.

Styling and trim was typically french but it was solidly put together. Ran it for nearly 4 years, took us everywhere, clocked up 40k+ miles and it only broke down once due to a knackered earth strap, still had the original battery in it too. Could mend it with parts from the local parts shop and a Haynes manual.

Only got £500 for it part-ex, really wish I'd kept it. :(
 
Vita said:
I regret ever getting rid of mine. It was a great car, reliable and took abuse. Why I sold it, I will never understand. I wish I had thought through it more.
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What was it? I faintly remember a Yaris T-Sport?

My first car I still have and use and will keep it forever, well unless something fatal happens to it. It's a bit sentimental and has become somewhat a part of me. I didn't get to buy my own car straight after I passed, had to wait a few years until I had a proper Job, was a poor student before. Ended buying one of my childhood heroes, could have bought something much newer that cost more, but new cars don't do anything for me and IMO it's always best to buy something old and cheap as a first car, mine's ended up being a cherished motor.
 
lemonade said:
What was it? I faintly remember a Yaris T-Sport?
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Yup that's it. Great car, really chuckable and probably the most fun I've ever had in driving. Even the ATR I had couldn't compare to it in the fun department. ATR felt more grown up, and though it handled well, I didn't dare chuck it around like the Yaris. I wish I had kept it and S/C'd it, some decent suspension and could have made it into a fun B-Road blaster. Not the fastest thing but taking corners in that was ace.
 
I'm 24 now, my first car at 17 was a Fiat Punto - bought for £2500. It was bought with my own money and I kept it for 6 years or so. Now I've got a Polo GTi and its a hell of a better car!
Glad I put up with the punto for so long as it made me appreciate what I have now.
 
My first car in 2008 was a 2000 Ford Fiesta 1.3, 38k miles on the clock and cost £1000. Insurance first year was £1800.

Was absolutely faultless up until January this year at 61k miles, then everything seemed to go wrong at once. Sold it eventually and bought a 58 plate Seat Ibiza S.

Must admit we all did have a chuckle at my friends Metro that when flat out (50) every light on the dash was flashing!
 
markyp23 said:
I feel like everyone is missing the point - would you buy a £50 banger now, knowing you'd have to pay £1700-£3000 to insure it as a 17 year old?
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Yes, actually I would, if you prang it you can get away with not claiming unless you involve someone else. If you spend 8k on a car and scrape the side down a bollard i'd really want it fixing therefore have to fork out to fix it or claim & face more years of silly premiums whereas i'd just leave a £50 banger looking like ****.
 
My first car was a Mk4 Golf in good condition and low mileage. I didn't want a piece of crap banger and glad i paid a little bit more. It did well before electrical issues started popping up.
 
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