First car price movement

Hyburnate

Hyburnate

Hyburnate

Soldato
Joined
29 Jul 2011
Posts
15,682
Location
Near Northants / MK
Been looking at first cars recently and I've got a little bit of time to decide what I need (ok about 9/10 month ish) but starting to wonder if I'm after too much for too little. I'm currently eyeing up Mk8 Polo's but do like the R Style's but they're about 10k, how much can I expect them to drop in price? What other somewhat sporty looking cars are on the market for about 8k? Because whilst the cost may fluctuate slightly I'm starting to doubt there will be that much movement.

When looking at the sort of cars I like the look of I'm seeing the Polo's, DS3's etc. but I need something practical but I also need it to have a large boot as this wont just be a jotting around the town car as it'll be the only car in the house. I have been looking at A3's but with the new models released there am I right in thinking that we wont see any new models of cars in the next year or so and will the current new models depreciate a couple of k?

tl;dr I'm awful at getting my point across. Am I right in thinking that we wont see any new models of cars in the next year or so and will the current new models depreciate a couple of k?
 
With the type of car you're looking at they are highly unlikely to shed £2k in 10 months, unless any of them are brand new or a few months old
 
If this is your first car, expect all of those to mean your insurance company will want to bumlove you. Have you run any insurance quotes? That's what will determine what your first car is, unless you don't mind paying a few grand.
 
rodenal said:
With the type of car you're looking at they are highly unlikely to shed £2k in 10 months, unless any of them are brand new or a few months old
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My thoughts exactly, looking at the newish model Focus's, Mk8 Polo (I may have to just go with the non R Style model) also looked at a Corsa but decided against it. DS3 is another good choice but I'd prefer 5dr.

Spunkey said:
If this is your first car, expect all of those to mean your insurance company will want to bumlove you. Have you run any insurance quotes? That's what will determine what your first car is, unless you don't mind paying a few grand.
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Insurance on the right car comes in at about 1k which is ok. A Mk8 Polo I'm pulling about 1.4kish on the insurance and that's with me in full time education still and 10k miles. That works for me. How much would that example be in a few months for example? Oh and that's with no named drivers too as I don't have anyone to put on there, I may be able to sweet talk putting my uncle on there if it brings it down.
 
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Why do you need a Mk8 Polo R Style as a first car?

£2k buys a nice Polo. Run it for 18 months. Move up to something better. It's your first car, whatever you get you will find to be awesome. Don't blow a massive pile of cash on a generic Polo when you'll get the same 'wow first car' buzz from one costing a fraction of the money.

Spend your big money on a car once you've got the experience to appreciate and enjoy it.
 
[TW]Fox;26164910 said:
Why do you need a Mk8 Polo R Style as a first car?

£2k buys a nice Polo. Run it for 18 months. Move up to something better. It's your first car, whatever you get you will find to be awesome. Don't blow a massive pile of cash on a generic Polo when you'll get the same 'wow first car' buzz from one costing a fraction of the money.

Spend your big money on a car once you've got the experience to appreciate and enjoy it.
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I intend on keeping it for a longish time. I can't have things falling apart when it needs to be relied on. I highly doubt I'll get the R Style as it's a lot more extra for very little IMO. I'll just get a 11 plate Polo with a few thousand on the clock.
 
Hyburnate said:
I intend on keeping it for a longish time.
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You won't though. After a year or so you'll want to move on. You'll tire of your first car, everyone does. You'll fancy a Golf. Perhaps a more pokey Polo, I dunno, but you won't keep it a long time.

With a cheaper Polo, you'll have cash spare for when you get bored and THEN you'll be able to put into a car you actually will keep a long time.

Trust us - we've all been where you are!

Everyones first car is the best car ever. It doesn't matter what it is, how fast it is, what kit its got, its your first car and it's awesome. Take advantage of this and don't plough many thousands of quid into what you'll come to realise 18 months down the line is a horribly dull expensive car.

I can't have things falling apart when it needs to be relied on.
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I doubt its going to fall apart.
 
[TW]Fox;26164910 said:
Why do you need a Mk8 Polo R Style as a first car?

£2k buys a nice Polo. Run it for 18 months. Move up to something better. It's your first car, whatever you get you will find to be awesome. Don't blow a massive pile of cash on a generic Polo when you'll get the same 'wow first car' buzz from one costing a fraction of the money.

Spend your big money on a car once you've got the experience to appreciate and enjoy it.
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I'd have to agree with this. Unless you're a mature student, you will be 'the lift guy' so expect your nice shiny Polo to get abused by your mates. You'll enjoy your first car much more if you're not worrying about your drunken mate spilling beer/poo/man onto the VW branded mats.

I'm not sure where a full time student gets 10k from, but if I were you I'd either keep saving or whatever you're doing, and buy a 2k student car that you can sell on for 1750 in a couple of years. In the meantime you're 8k will have grown a bit plus you're 1750 so you can get an even better/ expensive car in a few years. I know its hard (I'm struggling not to rush out and get a second car now I have nearly 5k available) but tbh I think it will be worth it when in a few years you're sitting in a focus ST or BMW 5 series.
 
[TW]Fox;26164910 said:
Why do you need a Mk8 Polo R Style as a first car?

£2k buys a nice Polo. Run it for 18 months. Move up to something better. It's your first car, whatever you get you will find to be awesome. Don't blow a massive pile of cash on a generic Polo when you'll get the same 'wow first car' buzz from one costing a fraction of the money.

Spend your big money on a car once you've got the experience to appreciate and enjoy it.
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+1

you say you need a big boot, why don't you get a Focus? say a 2003 model?
 
Full time student?! Definitely don't do it, you'll want that change from not wasting a load of cash on a Polo for your post uni travelling :p
 
Wise choice would be to buy a car for around £2000, it won't be falling apart and it will save you lots of money.

At the end of the day it's your money and not knowing your financial situation £8K could be a drop in the ocean for you.

The point remains, a lot of people get into cars when they start owning/driving their first car and then subsequently want to move on to something more refined/faster/powerful.
 
I know it's boring but heed the advice being given. Best thing my father ever did when I was 17 many years ago was insisting I only spent £500 on my first car. Inconsiderate mates, thinking I was Gods gift to driving and running out of talent and boredom of a slow car meant it was worse for wear and gone after six months.

One of my staff recently bought his 18 year old son a new Polo before he went to Uni. Model student but testosterone got the better of him, showing off with his mates and it's a right off.

Apologies if you're more mature than this but there's no substitute for getting some serious mileage and all your mistakes under your belt without being crippled financially on an expensive car when you're starting out.
 
Oh and don't be fooled by flawed maths thinking it'll save you a packet in running costs. You need an awful lot to go wrong to run up a bill measuring in £'000s. Many people justify new car purchases with this and then find that, unsurprisingly, both old and new cars need tyres, fluids, filters and regular servicing.
 
[TW]Fox;26164910 said:
Why do you need a Mk8 Polo R Style as a first car?

£2k buys a nice Polo. Run it for 18 months. Move up to something better. It's your first car, whatever you get you will find to be awesome. Don't blow a massive pile of cash on a generic Polo when you'll get the same 'wow first car' buzz from one costing a fraction of the money.

Spend your big money on a car once you've got the experience to appreciate and enjoy it.
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+1

Buy something cheap, get some experience then buy your ideal car a couple of years down the road. You will prang/dent/hit something in your first 12 months - everyone does. So don't so it in a shiny new car that will cost a fortune to fix and annihilate your precious no-claims discount.
 
ShiWarrior said:
+1

you say you need a big boot, why don't you get a Focus? say a 2003 model?
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Got a link to a decent example? What're they like? You're all very convincing, you've turned me! So perhaps keep it for a bit and then sell it off and buy something I want.

I wont have anyone spilling beer anywhere, it'll be doing the shopping and dropping family off :D

Oh and also, would it be worth diesel or petrol? I hear petrol is easier to drive?
 
My first car was £200,and as Fox said, it was awesome!

But then it was a 1.8l RWD Ford Sierra, while all my mates were failing to keep up with me in their many thousands of £s 1 litre, 3 year old Corsas and Polo's :D

I paid significantly less insurance than them too :).

An 8k Polo is not a good first car.
 
NoNameNoNumber said:
Diesels are generally easier to drive
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Well no, not really. No car is particularly hard to drive and if it a car is hard to drive its likely to be because of its size or other practical issues not the sort of fuel you put into it.

A small diesel engine in a small car with a manual box really is quite a hateful thing to drive. Nothing at all happens under 2000rpm, everything is over by 4000rpm and the clattery noise and vibrations permeate the cabin at idle and under acceleration.

For small cars, pick a small petrol engine.
 
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