First car for 18 year old

Chong Warrior · 17 Sep 2011 at 11:44

My 18 year old daughter has passed her test and now wants a car. I don't have a lot of time to spend looking for cars, so thought I'd ask in here for a good starting point? She wants to go and buy a nice car but I've persuaded her to let me buy her a cheapy and get at least 12 months experience behind her first. I'm thinking about £500-£600.

Needs to be low insurance, brand new 18 year driver.
She works away, so will mainly be using the car to travel the 200 miles (100m each way) home and back every weekend.

My initial thoughts are something like a Pug 206 diesel?

Sone · 17 Sep 2011 at 11:52

doubt it will be any good on the track, stripped out mx5 maybe?

Chong Warrior · 17 Sep 2011 at 11:53

Whoops, wrong forum lol! Can a mod move please? ta

Skeeter · 17 Sep 2011 at 12:43

200 miles a week is only 10,000 mile a year, so not really worth looking at just Diesels.

1.25 Fiesta?

arknor · 17 Sep 2011 at 12:55

ariel atom?

Deathwish · 17 Sep 2011 at 13:17

arknor said:
ariel atom?

V8 one surely?

Defcon5 · 17 Sep 2011 at 13:21

Im not sure a £500 206 will be much cop.

Im a fan of 106s in this price range

StonedPenguin · 17 Sep 2011 at 13:25

Sorry, I'll go troll elsewhere.

Hyburnate · 17 Sep 2011 at 13:30

StonedPenguin said:
Sorry, I'll go troll elsewhere.

Even Jeremy Clarkson struggled to get one of them insured.

Get her a Pink KA.

mjt · 17 Sep 2011 at 13:33

Peugeot 205. Yes, they're old but they're also simple to fix and cheap to run.

I found my sister a 1991 1.0 a few years ago for £300 and it's still going strong.

jimbo19 · 17 Sep 2011 at 13:36

Old 1.0 polo ?
cheap insurance and reliable

shamzzz · 17 Sep 2011 at 14:21

i got a 1991 1.3 toyota corolla for £400 when i was 17. lasted me 3 years and apart from about £300 on combined M.O.Ts i didn't have to pay out to get it repaired once.

meh? · 17 Sep 2011 at 22:47

Yaris, My manager at work got one for her son for £600

Nickyyy · 17 Sep 2011 at 23:40

Clio 1.2 . Really cheap cars, fairly reliable and cheap to run/repair. also the 1.5dci is only 35£ a year to tax if you want something derv

sigma · 18 Sep 2011 at 01:48

Deathwish said:
V8 one surely?

Pah! V10 baby!!!! :cool:

Invertigo · 19 Sep 2011 at 00:39

Hyburnate said:
Even Jeremy Clarkson struggled to get one of them insured.

"Is it a Rover?"

On topic, a cheap 205/yaris/clio etc should do fine for a year

Hedge · 19 Sep 2011 at 06:56

Saxo, 106, 306, fiesta, micra, corsa, focus.. all pretty standard choices I guess.

Moeks · 19 Sep 2011 at 07:48

While the total mileage isn't high, doing a 200 mile trip in one go in a £600 shoebox sounds ...most unpleasant.

I'd say something a little bigger, also you will get better value than the smaller cars offer in this price range and really the insurance isn't all that different. Thus I say, Mondeo or similar.

Nathan · 19 Sep 2011 at 08:37

306 td. Good car for 600 notes, 45
Mpg all day.

Meatball · 19 Sep 2011 at 09:11

Toyota Yaris, Ford KA?