First car?

fullspizz · 29 Dec 2025 at 09:11

Nice little runabout that Fiat and still quite funky looking.
I would have said a Suzuki Swift, Mitsubishi Colt. Yaris, etc as all small decent cars.

Nasher · 29 Dec 2025 at 09:19

fullspizz said:
Nice little runabout that Fiat and still quite funky looking.
I would have said a Suzuki Swift, Mitsubishi Colt. Yaris, etc as all small decent cars.

The Colt is actually really good. I wanted one as a daily but good ones with low miles are becoming hard to find.

Wouldn't mind a Ralliart Colt

Tinders · 29 Dec 2025 at 09:48

Nasher said:
The 1.3 is the better engine. Only 5 speed but that gearbox is also more durable. The 1.33 can be quite a bad oil burner and they didn't fix that until later on with the mk3.

1.3 only went up to 2008/9 and those cars have the dearer roadtax. Not had any issues with the 1.33, weve had 5 in the family over the years. Ultimate cockroach is the 1.0, slow as hell, but they never die, even with hideous amounts of abuse

Nasher · 29 Dec 2025 at 10:06

Tinders said:
1.3 only went up to 2008/9 and those cars have the dearer roadtax. Not had any issues with the 1.33, weve had 5 in the family over the years. Ultimate cockroach is the 1.0, slow as hell, but they never die, even with hideous amounts of abuse

Just saying. A few Toyota engines are known for being oil burners and that 1.33 is one. Another is the early 1ZZ engines.

mejinks · 29 Dec 2025 at 14:09

What about a BMW i3 with Rex?

Delta3D · 29 Dec 2025 at 23:08

SamyBoy13 said:
It is hard as not every older car is suitable, poor breaks or steering - dont want my daughter to end up in a ditch

SamyBoy13 said:
I found 318i e36 convertible which suprisenly was cheap for 3k car and 2.7k insurance.

I never thought I'd ever see these two in the same post

E36's will all be pretty ropey in my opinion.

Seat Ibiza 1.2 TSi 6J in my opinion. I had one as my first car, cost me £7k in 2017, sure they're only about £5-6k for a really good example now.

Cheap insurance, was bulletproof, cheap to maintain, drove very nicely and enough power for a first car. (Cost me £1.4k insurance at 17)

brendy · 30 Dec 2025 at 01:01

Just to go back on thread, my eldest girl is driving these days and got a Suzuki Splash SZ3, has Aircon, remote central locking etc and carplay/Android Auto compatible screens are out there that can be easily fitted and cost about 100 quid. Insurance was just over a grand for her first year and is now around 900 and tax is 20 quid or something. They are not fast nor glam but there are sneakily spacious inside for a small hatch.