Im 27, need my first car - about £4/5k to spend...

ps3ud0

ps3ud0

ps3ud0

Caporegime
Joined
27 Sep 2004
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Luton ;)
First of all - please be gentle - feel like Im entering the lions den...

Need some advice on my first car as even though I love my motorsports owning/driving a car has never been something Ive really looked forward to (guess its a survival response :p) but now has become a near neccesity...

Could one of you knowledgeable chaps give me some ideas what would make an ideal first car, obviously Im looking for something cheap to run (a Turbo Diesel?), relatively low insurance (say around £1K?) and new enough to mean that it will limit the possible issues and looks good and if possible is fun to drive - I have my own uneducated ideas, but I dont want to taint your suggestions...

The only special request I would make is that for some reason (cough) I find it impossible to fit in the normal driving instructor cars without knees knocking the door and the gear lever with the wheel rubbing my thighs, so lets avoid the corsas/fiestas please lads :)

I know Im asking a lot and I guess Ive been very vague too - so any questions please ask - Ill do my best to answer them - I am a car nut, just not in the practical sense...

Finally a small myth I want dispelled - is it better for me to just get the car I want now and dont care about the high insurance for the first year (cant be more than an extra £500 on top really) or just get a crap cheap car now for the low insurance and change it as soon as my age drops the premiums. Being over 25 really drop it significantly after the first year no?!?. What would you guys do?

TIA - sorry about the essay :o

ps3ud0 :cool:
 
Get a 1.6 Focus, I'd say a Zetec with Climate Pack would be a fine choice for that price range. I have got a quote of £1000 on insurance at 18 and 1NCB, where my brother got £750 at 21 and 0NCB. So insurance will be fine. Though the 2.0 wasm't much more even for me (only about £80 more) and it will have plenty of power for a first car. It will be around the 2001 age i guess.

So really try to go for a 2.0 Focus Zetec. Get insurance quotes if you are unsure but i bet you it will be cheap enough.
 
Personally, I'd wait a few years before getting a smartish car. I wouldn't look to spend any more than £1500 on your first car. I'll probably get laughed at, but i think renault meganes are tidy little cars, reasonably cheap to insure (i'm 18 and it's one of the cheapest to insure for me!), and are pretty reliable from fmaily members owning them. Probably not very helpful but thats my little bit :p
 
ps3ud0 said:
I find it impossible to fit in the normal driving instructor cars without knees knocking the door and the gear lever with the wheel rubbing my thighs, so lets avoid the corsas/fiestas please lads :)
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The_One said:
Id recommend a petrol fiesta,

pretty reliable without any major issues and they can be had for cheap money
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Doh!
 
Matt said:
If the Focus isn't to your tastes then you could look at a Seat Leon or Toledo :)
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Aye, you could easily pick up a Toledo 1.8 20v for that money and you could possibly get a tidy Toledo TDi as well. For your budget a Leon is a bad idea as it commands a premium over a Toledo since it's a hatch but is essentially the exact same car bar the boot. You'd get a nicer Toledo for your budget than a Leon.
 
Zip said:
Oh come on.......

Its not Speakers Corner :p
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Lol.

Just dont post about it if you get caught speeding or ding it :p

I killed 3 nuns in the local pedestrain zone the other day (black ice and diesel on the road) and you wouldnt catch me posting about it ........... doh!!! :o

Fog
 
Whoa cheers guys - lots of replies - thxs...

Yeah I had pretty much defaulted to a 1.6 Focus Zetec really myself, kinda ticks all the boxes and probably best for value for money. Ill look into the 1.8 - would like as much poke as possible...

Seat also does interest me (dno the difference between the Leon/Toledo though), but I guess they would be a bit more expensive for parts and slightly higher on insurance. I guess I really need to get some quotes - rather have say 3 to 5 shorlisted cars so Im not wasting my time though...

No doubt this is a dirty word but should I consider a diesel as a first car - I keep hearing great things about the new turbo diesels being nearly as good as petrols performance wise but so much cheaper to run overall. With my price range would I be looking at too old a range of cars to qualify for these new TDis?!?

I know it makes sense money wise to get a crap car now and then upgrade after the first insurance year (no way would I keep a crap car longer than I had too), but surely the enjoyment/pride of owning a nicer car would outway the extra costs - surely it cant be that much difference in insurance ignoring the purchase cost of the car?...

Zip said:
Oh come on.......

Its not Speakers Corner :p
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Ive been lurking on this sub forum occasionally and Ive noticed that there is some bravado involved - thought Id rub egos in exchange for advice :D. Also I really should know better about cars...

Thanks again

ps3ud0 :cool:
 
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Not worth buying a diesel unless you are going to be doing a lot of miles. You pay more for one in the first place, so just get a petrol in my opinion.

Edit - Course if you prefer the power delivery, then get one.
 
Ste said:
the 2.0 focus is stupid on petrol considering the power it puts out :(
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I really dont understand this, loads of people say this yet my Mondeo is about 50kg heavier and has exactly the same engine and, out of town, is really rather economical for the type of car.

And if you do under 10k a year, which almost all new drivers invariably do, even 25mpg around town isnt exactly expensive.
 
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