New car time

ElliottJames

ElliottJames

ElliottJames

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Joined
12 May 2011
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2,119
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UK
Gone through the ranks fast from starting at 17 to 19 now, decided on a new car or deciding to pickup one in the next 10 days when the parents are back.

Got an 09 astra 3 door at the moment need something more powerful. Not got a price in mind but something I can get insured on.

Was looking at an Astra GTC 2.0, any other sports hatchbacks in my price range that I should be looking at?
 
Get them to put that 20k to one side for when you really need it, like for a deposit on a house. Moving from an Astra to a GTC just seems like a colossal waste of money.
 
DRZ said:
Get them to put that 20k to one side for when you really need it, like for a deposit on a house. Moving from an Astra to a GTC just seems like a colossal waste of money.
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Just want something more powerful and luxurious, the one I have now is nice but it was always a temp car until my renewal was up this month.
 
£20k on a car when you have the nice house, have done the travelling and got a decent job is fine.

£20k on a car at 20 is a massive waste.

Say "Thank you Mummy and Daddy, I'm going to put this money you have kindly gifted me into a high rate savings account and use it for a property purchase eventually".

ElliottJames said:
Just want something more powerful and luxurious, the one I have now is nice but it was always a temp car until my renewal was up this month.
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My GF bought a £3.5k Fiat Bravo nearly 18 months ago which would fulfil your requirements. It looks miles better than an Astra, looks new enough with a private plate on it, has 150bhp from standard (180bhp with a remap) and has all the toys a 20 year old could want.
 
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Have a look at the Focus RS at the very top end of your budget. It will be slightly older, but they're holding their value remarkably well so you shouldn't lose much when you come to sell.
 
mccarf said:
Have a look at the Focus RS at the very top end of your budget. It will be slightly older, but they're holding their value remarkably well so you shouldn't lose much when you come to sell.
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Understand your point Peerzy, I have a fair bit saved myself but I'm starting at a law firm in London later this year and I will be put up in an apartment so not really looking at getting a property currently. Perhaps buy to let, but in the next few years when I'm settled.

The RS is 2.5 so I highly doubt I'd be able to get insured on that.
 
your insurance will go through the roof when you move too London anyway. (that's if you don't already live there)

may I ask why you want a powerful car if your going to live in London? I think id rather spend 10k on a comfy gadget ridden car and the rest on a weekend warrior
 
kaptainmarc said:
your insurance will go through the roof when you move too London anyway. (that's if you don't already live there)

may I ask why you want a powerful car if your going to live in London? I think id rather spend 10k on a comfy gadget ridden car and the rest on a weekend warrior
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Cos two cars make a lot more sense if you live in London :p
 
I lived in london for five years. There's a good reason for Chelsea tractors because the most useful traits in a car in town are an automatic gearbox and a high driving position.

Your new Astra's extra power is going to be wasted so think very, very carefully what your driving habits will be over the time you expect to keep the car before deciding.

I've moved out now so my Z4M gets let loose on the roads it deserves but it was a hateful thing to use in town. Stop/start every 300 yards, sensitive throttle difficult to modulate at ultra low speeds and constantly being scared of maniacal cyclists scratching it made it all very unpleasant. It was the reason I also had a £500 Jeep Cherokee to plough through the madness of London.
 
There are plenty of company's that will insure you it just won't be cheap, That said i don't see a problem dropping 20k on a car at 19, you only live once, i spent close to 20k on an rs turbo in the early 90's in my early 20's and it was featured in max power magazine, everybody said it was a waste at the time and till this day i have no regrets what so ever! some of the most amazing times of my life where spent tinkering with that car going to cruises etc, no amount of money can re-buy those experiences and id sooner re mortgage my current house for something cheaper and smaller to go back in time and do it all over again.

Only thing i would say if you going to drop 20k on a car don't get an astra lol ok so i had an escort but at the time an rs turbo with circa 250bhp was mind blowing., do it properly and get something that's going to give you an experience you will never forget, if that means paying a higher insurance premium so be it.
 
I can't see any situation where you won't regret having a 15-20k Astra, even if your parents are buying it for you. That budget gives you the choice of some seriously nice cars, and at 19 with a few years NCB you shouldn't find insurance too bad.
 
Yup before buying anything I'd be checking insurance at a likely area in London.
you might find the insurance jumps a daft amount, prefer shape of the 2 models older version tbh, Astra H?

My mates GTC is nice, but not the car I'd have bought if I had 15-20k
 
Spend 5-6k on a Clio 200/Fiesta ST.

That's if you can get insured, yep their older but they'll be great fun. Chances of you binning it if you drive like I did when I was 19 are quite high.
 
ElliottJames said:
Understand your point Peerzy, I have a fair bit saved myself but I'm starting at a law firm in London later this year and I will be put up in an apartment so not really looking at getting a property currently. Perhaps buy to let, but in the next few years when I'm settled.

The RS is 2.5 so I highly doubt I'd be able to get insured on that.
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I thought you are looking at the 2.0t astra with 280bhp? If so then an extra 500cc+20bhp won't make any difference really on insurance.
 
I'll be in London for 4 days a week sorry and back home 100 mile's awayfrom London three, my main question was really, I was go fixed on the GTC, but are there any other similar sports hatchbacks I should be considering for that price? I don't really want to go above 2L as I still have to pay my petrol and that RS 2.5 would be harder to insure I'd assume and more costly to run.
 
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