What to do, what to do...

Ex-RoNiN

Ex-RoNiN

Ex-RoNiN

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
12,354
As I am passing my test soon (mid/end Jan probably), I am thinking about cars, and as one may have noticed from my posts in the last few weeks, I am seriously considering an Alfa 147 JTD. The big drawback is that they will set me back 5-7k, with around 1k on insurance.

Now, a lot of my friends+family think that is is sheer nonsense of me to spend this much money on my first car, within a month of passing! Not only that, but to spend it on an Alfa which, by definition, is sportier and probably worlds away (in terms of handling) from the Corsa that I am being taught in.

They recommend that I shouldn't spend more than 1.5-2k, keep that for a year or so, and only then move on to the Alfa. So I had a look around and it seems some decent cars can be had for that kind of price:

Saab 900s/9-3s/9000s, all about 5-8 yrs old, with 70k+miles on the clock, or

Alfa 156s (TwinSpark :( ) which are 4-6yrs old, also 80-100k miles

Alfa 166s which are ~5-6yrs old - 100k miles +

Vauxhalls or Fords (except maybe the cougar) don't do it at all for me, nor the BMWs that are available in that price range.

Ideally, I'd love to go for the 147, but the (annoying) voice of reason is telling me to spend much less first to gain experience and confidence. So with 1.5-2k, out of the 3 shown above, which would you recommend going for? Bearing in mind that I am 25 and likely to do a PassPlus certificate, so insurance should not break the 1k barrier for any of the cars, right?
 
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I'd price up insurance first before deciding.

If I were you I'd use the "But I'm 25!" argument to counter anyone telling you to get a cheap car for a couple of years first. You may well end up spending £££ on repairs etc. Don't know much about the Alfa, but if its reliable and insurable then go for it! I would! My first car (age 23) was an Astra Coupe Turbo that cost me £14K! Loads of fun!

Having said that, if you don't feel confident driving, then maybe get a less powerful car for now. Only you know if you can handle the extra power without abusing it.
 
They recommend that I shouldn't spend more than 1.5-2k, keep that for a year or so, and only then move on to the Alfa. So I had a look around and it seems some decent cars can be had for that kind of price:
Click to expand...

If you can afford to buy the car you like you may as well do so, I wouldn’t recommend a Corsa if you did decided to get something in the 2k price range something like a 1.25 fiesta would be my personal choice.

Unless you are thinking of insuring it TPFT the value of the car makes little difference as if you do happen to crash it your insurance would pay out. I passed my test when it was a lot younger than 25 and a 1.2 Corsa would have been more expensive for me to insure than a 1.6 Mini.

As for whether you should get an Alfa I’ll leave that to someone else, as I’ve never had one.
 
Not enough money for a non heart-attack inducing Alfa 156/147 ownership experience.

Lower your sights a little or increase your budget :)
 
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