First (kinda) car

[Munkey]

Hey guys, yet another question thread.

I recently passed my driving test back in march (3rd time lucky!) and have decided that getting a car would be a good thing to do. My girlfriend will be studying in London next year and I'd like to go visit her, as well as be able to drive around the country and do the shopping.

As such, I was thinking of buying a used second hand car. However, there is a problem...a lack of knowledge concerning them.

I do know that I'd be looking for either an estate or a saloon car, so i can transport all my stuff, shopping, friends stuff etc. so none of those weird hatchback cars.

It would preferably be fuel economic, perhaps diesel? and a manual (which i think would reduce the price of the car).

I have about 1500 quid to spend on the car, with an extra 1000 set aside for insurance and stuff.

Oh yes, I also know nothing about insurance and which cars are cheaper to insure and stuff. The car will be parked in a driveway at least, i dont have access to a garage.

In Qatar i spend 40 quid and i'm insured 3rd party for a year, I imagine its a bit different out here.

So does anyone have any ideas? I dont mind mileage or anything, but the car is going to be used for about 4000-5000 miles a year so it would have to be reliable.

Is this enough information? I really do know nothing. All i've seen so far is a ford focus GTi (1998 reg) for about 1500 but i looked up the insurance and it was 1200. Which made baby jesus cry.

I can't be insured on my parents policy, they live in the middle east so i dont actually have a policy here. But I do have a valid driving license etc.

So, any ideas?

Thanks for helping a clueless student type

edit: and im 20.

Which i've figured that as a new driver, who's under 21 and is a student, means im fucked for insurance. But i still hope

 

[Trem]

I would go for a VW Polo or something similar. I actually quite like the Citroen AX's as well but they may be a pile of shit.

A VW Polo will be ok to insure but lets face it you are screwed whatever you buy when it comes to insurance.

You may be struggling a bit if you know nothing about cars and what may be wrong with them though, my advice is look for a car a few hundred less than you have to spend, view it, drive it then get the AA or RAC to do an inspection on it. Yes it will cost you a few hundred quid and they may say its a dog but its better that way than exploding into a ball of flames when you go over 17mph.

 

[Alan]

Most saloon/estate cars have big engines to cope with the load - as a first time driver thats a bad thing for insurance so you may not get what your looking for.

Keep the engine size small and the car make common.

Did ford do an estate on the escort ?

 

[Lazarus]

think again about the hatchback munk. yu can fold the back seats down and have plenty of room for stuff. plus its a smaller car, can be asmaller engine and smaller insurance.

Toyota / Honda are usually good reliable cars

 

[Tom]

I think you'll be lucky to get insurance for less than a grand if you've only just passed.

Forget anything big or fast, you won't be able to afford it. Think small cars only. Fiestas, Polos, 306's (good cars those 306's), etc. Also have a look at the Skoda Fabia, they're very good.

 

[Milkshake]

I'd also like to pimp the Skoda Fabia, it's well made and can really move when you need it to.

 

[Munkey]

Yeah, I noticed the skoda fabia when i was ebaying/motor siting.

So far the average insurance quote seems to be around 1.2k Guess its good im starting to build up my no claims now then.

Gonna try and see if i can get a mate to go halfsies on something and adding him to the insurance.

But seriously, the price of these things. Its almost like they dont want you to drive anymroe *glares at gordon brown*

 

[Tom]

If you're going to struggle to insure a car of that value, then don't faff around putting mates on, or going on your parent's insurance, or any of that bollocks.

Buy yourself a cheap shitter, something like a Nissan Almera, Toyota Corolla, Mazda 323, that kind of thing. Something dead reliable, simple, cheap to work on and boring as hell. You could easily get something like that with change from £500. Have a sniff around in here:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/

Forget anything nice for the first year or two. Just buy something you can afford to run without worrying, something that requires no specialist knowledge.

Learn how to do your own servicing, oil changes are so easy a simpleton could do them, filter changes are similarly a doddle. Leave stuff like brakes to a local garage, brakes are easy too but you do need a few tools for that.


Once you've owned that for a year or two, and you have some driving experience and a better insurance profile, then you can consider buying something nicer. Half the fun of driving a car is simply having a car in the first place.

 

[Gray]

I too at the moment have been looking at cars a lot more recently than over the past few months, today i took out 2 cars on a test drive - Both Ford Focus'.

I decided to go for the newer version, as it was lowermilage, and is only mmm 3 years old compared to the other one which is 4 years its senior. the difference is the newer car has got ABS also, and is £1500 more expensive.

Its £7000 full price, but i can get it then for about £5500 possibly cheaper. Insurance [Considering its only Insurance Group 5] is still coming in at around £900 which is a pisser.

Another quickone: At the moment my current car [The BMW] is still classed under my dads name and has been for the past 4 months or so. I just havent had time [ie, not been arsed] to actually complete the DVLA Registered Keeper form and send it off.

Now, i know i would be in the shitter if the police happened to pull me up, or if i got caught by a camera - But if i part exchanged it while it was still my dad under the registsred keeper, could i actually *do* that, or would it have to be actually under my name?

Hm!

PS: The car im looking at

Motornation

 

[Trem]

Nah you will be fine. The car dealer will not give a shit tbh.

 

[Tom]

Oh dear god Gray, please tell me you're not buying a car from a supermarket?

You're about to suffer wallet-rape if you are. They're thieves.

 

[Gray]

Im a bit up in ante at the moment about getting the car. As i say, i took 2 Ford Focus' out on test drive, one was a 2004 model, the other was a 2000 model, both where pretty much exactly the same [Colour, model, insurance groups etc] except for a few minor differences.

First being the 04 reg being newer, and also had less miles, both have been very well looked after by the sounds of things and have had all the checks done on em. I felt the older car was more... "natural" to me than the newer model, but the difference in price range was that it was only £1500 approx, and i want to get my hands on a new car for once...

The price [£5500-6000] has put me off a slight bit, but its kind of money id probably be willing to part with but then for that money its been said i could get an older car which again has been very well looked after. I said i would probably sleep on it but ive not made a decision wholly yet.

One other quick question ontop of my growing questions: All the cars i seen some with the same-old bog standard CD Player/Radio, in my BMW at the moment i bought a CD player with the connectors so that i could listen to my Ipod - Its apparent that on these cars you cant remove the CD players without screwing up the fascia's on em, so does that mean on any car i get i cant really use said CD player? hm!

 

[Tom]

You can get fascia adaptors for all modern cars, it'll look allright if you do.

Please, if you must buy from them, arrange your own finance.

 

[Gray]

Wasnt thinking of using the finance option as paying for the car, ive always been one to just pay everything upfront and in cash, but yee..

 

[Bodhi]

</not biased advice in the slightest>


Buy a Punto.



<not biased advice in the slightest>