FIRST CARS!

[kilo1onedelta]

hey, me and my friends are new drivers and we all (as you can imagine) have different tastes in cars.

PLEASE NOT WE ARE NOT BOY RACERS.

now I was only wondering if any of you could tell me what your opinions are on this list of cars?
put them in a order or something i guess.

Volvo 340 1.4
Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 1993
Fiat Stilo 1.6 2002
Citroen Saxo westcoast 1.4 1999
Peugeot 106 1.2

All standard.
Thanks for your time.
Fire away!

[Mr MXT]

Volvo 340 1.4
Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 1993
Peugeot 106 1.2
Citroen Saxo westcoast 1.4 1999
Fiat Stilo 1.6 2002


Here you go I've put them in order of age. (Had to guess a couple).

[kambites]

All rather dull, really. I guess if I had to pick between them, I'd go for the Volvo just because it isn't any of the others.

[Zoki]

Volvo seems the most interesting.

[mnkiboy]

Volvo 340 1.4 - so crap it's cool? Don't get it myself. Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. Actually, that's the only thing I would touch it with.
Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 1993 - Dull dull dull.
Fiat Stilo 1.6 2002 - Well it's something different, and different is always good. Insurance on a 1.6 though?
Citroen Saxo westcoast 1.4 1999 - Made of tin foil. If you're in to modding though there's a huge array of tat to stick on.
Peugeot 106 1.2 - Doesn't exist, which has to go down as a minus point.

[Garlick]

only the Volvo appeals I'm afraid. I do like them, RWD too aren't they?

[vrooom]

Volvo 340 1.4 is so slow but damn comfortable, and it had enough power to get the rear end out on wet roundabout.

[volvoforlife]

Out of that list I can recommend taking the bus.

[RSGulp]

Volvo 340 the best of the bunch IMO. It's a classic of YOUR time - meaning it's the kind of thing your dad would have driven - and was crap then, but cool now.

In my day we all drove classics as first cars - no free finance from dealers, first year's insurance free, ipod connection thrown into the deal, blah, blah, blah. We drove what we could afford to buy with our weekend/summer jobs, and the insurance usually cost about the same as the car - around £500 TPF&T.

[Zad]

The Volvo has absolutely awful handling though. If you must have RWD then get a Sierra, which at least has fuel injection, possibly ABS depending on spec, and suspension designed since the 1970s. It is one thing having a bit of fun getting the tail out on a roundabout, and an entirely different one when you are struggling to proceed at all.

The Pug 106 or the Saxo are very chav-ish but probably easiest to insure.

[STW2010]

Another vote for the Volvo.

Whilst not great, it's also not French or a Vauxhall

The Fiat is ok though.

So my order is-

Volvo
Fiat
Peugeot
Citroen
Vauxhall

Edited by STW2010 on Sunday 9th January 19:10

[WeirdNeville]

vrooom said:

Volvo 340 1.4 is so slow but damn comfortable, and it had enough power to get the rear end out on wet roundabout.

Volvo 1.4 340 (the GL!) was my first car.
I posted it in the "Worst Car of all time" thread.
Ok, as a first car, it was a car. It went from A-B, or in my case from the Midlans to Edinburgh, 4 people in it.
Engine:
Horrid, underpowered, no rev counter. Enough space in the engine bay for the spare wheel too. I think it was carbed - I just remember the choke and the horrible cold morning starting.
Gearshift:
Like stirring porridge with a chopstick. The gearbox is at the back as a transaxle, and it certainly felt a long way away.
Ride comfort:
None to speak of. Loud, uncomfortable, loads of wind noise.
Handling:
Missing from birth. Vague steering (Still the car with the most free play in the wheel I've ever driven. This was normal according to the Volvo specialists who serviced it). The back wheels are sprung with longitudinal leaf springs. I heard rumour that the rear end was derived from LDV van suspension meaning that the transaxle was totally wasted. It did go sideways on wet roundabouts, but only when you least expected/wanted it to. Loads of body roll too.

Redeeming features? It was a car.
I looked at your list, trying to put them in some sort of order, but I fell asleep before I got to the bottom. Sorry.

Edited by WeirdNeville on Sunday 9th January 19:16

[andy118run]

Also depends on age, service history, miles covered etc etc, I suppose.

it's not a particularly inspiring list but how many new drivers can afford to buy and insure something that is inspiring?

pug 106 and corsa are quite common and reasonable first cars, as long as you get a decent one. Buying cars like this is a bit of a lottery - if you are lucky you get one which gives you a years trouble free motoring and that's all you can hope for...