Sensible commuter car for 20 year old male

[fearofbeige]

Hi all,

I'm a 20 year old male I'm looking for a sensible commuter car to replace my 2009 Suzuki Swift Sport. I don't trust myself with anything more powerful than my Swift as I don't want to be a statistic. My criteria for the commuter car are as follows -

- Handles high mileage with an 80 mile a day commute (diesel seems logical but small petrols too)
- Low insurance group
- Something around £4,000 used
- I'd like a A4/Mondeo/Vectra size car (although this seems to conflict with the low insurance group plan), if not something with a decent boot
- Something that is enjoyable to drive (not fast, just something with steering feel and the "brilliant drive" type reviews of the 3-series?)

I've been looking at the Audi 80 and A4, Skoda Fabia and Octavias (the Fabia vRS seems like a logical replacement for my Swift). The VAG 1.9 130 TDI seems like the best engine for my needs and there's loads of cars in this group but I'm facing a brick wall in insurance premiums and the 2010 hike.
I have two years NCB, no points, no claims, and the Swift (group 9 when I bought it, the new style groups have dragged it into group 23!) cost me £1,900 to insure in November and fresh quotes are looking at £2,200! I've got my parents as named drivers (50+ with no claims and licenses for years, both retired), the car is owned by me and I'm the main driver and insuring it for a legit 25,000 miles a year. Given insurance costs I need to replace the Swift, I can't afford to run two cars. I don't want to "front" my policy or deviate from an above board policy and in all honesty no matter what I drive or for how many miles my policy now or when I'm 21 is looking like it will be £1,000 even for a group 1 Citroen C1. The ceiling for any of the above criteria is £2,000 - Admiral wanted an additional £900 on top of the £1,900 I paid in November for my Swift to insure a 2002/02 Audi A4 1.9 TDI 110.

Any advice is appreciated, even if it is to sell up and get something I don't like to save money. I've had my Swift from new and it's got 40k miles on so depreciation has already hurt me, sadly I'm moving to seeing my car as a tool rather than something I enjoy so I don't mind downgrading.

Thanks in advance for the assistance and thanks for a brilliant site - I've been an anonymous reader for years and PistonHeads has always been brilliant!

[steveb8189]

Wow - what a first post!

I didn't realise insurance premiums had ballooned quite so much this year...

Fabia vRS would be a nice car - I had the Ibiza with the same engine and it was great. I imagine the vRS insurance would be higher due to the body kit etc. You can get a polo with the same engine but it's far more bland so that might help the premium slightly?

Would a focus be big enough? 1.8 TCDI would get you around and from what I've heard it would be pretty good round the corners if not too fast in a straight line.

I've got an S2000 for sale. Would be perfect

[fearofbeige]

steveb8189 said:

Wow - what a first post!

I didn't realise insurance premiums had ballooned quite so much this year...

Fabia vRS would be a nice car - I had the Ibiza with the same engine and it was great. I imagine the vRS insurance would be higher due to the body kit etc. You can get a polo with the same engine but it's far more bland so that might help the premium slightly?

Would a focus be big enough? 1.8 TCDI would get you around and from what I've heard it would be pretty good round the corners if not too fast in a straight line.

I've got an S2000 for sale. Would be perfect

Thanks for the reply! I didn't realise how much premiums have gone up in the few months since I renewed..! Something Focus size is enough, the Swift hasn't really got a boot and I can't fit my son's pushchair in the boot (mainly down to the lack of split folding rear seats).

Just done some quotes, a group 10 (new group 1-50 system) Focus 1.6 TCDI is £1,800 to insure and a group 15 1.8 TDCI is £2,356. The entry level Fabia diesel is £2,000 and a vRS £2,476. I've always liked the S2000 and love the older Civic + Integra Type-R. According to Admiral they will insure me for £2,200 on a 2004/04 Civic Type-R (i.e. less than a 1.8 diesel Focus)! Your S2000 is quoted at £3,100...

I'm beginning to wonder if there is an answer to my question and if I should accept defeat + be priced off the road as whatever I drive I need £3-4k for a car and £2k for insurance which eats into the fuel savings of swapping the Swift.

[steveb8189]

fearofbeige said:

Just done some quotes, a group 10 (new group 1-50 system) Focus 1.6 TCDI is £1,800 to insure and a group 15 1.8 TDCI is £2,356. The entry level Fabia diesel is £2,000 and a vRS £2,476. I've always liked the S2000 and love the older Civic + Integra Type-R. According to Admiral they will insure me for £2,200 on a 2004/04 Civic Type-R (i.e. less than a 1.8 diesel Focus)! Your S2000 is quoted at £3,100...

I'm amazed how little difference there is between the insurance prices. When I was your age 6 years ago I found a 'standard' car was in the region of £1,200 and a 'performance' car could be up to £5,000. I can't believe the Civic is cheaper than the focus diesel!!

Which site do you use for your quotes? I'm assuming you've shopped around a bit?

[anonymous-user]

80 miles a day is tedious and dull whichever way you look at it, so I'd check for a Mondeo or Passat, something like that would be comfortable and pretty quiet, which will soon become very desirable, believe me

[Baryonyx]

Shame you're having to drop the Swift Sport, they are fantastic cars. I suppose you're quite right to be looking for a barge though if you're wanting something to pile the miles on, even if you'd not get insured on a nice luxo-barge.

[fearofbeige]

steveb8189 said:

I'm amazed how little difference there is between the insurance prices. When I was your age 6 years ago I found a 'standard' car was in the region of £1,200 and a 'performance' car could be up to £5,000. I can't believe the Civic is cheaper than the focus diesel!!

Which site do you use for your quotes? I'm assuming you've shopped around a bit?

My Swift is no slouch but it's at best a "warm" hatch - fun to drive and a hoot given a country road but it's not so fast that it encourages you to drive at 1,000,000MPH. Having a kid has got the fast driving out of my system, I'm not a slow driver granted but I do 80 miles a day and since driving from 17 I've clocked up 80,000 miles over two cars so have more experience than some my age. All in all I understand why premiums are high but it is frustrating now as I can't afford to insure a practical car that I can grow into (i.e. Mondeo size) yet alone what I'm driving now.

I've shopped around, tried playing around with the named drivers and annual mileage and it knocks at best a few hundred quid off. £1,800 is a ceiling for any of the cars discussed and as said the acid test of a group 1 Citroen C1 is still £1,100!!! In all seriousness the quotes I am getting now for sedate family sized hatchbacks are £2,000. I understand price for risk and all the rest but this seems bonkers - I'm trying to be sensible and am stuck between a rock and a hard place!

Symbolica said:

80 miles a day is tedious and dull whichever way you look at it, so I'd check for a Mondeo or Passat, something like that would be comfortable and pretty quiet, which will soon become very desirable, believe me

Passat 1.9 TDI looks likely - an R reg 90 BHP version is coming back at £2,454 to insure.

Baryonyx said:

Shame you're having to drop the Swift Sport, they are fantastic cars. I suppose you're quite right to be looking for a barge though if you're wanting something to pile the miles on, even if you'd not get insured on a nice luxo-barge.

Whenever I call a garage to discuss part-ex and talk about the Swift I'm sad - I love it to bits, it is a fantastic car like you said. In an ideal world I'd keep the Swift and buy a 150k+ mile diesel Audi/BMW etc for not a lot of pennies and insure it. All that's stopping me is the sky high insurance, I'd need £2,000 per car a year to do it

[Baryonyx]

I spent most of 2009 driving a Swift Sport, I'd live with it for long journeys just because it's so fantastic and refreshingly fun when you use it as a toy.

[snotrag]

Welcome! Firstly - can you clarify the reason to change from the Swift? I really like them, good alternative to all those flipping Mini's.

fearofbeige said:

- Something that is enjoyable to drive (not fast, just something with steering feel and the "brilliant drive" type reviews of the 3-series?)

fearofbeige said:

I've been looking at the Audi 80 and A4, Skoda Fabia and Octavias

Nooooooooo........ Seriously. I know I'm generalising and there are a few decent ones, but as a whole, the VAG, Audis, Golfs, Passats, all that lot, (certainly of the ages that will be in your budget) are really not fun to drive. They are loved by reps and Mums for their easy to drive diesel engines, perceived reliability and 'quality'. But they are not, on the whole drivers cars (ignoring the odd VRS, Cupra and so on).

A Mk3 Mondeo would be a good choice here, or a Focus - Focus have quite low insurance groups too but mind as the Zetec petrols are a bit thirsty.

What about... a JTD Alfa Romeo? Theres a few in budget I think. Not sure what the insurance would be on a basic 147/156.

[Larry Dickman]

You don't need a sensible commute. You're 20 not 50, have some fun before it's too late.

Edited by Larry Dickman on Monday 31st January 23:01

[Baryonyx]

snotrag said:

A Mk3 Mondeo would be a good choice here, or a Focus - Focus have quite low insurance groups too but mind as the Zetec petrols are a bit thirsty.

Yes, I did notice that my petrol Focus Zetec Ebony wasn't getting massive MPG, which probably has to do with the way they need to be driven due to the relative lack of torque. That said, it was a lovely place to sit and quite a comfortable motorway cruiser when it needed to be. The full leather interior and heated seats probably played a big part for me, but I did love that car. For cheap, reliable daily driver I don't think the Zetec petrol models are a bad choice, although they're far from the best for MPG.

[AMST09]

Do you live in a city?
Those are some high insurance prices, I'm 20 and admiral are much cheaper for me

[geeteeaye]

How much are you quoted on a 320d?

Madness that a CTR is in the same ballpark as a diesel Focus, I realise the majority of the premium is based on the damage you could potentially cause to third parties, but still seems odd they don't give you more credit for a sensible/dull diesel hatch compared to a hot-hatch designed to be driven rapidly.

[300bhp/ton]

fearofbeige said:

I'm moving to seeing my car as a tool rather than something I enjoy

Do you reckon this is the right website for you??

Why do you need a flippin huge Audi A4 sized car at 20??


MX-5, smart Roadster, Fiat Barchetta.


EDIT:

For cheaper insurance look at classic and kit cars - but you'll need to phone around some specialists, not just price comparison websites.

As a tip try an add a female older driver, e.g. a grandmother or aunt or something as a named driver. Being a member or a marque specific owners club might earn you some discount too.

And remember, classic cars are often cheaper to insure, even on normal policies.

Land Rover Defender is doable at this price range, maybe a Ginetta or an early GTM. And lots of classics such as Triumphs, Rovers and MG's.

Edited by 300bhp/ton on Monday 31st January 19:23

[Prof Prolapse]

I've been looking for insurance the last two weeks. An ancient ford mondeo 2.0 is the same as a CTR, a subaru forester (s-turbo), a 1.8 litre Corsa and BMW 330 CI Clubsport.

It also costs me more to park in my driveway than to leave it in the street.

All the same companies (Elephantatis, bellend, Abonimiable)

I've just had to turn down a fantastic Impreza turbo 2000 because the quote is about £300 more than last year and I'm too old to pay that!

[Blue Oval84]

Well if you weren't 20 and struggling with insurance I would say Volvo S60, the seats and standard sound system in these are absolutely top notch, however, I fear that your insurance budget won't sretch to either the 2.0T or the D5.

So, with that in mind, Mondeo, all the way. I'm not sure on the groups but if the TDCi isn't insurable then you should find that the 1.8 petrol is ok, even in LX base trim you get Cruise Control, A/C and the tremendously useful Quickclear windscreen. As it's an N/A petrol there are no dodgy injectors, MAFs, clogged inlets or DMFs to worry about (my TDCI munched it's DMF, Clutch AND injectors in 4 months, it put me of any diesel for a while)

It's a car that would be high up my list given your constraints. It's pretty economical both round the doors and on a run too.

I will admit that it's a while since I've driven one so the only thing I will say is I don't remember wanting to slit my wrists in the 1.8 but it's not a ball of fire either. If you see the car as a tool to hammer up and down a motorway then this shouldn't be too huge a problem.

The other advantage is that they are ridiculously cheap in entry level trim, and seeing as you will use it until it's next to worthless this would certainly lessen the depreciation!

[anonymous-user]

fearofbeige said:

Symbolica said:

80 miles a day is tedious and dull whichever way you look at it, so I'd check for a Mondeo or Passat, something like that would be comfortable and pretty quiet, which will soon become very desirable, believe me

Passat 1.9 TDI looks likely - an R reg 90 BHP version is coming back at £2,454 to insure.

Ouch. Perhaps try a bit older and a Pug 406 HDi?

[va1o]

Fabia VRS probably the best call, quick and economical

[YoungOne]

300bhp/ton said:

Do you reckon this is the right website for you??

Why do you need a flippin huge Audi A4 sized car at 20??


MX-5, smart Roadster, Fiat Barchetta.


EDIT:

For cheaper insurance look at classic and kit cars - but you'll need to phone around some specialists, not just price comparison websites.

As a tip try an add a female older driver, e.g. a grandmother or aunt or something as a named driver. Being a member or a marque specific owners club might earn you some discount too.

And remember, classic cars are often cheaper to insure, even on normal policies.

Land Rover Defender is doable at this price range, maybe a Ginetta or an early GTM. And lots of classics such as Triumphs, Rovers and MG's.

Edited by 300bhp/ton on Monday 31st January 19:23

Pushchair in an mx5?

[Ricky_M]

If you do go down the petrol Focus route, go for the 1.8L over a 2L, it uses a lot more fuel for not a great deal more performance.

I could average 36MPG in my old 1.8L and I managed 28MPG in the 2L I have now, it did have a sticky rear calliper at the time, but even with it fixed I'm still getting a lot less miles per tank than I used to in my old one.

ETA....Insurance is quite cheap on a Focus, my renewal in March is £560 Fully Comp for me, 22 years old, 5 yrs NCB with my girfriend as a named driver.

Edited by Ricky_M on Monday 31st January 19:51