Another First Car Thread

[bobr]

My cousin is learning to drive in July and isn't the most well off of people. He really needs to get a car as his work are getting sick of him using his tractor, and he can't use i-kube due to the need to leave early to milk on the farm.

Sadly spending time doing this for him as he is utterly feckless. He likes driving anything he can get his hands on, but is a bit hard of thinking.

Suggestions welcome (but please no classics/Landies/volvos etc) because I wouldn't want to see a perfectly good classic ruined, and apparently anything other than a small hatch back is "gay" (yet he is looking at Kas?!).

[skene]

No choice of a Clio? Being biased here but the mark 2 phase 2 are quite cool looking cars and come with a 1.2 in either 8v or 16v or a 1.5 dCi with 65 hp.

[bobr]

IMO opinion they are cracking little cars but costs about £500 more to insure than the cars in the poll (as well as costing more to buy)

[skene]

bobr said:

IMO opinion they are cracking little cars but costs about £500 more to insure than the cars in the poll (as well as costing more to buy)

Corsas can be expensive and so can the 1.25/1.3 Fiesta, but no bother mate nothings cheap these days!

[bobr]

It is absolutely horrific! I'm glad I'm not starting now

[skene]

£3k for my 1.5dCi Clio. It's mental!

[carmadgaz]

106 but make it a diesel. Almost idiot proof (I say almost, took some abuse before this idiot killed his )

[EDLT]

You say he's a bit thick, if he bought a diesel would he be tempted to borrow some of the red stuff out of a tractor?

[Deranged Granny]

I have a Ford Fiesta 1.3 Mk4 as a first car and love it!

[bobr]

EDLT said:

You say he's a bit thick, if he bought a diesel would he be tempted to borrow some of the red stuff out of a tractor?

Yep.

[carmadgaz]

bobr said:

EDLT said:

You say he's a bit thick, if he bought a diesel would he be tempted to borrow some of the red stuff out of a tractor?

Yep.

I take that back then. Just my 1.1 106 was quite thirsty but the diesel would do nearly 50mpg even when thrashed.

[bobr]

I think a diesel is the way to go but I just have this thought that he would try and chance some red diesel and get caught

[jsg612]

Noted above comments but I'd be looking at a Clio 1.5 dCi too, very good engines. The Corsa 1.3 CDTi is supposed to be a strong engine too, what the Fiat 500 1.3 Multijet is based on I believe?

[Morningside]

Find the worlds most boring uninspired mode of transport on earth (ie the cheapest insurance) swallow your pride, use it for a couple of years and then buy something interesting.

So what one has the cheapest insurance?

[bobr]

Morningside said:

Find the worlds most boring uninspired mode of transport on earth (ie the cheapest insurance) swallow your pride, use it for a couple of years and then buy something interesting.

So what one has the cheapest insurance?

The idea is tht these can all be bought and insured for under £3k (approx.). The total costs (insurance and purchase) are ranked, so Seicento the cheapest, Corsa the most expensive.

[heebeegeetee]

My advice is don't buy an elderly Italian or French car, they're capable of giving the owner hell, possibly.

Having said that, old Pug 106's can be incredibly rust free underneath.

I voted for the Micra, because again they can be remarkably rust free underneath, but are also strong and well built. It's just a shame that they're all st-driven.

My alternative would be the yaris, but maybe the best is the Fiesta. It's just that some were st while later ones are great, but i just can't remember right now where the Mk4 fits in.

[petrolsniffer]

heebeegeetee said:

My advice is don't buy an elderly Italian or French car, they're capable of giving the owner hell, possibly.

Having said that, old Pug 106's can be incredibly rust free underneath.

My 205 was £160 I wouldn't call my time owning it hell.

I voted 106 but i'd give 1.1 205's a look too they're cheaper to buy and probally cheaper to insure due to less younger people owning them now

[Morningside]

bobr said:

Morningside said:

Find the worlds most boring uninspired mode of transport on earth (ie the cheapest insurance) swallow your pride, use it for a couple of years and then buy something interesting.

So what one has the cheapest insurance?

The idea is tht these can all be bought and insured for under £3k (approx.). The total costs (insurance and purchase) are ranked, so Seicento the cheapest, Corsa the most expensive.

Mmm. I would slighty go back on my thoughts here. A friend of ours had a Seicento and had nothing but trouble with it. Suspension, steering, brakes and a broken drivers seat (!). Oddly after it died, she purchased another and it failed on emissions and needed a new head.
What really pissed her off is the local car scrapyard who offers £150 for any car driven through the gate did not offer anything 'cos (In their words) 'not enough steel in it' and normally dont take them!
So she then went onto a Micra it that had zero problems.
Then went to a Punto - Rust problems, starting faults. Dreadful MOT fail. So she went out last week and got another Will she ever learn?

So I voted Micra.

[Dale H]

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2264458.htm

[vryes]

I bought a brand new Ka back in 2000 and ran it for 3 years/40,000 miles, it was basic, but still remains the sweetest handling fwd car i've owned!! Mine averaged about 40mpg and it didn't really matter if something broke because the parts are very cheap.

If you go to look at any though, just make sure the power steering is'nt leaking fluid (its about the only thing that is'nt buttons to fix)