First Car (for a 17 y.o.)

[XTR]

I'll agree with TomWilko!! Get a Ka... They are amazing fun. Basically a fiesta too.

I used to drive my mam's Ford Ka. You can pick up P plate's now for around £2k on autotrader.

If you can... get a Ka 3... as it has aircon and alloys, spoiler, cd player etc...

They have airbags too and some cars of this age don't!!!

[TomWilko]

I'll agree with TomWilko!! Get a Ka... They are amazing fun. Basically a fiesta too.

I used to drive my mam's Ford Ka. You can pick up P plate's now for around £2k on autotrader.

If you can... get a Ka 3... as it has aircon and alloys, spoiler, cd player etc...

They have airbags too and some cars of this age don't!!!

If you have the money the extra's are worth paying for on this car. I got a brand new KA, bottom of the range model, and however much i love this car to bits...having the extras would make it a completely perfect first car.

[oshta]

WOW - I Dont Belive it!!

- my mum sayed i might get My dads 306 "if we can afford a new one for him"

- i was like "urrm yeah that would be... ...BLOODY ACE!!!!!!!"

so finger cross (yes, i know its not going to happen)

[unrealrocks]

Cool M8,

I'm in sort of the same situation, my mums looking to change car and she has a 1.4 306. Anyone know what the insurance would be for that? or would it be worth selling and getting a different car?

[unrealrocks]

I was also wondering about cars that come with a couple of years free insurance ... anyone know them?

[Alex]

Some of the cars with one years insurance only give it to you if youre over 18/19/21 depending on the manufacturer. I could have had one years insurance on my nice new clio otherwise, but I was only 18 at the time, and they insisted on being 21 iirc, which was well annoying. Oh well, pass plus course gave me one years no claims bonus for free, and saved me £800 on my first year (was going to be £2400!!!).

It varies loads as well, they keep on having special offers on different cars, best just to have a look around www.ford.co.uk, www.renault.co.uk, www.peugeot.co.uk... you get the idea! www.astonmartin.co.uk...?

[Big RICHARD]

WOW - I Dont Belive it!!

- my mum sayed i might get My dads 306 "if we can afford a new one for him"

- i was like "urrm yeah that would be... ...BLOODY ACE!!!!!!!"

so finger cross (yes, i know its not going to happen)

Now you have to find somebody who will actually insure you. Most of the insurance companies will just say 'no'.

[Vimeous]

Back to the original suggestions thing....

I started with a Polo (CL 1.1 Xreg) and bought a second (GT 1.3 Jreg). My sis had a 1.0 and my parents had an early 1.3.

They're great little cars, cost peanuts now and facelift ones are best. My old GT was recently resold for £500 with 166k miles on the clock and still going strong. If you wanted one 1k should get a last of line facelift Lreg ('94) 1.3 with 65bhp and reasonable mileage. Forget the GT as it's Grp8 insurance for a 17yr old is way to high.

If you have more cash then a Ka is a superb buy, easy to insure and although the 1.3 is antiquated engine wise it should last the distance easily on the kind of budget you'll have and have plenty of fun poke to play with.

There are a few French motors (106, Saxo, Clio) with reasonable insurance with teenie engines but the Ka will be cheaper to run. Some bigger non-turbo diesels can be at low insurance premiums like the 306, ZX etc but they're not the best introduction to motoring joy.

Other cars?
Corsa - Surprisingly cheap, plentifull so can wait for a good one; Zak is Vauxhall God so ask him for the gritty details if you're interested.
Punto - Cheap as chips but an untidy one could be a disaster electrically. Good space and nippy even with the 1.2.
Polo - The newer shaped ones are now reasonable money. However they understeer badly (far worse than my old GT) and only the 1.4 and up have any guts. Big car and probably the safest of the lot but insurance could kill.
Nova - There have been some good modified ones. They are nippy. They also fold up in an accident, have no rear room, and I found the few (thankfully) I've driven a real pain for the taller amongst us. Zak might disagree here. The Corsa may be slower and more boring but it's a much better car.

Of course I hope you can get the 306 insured!

Good Luck

[lynni]

i started off with a lil nova, and it was great until about two weeks after my test on my way to college the brakes failed soooooooo honoured to be writing this never been so scared in my whole life. Buuuuuuuuuuut anyway that day luckily i was getting a new car, ford KA and ive love it... its the best thing ever only it doesnt have power steering

[Stubzz]

I cant believe no one has suggested the good old Rover 214!* Ok so they are but ugle and not the most desireable of cars. No desireable at all really . having said that it is a little nippy considering its size etc. Ho hum I can get rid of it in a year and get something decent


*Not a valid suggestion!

[Jamesrt2004]

I cant believe no one has suggested the good old Rover 214!* Ok so they are but ugle and not the most desireable of cars. No desireable at all really . having said that it is a little nippy considering its size etc. Ho hum I can get rid of it in a year and get something decent


*Not a valid suggestion!

First post=] (may have seen me at xtremesystems)

ermm I agree OR Rover 25, which is the same basically, can pick up a modified rover 25 to match the looks of mg zr <3 for about £1.4ish up to £2kish and their yumm
around 1.5k insurance

KA = Really cheap though stick to KA2 if you do cos' I've had that as cheapest=] about 1k insurance Fully with pass plus though

then I generally find Endsleigh and Quinn direct to insure the cheapest when looking at quotes

(17 in july =]) so just a heads up on things AND i'm pretty sure i was looking at a 2.0tdi 306 and quinn let me insure it for around 2.2k and the car was only £900!!!

grr want to be 17

[directhex]

holy thread resurrection! he's 21 now!

[schmunk]

Four. Years. Old.

:gah! emoticon:

[Jamesrt2004]

googles fault sorry