MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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STR jnr turns 17 in August and has every intention of passing her test as soon as possible.
So, looking at Peugeot 107, Citroen C1, maybe Fiat 500 (might be a bit spendy). Any good or bad reports and anything else we should be looking at for around £1500-2000? She doesn't seem to fancy a mini for some reason.
I've no experience of any of the horrible little things
Suzuki swift? We bought the youth one when he passed his test, he's very happy with it. 1.2 petrol, 3 door tinted windows, spolier, black alloys, looks the part for a young man but insurance was around £730 with no black box. That was a new car though.
At that price I would be looking for anything small that looked in good condition with a decent service history. Check insurance costs on whatever you buy first.
I don't have a lot of experience of little cars either, but our Fiesta mk6 is a fantastic car.
Nice to drive, comfy and very reliable. Should get a nice one for your budget.
At that price I would be looking for anything small that looked in good condition with a decent service history. Check insurance costs on whatever you buy first.
Smallest engine and car is not always cheapest to insure. Also, owner and history over a specific model.
Bit over the budget skoda citigo, rebadged vw up very low insurance (£380 for 18yr old learner) good Ncap etc if you shop about they sometimes come with city emergency braking (rare option as most buyers wanted alloys....)
Yaris
Yaris
Pirates car of choice.
Apparently vw polos are cheap to insure.. or so we were told when we sold our old one to the dad of a 17 year old. Nice and solid for a small car too
Unless you want the insurance to cost more than the car you're looking at entry-level (but not old) Fiestas and Corsas. From the insurance POV it has to be safe, undesirable, and cheap to repair
The alternative is to buy something unusual that isn't on the insurance good/bad risk radar
Anything mainstream/desirable is going to cost many £k to insure e.g. miss rocket 18 £2000 for a 62-plate Fiat 500
Don't get a Fiat 500 for that price range, you'll find them to be spendy each time the MOT comes round. My GF had one from new and whilst she loved it (must admit I did too, was like a go-kart compared to my Golf), it cost a lot to keep running. The last 3 MOTs cost upwards of £500 each time to get through, one coming up to £1200. It was coming up to its MOT last summer and was ready for another big bill and she decided to get rid, this was an 09 plate with 40k on it.
Not main dealer either, trusted friend of family mechanic, he even tried to dissuade her from buying it when she got it!
Bought my daughter a 107 6 years ago and apart from the clutch going a couple of years ago, its still going well.
Look at what the youth in your area are driving. Don't pick the most popular make/model as these will have a loading due to more young people having accidents in them. Something in grandad beige with steel wheels should help to keep the insurance cost down.
Don't fall into the trap of buying based solely on what's cheap to insure as a learner. Look at the cost to insure when she's passed and buy based on that.
C1 fitted the bill for our daughter. For some reason they were considerably cheaper to insure for models after mid-2012, which coincided with the zero tax rating.
I believe they also increased the diameter of the clutch plate around about the same time.
(edit - correction - clutch plate was 2009-onwards)
The last 3 MOTs cost upwards of £500 each time to get through, one coming up to £1200. It was coming up to its MOT last summer and was ready for another big bill and she decided to get rid, this was an 09 plate with 40k on it.
😯
I'd be nervous about putting my daughter (if I had one) in a tiny little car like that.
Maybe it's unreasonable, but I like the idea of a bit more steel between my offspring and the lunatics out on the road.
Whichever one you don't mind walking away from when she writes it off - she WILL write it off at some point.
[quote=oldnpastit ]I'd be nervous about putting my daughter (if I had one) in a tiny little car like that.
Maybe it's unreasonable, but I like the idea of a bit more steel between my offspring and the lunatics out on the road.
Wow!
[quote=hammyuk ]Whichever one you don't mind walking away from when she writes it off - she WILL write it off at some point.
And wow again!
So in summary. Buy her an...erm...tank?
Buy her an...erm...tank?
I bet an early one could almost be on classic insurance now..
[img] 
[/img]
insurance is about putting people into pigeon holes isn't it, so old people are more of a insurance risk with a garage than without, and some older cars are more expensive than new ones to insure.
I would honestly take her to available car and get her to sit as many as possible and see what she reckons, if she feels she can't see out properly or if it doesn't feel right... tbh its going to be a small engine something or other.
Does she actually need a car?
Sctoroutes - member
Wow!
Not sure why you think it's wrong to want my children to stay alive?
Or are you saying that tiny cars are just as safe as larger ones?
Citroen ax
Fiat panda original
Fiesta 1.1 popular.
I can confirm that they will all traverse a field with beer stacked up in the back and that's what counts at 17.
Won't she buy herself a car as and when she needs and can afford it? I'm sure that's how it worked (mumble) years ago when I started.
FWIW my Focus C-max is/was cheap to insure with no NCB when I first got it 7 years ago and has just failed it's MOT for the first* time at 100,000 miles for worn suspension bushings, not bad for an 11 year old car! It'd now be well within budget.
And you can fit a camping matress in the back, important if you have a "not under my roof" rule 😆
*excluding minor crap like a dim number plate bulb, which was replaced with an advisory "number plate bulb still dim after replacement"
And wow again!
Statistical likelihood. Something daft like 40% have a crash within 6months of passing!
"[i]Don't get a Fiat 500 for that price range...[/i]"
+1
A colleague had one, constant problems. It got written off one night, while parked, when a drunk-drive hit it.
Colleague was not upset.
Or are you saying that tiny cars are just as safe as larger ones?
Well they are. More steel doesn't make it safer.
A seasonal bus ticket and/or a bicycle, with rest of money in Help To Buy ISA (unless there are now non-risky Lifetime ISA accounts). 😉
Tiny new car FAR better than big old car!
(we got my daughter a Panda - its been great and cost next to nothing to run for last 3 years)
[quote=thisisnotaspoon ]Statistical likelihood. Something daft like 40% have a crash within 6months of passing!
Which isn't quite what hammyuk was claiming. It was probably a little longer than that before my first crash, but not a lot. The first crash I had which resulted in an insurance claim wasn't until I was over 30 though.
I bet an early one could almost be on classic insurance now..
Friend's dad bought her one of these when she passed:
[img] .jpg)
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it was ace.
Got my lad a VW Fox. He seems happy...
<blatant plug>
I've got an 11-plate Fiat Panda Dynamic with 55k on the clock I'll be putting up for sale at the start of August. £30 VED. It's got alloys so it'll be cool enough for your daughter 8) . Would be just at the top of your price range...
</blatant plug>
These are medium size cars.
Get the petrol version with automatic gear.
Honda Civic
Toyota Auris
Suzuki Swift
Mazda 3
Hyundai i30
🙂
Why automatic?
matt_outandabout - Member
Buy her an...erm...tank?
I bet an early one could almost be on classic insurance now..
Unless my family car history is all wrong thats not a tank, engine points the wrong and it weights about half of a 242 estate.
aracer - Member
Why automatic?
More relaxing drive. 🙂
One less thing to consider or to be distracted by if that is important.
However, if you feel driving a manual gear car gives you more engagement with driving then so be it.
She is best learning in a manual.
Been wondering about this with my nephew. He comes to live with use this winter for his A levels.
Thinking a Suzuki Jimny, nice and narrow for country lanes, high so he can see over hedges and he can drive it round our fields.
Also should scare the crap out him if he tries to drive it too fast 😀
Daughter is getting her brothers old clio . I was really impressed the way his first clio held its shape after being put through a hedge. That said after I seen the mess of the roof the second clio was bought because it didn't have a sunroof .Roof caved in on passenger side so if someones head wasthrown back then thrown forward I reckon it could have taken the top of their head off like a boiled egg.
andyl - Member
Thinking a Suzuki Jimny, ...
Or a Toyota RAV4 if you can fine one within your budget.
😛
But a Jimny has a 1.3 engine so should be slower and better on fuel. Also nice and narrow so easy to park.
So, looking at Peugeot 107, Citroen C1, maybe Fiat 500 (might be a bit spendy). Any good or bad reports and anything else we should be looking at for around £1500-2000? She doesn't seem to fancy a mini for some reason.[b]I've no experience of any of the horrible little things[/b]
Good thing you're asking people who have, then, with a somewhat patronising attitude like that!
I've got experience driving the 107, C1 and Aygo, all three of the VAG cars; the Up!, Citigo and Mii, Smart fourtwo, Fiat 500, Mini One, and there may be others I've forgotten.
The VAG cars are excellent fun, pretty spacious, very quick, (I overtook a Disco 4 on the M5 at 110mph in a Citigo), the fourtwo is like a tardis, extraordinary amount of space, and excellent visibility, also remarkably quick, but susceptible to strong crosswinds on motorways, although all small cars are to an extent.
The C1/107/Aygo are all identical inside, semi-auto with paddles in manual mode, rather noisy due to the little engine, the Toyota, unsurprisingly, is the best finished, and acceleration isn't all that, but that may be an advantage for a new driver, the VAG cars could get a new, inexperienced driver into trouble, because they can accelerate pretty quickly and are much faster than one might expect.
The Smart doesn't accelerate that quickly, but they can get up to higher speeds than you'd think, I've had 95 out of one uphill on the M4...
I know a young lass whose just passed her test, she learned on a C1, and her folks have just bought her one, and she's overjoyed with it, being used to the car, and it's cheap enough to afford for her as we'll.
Hers has only done 1400 miles per year, and is only about four years old.
I used to dismiss auto boxes, but I've revised my opinion over the year I've been doing car logistics, there are certain cars where the clutch is so heavy in slow traffic I've been almost reduced to tears with the pain in my left knee, auto boxes have been a godsend, they've improved dramatically.
The Mini One is a fun car, the 500 is beautifully set out inside, but isn't really an ideal car for a beginner, as others have pointed out.
On balance, while I couldn't live with the C1/107/Aygo, I can't really think of a better little car for a new driver.
andyl - MemberBut a Jimny has a 1.3 engine so should be slower and better on fuel. Also nice and narrow so easy to park.
That one on your link looks like a bit used ... 😆 Try Autotrader instead.
Yes, Jimny is slower and better on fuel but may struggle a little on motorway. However, if you drive at a relaxing pace then it should be fine. 🙂
edit: for max £2,500 budget if you search Autotrader you will find so many nice RAV4.
I wouldn't recommend an auto as a first car. She'll be screwed when she comes to replace it and hasn't had any post-test practice with gears in years.
MK7 Fiestas are reliable, and much more substantial than C1's and the like.
Mine shared a Yaris. One of them still has it 12 years on. OP those small cars you suggested are good choices I think as is the Swift suggestion. With a bit of searching you can find a nice Mk1 Yaris for £2k, nice cars and ok image for your daughter.
Tiny cars are generally not as safe as larger ones, crumle zones, quality of construction, safety features.
@chew I am a Rav4 fan had one for years might buy another older one as a bike car, when we tried to add kids the insurance was nuts, 2L petrol I assume even thoigh the car was slow as ...
In my opinion the answer to this question is always Hyundai i10. A few in our family - never had any issues with them, easy to drive, cheap to insure. Friend recently chopped in a VW UP! for one and thought it a big improvement. My daughter turns 17 this year. Will be scouring the classifieds for one myself.
jambalaya - Member
@chew I am a Rav4 fan had one for years might buy another older one as a bike car, when we tried to add kids the insurance was nuts, 2L petrol I assume even thoigh the car was slow as ...
I am going to get RAV4 as my next car but at the moment my Corolla is driving nicely so not in a hurry. However, if money is not that tight for me I would have got this one to mess around with ...
[url= http://www.manoroakcars.co.uk/used-cars/toyota-rav4-2-0-xt-r-5dr-atherstone-201705245781529?at_source=autotrader&at_medium=desktop&at_campaign=website-visit ]Like this one (not my site nor promotion) as I like the colour. [/url]Actually I prefer white colour but most car colours in the UK are dark in colour (we call that coffin dark in the far east).
I am more in into reliability workhorse type of car rather than speed. Therefore, anything that does not require much to maintain is good enough for me, and Toyota fits this bill so far ... 😛
[quote=Cougar ]I wouldn't recommend an auto as a first car. She'll be screwed when she comes to replace it and hasn't had any post-test practice with gears in years.
Agreed - was wondering if I was missing something and chewy would justify the suggestion, given he appears to have slipped out of the incoherent unable to form an English sentence persona for this thread.
aracer - Member
Cougar » I wouldn't recommend an auto as a first car. She'll be screwed when she comes to replace it and hasn't had any post-test practice with gears in years.
Agreed - was wondering if I was missing something and chewy would justify the suggestion, given he appears to have slipped out of the incoherent unable to form an English sentence persona for this thread.
The short answer:
Buy another automatic gear car after passing driving test (with driving license now) and forever. If not just stick to manual. Simple. 😆
The long answer:
I did not reply because I see no issue with switching between automatic and manual gear system vice versa. It's a non-issue as far as I am concerned.
What do you mean post-test practice? If you have passed the test then you can drive so driving an automatic does not diminish that. (assuming you learn with manual gear which everyone does) In future if you wish to stick to automatic then buy another automatic gear car. If you wish to drive a manual gear one then just buy a manual gear car. By that time you would have enough experience on the road switching back to manual is not that difficult. 🙄
If you feel like you prefer a manual gear car after that then switch to manual gear car. I am sure what you have learned will not be forgotten in an instant. Also with more experience in driving, switching back to manual is really not that difficult.
The benefits of automatic gear are:
1. Driving an automatic is more relaxing.
2. Automatic gear system is reliable nowadays.
3. Less thing to mess with,like I said, unless you want to feel like you are doing something.
4. As long as you keep up with maintenance that should fine.
The downside:
1. Less involvement. i.e. you just drive.
2. Fuel consumption can be slightly more.
3. You need to change gear oil when you reach certain mileage for maintenance. (most people don't hence they got trouble with auto gear)
4. More expensive to buy.
In the words of Jeremy Clarkson "How hard can that be?" 😛
I overtook a Disco 4 on the M5 at 110mph in a Citigo
Swoon.
STR, my sister is selling a Kia Rio for about that. It's immaculate, and as a bonus for a new driver it's got parking sensors.
It is completely and utterly undesirable, which may make it cheaper to insure.
It is definitely worth looking at how much everything is to insure after she has passed, with my wife it skyrocketed once she actually had a licence.
There are schemes where you pay for a new car and insurance for a new driver together. I can't remember the name of the companies that offer them but the total monthly cost may well be less than an older car and insurance.
I'd offer you my 924 but sadly no classic insurers will do under 25s now.
CountZero - MemberThe VAG cars are excellent fun, pretty spacious, very quick, (I overtook a Disco 4 on the M5 at 110mph in a Citigo)
The speedo may have read 110, but the official max speed of a Citigo is <110.
another vote for a Clio. great little cars for not a lot of cash.
Series 3 landrover!
What about the 1st shape smart car ? As she won't be able to fit loads of mates in and therefore less chance for silly driving ( possibly boys only problem)
Won't she buy herself a car as and when she needs and can afford it? I'm sure that's how it worked (mumble) years ago when I started.
She's doing her A Levels and has a part time job in my mates hotel - not a chance she'll be able to afford her own car for a while and whilst she doesn't need one, well it worked like that in my day too - all a bit different now
[b]A seasonal bus ticket and/or a bicycle[/b], with rest of money in Help To Buy ISA
You don't have a teenage daughter, do you?
😉
More relaxing drive.One less thing to consider or to be distracted by if that is important.
However, if you feel driving a manual gear car gives you more engagement with driving then so be it.
I only have auto's now - love them! They are rubbish in under-powered cars though, from my limited experience.
Also, she needs to learn to drive properly.
Good thing you're asking people who have, then, with a somewhat patronising attitude like that!
Oh, give over - thanks for the rest of your reply though
😉
What about the 1st shape smart car ?
Erm, just no - she wouldn't want one, I wouldn't particularly want her to have one and, erm, no.
As for the other replies - thanks all.
She won't be having a Volvo, or an easily rollable RAV4/Jimny/Suzuki/whatever.
Looking like Aygo, Yaris, 107, C1 is probs the way to go and hopefully I can put her off a Fiat 500 - well, I will...
i had an automatic 998cc mini 1984, was amazing, so under powered, but it beat lots of stuff off the line. was a great car.
Ref the poster earlier who said that the Toyota is better finished with reference to the Aygo/C1/107, how can it be? They are all made on the same production line in the Czech republic.
What do you mean post-test practice?
You spend a few days / months learning something, then don't touch it for several years, that's going to be a challenge when you go back.
The benefits of automatic gear are:
...
The downside:
The benefit is that it's easier to drive (modern auto boxes are great). The downside is that in the UK automatics - especially cheap new-driver-friendly runabout autos rather than ex-repmobile barges - are thin on the ground.
Once you have driven auto you (most people) will stick to auto than going back to manual.Cougar - Moderator
You spend a few days / months learning something, then don't touch it for several years, that's going to be a challenge when you go back.
I think that is changing ...The downside is that in the UK automatics - especially cheap new-driver-friendly runabout autos rather than ex-repmobile barges - are thin on the ground.
Same mentality in the far east in the past, i.e. not many around etc, but now practically every car is automatic gear regardless of size.
Why does she need a car while she's learning? I believe instructors have their own cars. Not tempted to line her up some job interviews instead? I bought and insured my own car at 18, insurance was £800.
Spoiled kids
Don't know whereabouts in the country you are, OP, but here in N Yorks I've just put our Jazz up for sale. It's served us well from brand new, will give you a fair slice of change out of a grand and will cost a lot less to keep on the road than anything french!
[url= https://www.gumtree.com/p/honda/honda-jazz-14-idsi-fam-owned-since-new-12-months-mot-new-tyres-and-exhaust-no-smoke-or-pets/1249067447 ]Honda Jazz[/url]
Only you know your daughter; if she's a fusssy bugger than she's not gonna want to be seen in a Nissan Micra. But that's the sort of car I'd suggest; small and reliable. Afterall, you're probably gonna be the one paying to fix it if/when it breaks.
Two grand, fair one; if you've got that much to spend then go for it. I bought a £400 Fiesta mk3 for my first car (14 years ago). It was perfect, no power steering though! My dad was a car mechanic so he used to sort the bare minimum to get it through it's MOT every year, it never broke down though and I didn't spend much on it. It was insured in my dads name with me as a named driver, so was about £500 per year. This is seen as dodgy/illegal these days though, so look at insurance costs. If you max out your budget on the car then you'll probably be looking at somewhere near three and a half grand with insurance/tax/mot etc.
I'd deffo get her a car now though. I used to practice driving before I was old enough to drive, in a supermarket car park after it'd closed, just practising clutch control, reversing into parking spaces etc. Helped alot when I came to start lessons; meant I didn't have to spend loads doing them. Passed first time with two minors. I know people that took 6/7/8 attempts to pass; dread to think how much they spent altogether.
Our eldest got herself a Fiat 500 as a first car at 19. Was about hte cheapest to insure by a fair amount. Had a few problems with the car since but, it has basically been sound.
The youngest got a Fiesta mk6 £150 banger, made it her own with seat covers and mats then passsed her test and went straight into it. Insurance was £2000 as a just passed 17 yr old and the car cost £250 to get it through 2 MOTs.
Just sold it for £150.
All in all very cheap motoring if the expected high insurance is taken out of the equation.
edit. Missed the main point.
I think that the youngest having a noisy, no gadgets, slow (ish) car as her first one has made her more aware of her surroundings and speed etc.
For me, new ish cars cossett their owners a little too much and instil too much confidence.
Safety is of course a big concern but something like a mk6 fiesta isn't that bad as long as it has good tyres , brakes etc.
Now the youngest has just bought herself a lovely little 6 month old Fabia. Great car with loads of toys and a pleasure to drive. First thing she did was say how she had to check her speed every so often as it was so easy to drive.
I wonder if she would have that knowledge if she'd have gone straight into such a car.
Once you have driven auto you (most people) will stick to auto than going back to manual.
Hire cars, her partner's car, friends' cars; it's far easier if she's happy driving a manual. Get a few years experience driving a manual, then get an auto next time if she really wants one.
Why does she need a car while she's learning? I believe instructors have their own cars. Not tempted to line her up some job interviews instead? I bought and insured my own car at 18, insurance was £800.Spoiled kids
Of course she doesn't 'need' a car, but we all have lots of things we don't need.
She's got another year of A Levels left and as yet is undecided on Uni/getting a full time job/gap year. If she can find her direction, then possibly we'll help set her up with her own business - got a couple of little ideas bubbling.
Bravo - I bought and insured my first car at 17 (a death trap of a mini), but I was working, albeit as a very low paid electrical apprentice.
Only you know your daughter; if she's a fusssy bugger than she's not gonna want to be seen in a Nissan Micra
Unfortunately/fortunately? She's way trendier than I was at that age and some cars just aren't going to cut it. I even suggested a nice Corsa, but apparently they are associated with 18yr old chavs hanging round 14yr old girls in McDonalds car park, so that's out
A family I know went down the Volvo route and it worked well. Big safe car cheap to insure.
I am biased though as I have two Volvos.
Bought a S/H Aygo (penultimate model) earlier in the year for my 17 y.o. and it's been fine, The only "issue" so far has been when she picked me and Mrs Lex up from a party, and had to deny a lift to another couple, as it only seats 4.
Choice determined by budget, spec. and attitude of garage salesman. Balance of the 5 year manufacturer's warranty helped. Had there been more money to spend, an UP/citigo would have been the purchase.