Hi all,

I'm 20 years old, virtually finished university, and was looking specifically for a used Seat Ibiza 1.2 SX (2004-2006) as my first car, having passed my test 3 years ago, without driving since. I found that to purchase this Ibiza (or equivalent base 1.2 model) I would be looking to pay at least £2,000 - £2,500 for one in good+ condition, with below 70,000 mileage. Generally, I would be looking at paying around £2,500 (They aren't cheap and I suppose these cars in this economic climate are popular). Add on top of this purchase price my cheapest insurance quote (Around £850 fully comp) and tax, and you have already spent around £3,500 before you can begin to use the throttle, yet alone the possibility of oncoming MOTs , maintenance etc.

Now, I have been offered my grandparents 'X' reg Volvo S40 XS 1.6 for FREE, with 70k on the clock, 2 careful owners and in overall very good condition, (the kind you might expect from a Volvo driver). The cheapest insurance quote to my surprise was Admiral -- a very competitive £1,100 -- not a million miles away from the 1.2 Seat for such a big and and powerful car (at least for a first car), with other quotes not far behind. Having already been offered help with paying insurance costs too, this seems almost like free motoring, with the need to just add fuel and pay maintenance costs. I understand that this isn't the car you'd normally associate a 20 year old with driving but Are there any problems/questions I need to address/ask when I take ownership of this vehicle? Of course, with my grandparents buying a newer Volvo, they've said if I don't like it (or can't handle it) I could get rid of it after a few months but is giving it a chance a sensible option?