The car needs to be reasonably new as it is likely to be a long term first car for my family for the next 8 or so years. Second of all, the £6k is a budget for the car only.
Rather than buying a new car now, why not buy a 3yo car now, run it for four years, then do the same again? You'll get a nicer car for less overall cost
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He IS buying a used car!!
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He IS buying a used car!!
oh for an edit button! Meant to say "rather than buying a newish car". £6k buys a nearly-new Punto or similar, but £3K gets you a nearly 3yo one, which should still retain some value in 4 years time.
And along the way, you don't have so much capital tied up in a car which is going to get a hard time if it's used as a first car for succesive family members (which I think is what jdelmo is saying his plan is).
If I read that wrong, and he means that it's going to be the family's main car for 8 years, then I think that mare is right: buy a cheap car, gain the experience, then trade up after a year or so.
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Got a Fiesta FLAME 5 door in Aquarius Blue (replaced my KA with it). Based on a Zetec, but with different bits of different "packs" dependant on what "facelift" of the flame you are looking at.
A good competant car, but nothing special. Its not "fun" like the KA, but not as "grown up" as somthing like a Fabia. However if i was spending 6k, then i would probably go for the fiesta over most of the other competition, just due to the fact that it drives better than the competition, and thats what has always mattered to me.
Horses for courses as they say.
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Hi, thanks for telling me about your Fiesta. Do you ever find it slighly slow off the mark? Some rivals better its 12.3 sec 0-60.
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At the end of the day mate, you're going to be looking at near 2 grand to insure it so I wouldn't be worrying about 0-60 times.
Regulars will groan but when I turned 18 I got an N reg Fiesta Ghia 1.25. The cheapest quote I could find anywhere was with Tesco and it was 2 grand for just Third Party cover only.
I got a Focus the year after and even then at age 19 with a year's no claims it was fifteen hundred quid. Now I'm in my third year at age 20 and it's a grand to insure.
I really think you need to factor in insurance cost. It will be a nasty surprise.
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I really agree with you Adam. Which is why i suggested the Ka. At 19, it cost me a grand to insure that.
I am now 23 and in my 6th year at uni a my insurance is still 400 quid with 4 years protected no claims and thats after doing the IAM. (which I would definatly recommend, not only for insurance purposes, but also because it is good to get good driving habits hammered in early)
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I got a Focus the year after and even then at age 19 with a year's no claims it was fifteen hundred quid. Now I'm in my third year at age 20 and it's a grand to insure.
Just to make you sick for a moment mate, my Focus costs £70 per month to insure with Elephant. :-)
Jdelmo - The 5 door may be more desireable (slightly) on the used market, but that is only amongst families and old people. The 3 door always seemed by far the most popular choice for young people.
My third Fiesta was a 1.4 3 door Zetec MK6, I absoloutely loved it, was a fantastic, well made little car that stood me in good stead until I had to sell it, I was truly gutted when I had to watch her driving off into the distance. :-(
I can definately recommend one, but I'd personally go for a 3 door, they're far better looking I think...
Blue
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Hi, thanks for telling me about your Fiesta. Do you ever find it slighly slow off the mark? Some rivals better its 12.3 sec 0-60.
the 0-60 dash is pretty irrelevant everyday. Try and think of a scenario when you may need to get to 60mph in the shortest possible time from a standstill. Oh and try and achieve the figures the manufacturers claim without revving the bits off the engine!
Think 0-30, and in gear acceleration from 40-60 for a more relevant guide to a car's performance.
Sorry, must try not to be so dull....
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On the rare ocasions I have driven small engined cars I have found that below about 1.6 litre there is little noticeable powere differance. I heard somewere that third party is often now more expensive than comp.
paul
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The 1.4 Duratec Engine isn't the greatest off the mark, in fact the Ka felt faster off the mark but i don't know how much of that is due to the sound proofing in the Fiesta compared to the Ka. It definatly doesn't feel a slug, but its no rocket ship.
The Engine is geared for motorway driving, and not only cruises happily at 70 mph at 3000 rpm, it also has a decent amount of oomph at that speed for quick overtaking, which, again, i personally think is more useful than that 1 second off the 0-60. Twisty country roads is where this car feels a lot better than rivals, and personally its where i derive my driving pleasure from, not from straight line sprints.
With 17000 miles my engine is now nicely run in and gives me 40 mpg on a motorway run, and 37 average, once again, nothing spectacular, but not hugely bad considering the weight of the car.
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Hit the nail on the haed with sound proofing making the likes of the Ka seem nippyer
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While we're talking about insurance for 17 year olds...
My son will start learning in a couple of years, so I'm looking at what car to get for him to learn in as an additional driver. Test drove a 1.25 Fiesta today, (seemed OK, but gear change not v smooth. Like the funky coloured dash). Anyway I wonder whether there will be a big difference in the additional premium I'll have to pay for a group 2-3 car versus 6-7 (ie the 1.6 diesel Zetec S which HJ rates highly). I would add that I will be using the car as the main driver; he'll have to grovel or do helpful tasks around the house to secure the keys....
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I don't think anybody else has mentioned it, so what about Seat Ibiza?
Helped my daughter buy a new Black, 3 door, 1.2S 18mths ago and we're pretty pleased with it. I paid the extra for side airbags, met paint, and sliding seats (how bizzare on a 3 door they dont slide as standard?) and paid £7500. I know there's a special offer on the 1.2SX now for not much more. Even if you can't stretch to that then it has presumeably made the used ones cheaper.
It's basically a VW Polo, but better equipped for the money and (to daughter's eyes) a better looking body.
I like the car (for my daughter) because it seems safe - it feels pretty solid, has a highish window line (therefore more side protection) and it has good NCAP figures. Your also getting a car that's got ABS too, which you probably won't get on most 3 yr old small cars.
If the 1.2 is too slow, then there is a 1.4 too, although I expect the insurance takes a leap.
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