Ive got high hopes and high expectations for my first car, so dont point that out!
Ive got around £1350 max to spend. Im looking for a car that fits these criteria:
Petrol
reasonably quick <12seconds 0-62
dont care about top speed as i wont be needing it ^^
nice looking
Ive got long legs so somthing roomy
insurance group <8
mpg minimum (urban driving) about 30+
reasonable repair costs + tax
anything else i think is just a bonus. Can someone recommend any types of cars etc?
Thanks in advance, Ash.
ps - ive spotted so far, honda civic 1997 1.4 - Fiat bravo 1.6 1999 - citroen saxo vtr 1999.
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Sounds like the Nissan Almera should be on your list, provided you like the looks. Cheap and reliable -- just avoid the early (2000-2001) 1.5s.
Don't discount the Mark II Hyundai Accent either -- again looks could be a problem but this is a subjective thing. They are roomy, reliable and cheap. 0-60 on the 1.3 is around 12.2 seconds -- just outside your specification -- but it delivers a very creditable 47mpg.
Others are the standard choices such as Astra, Corsa, Fiesta.
Wouldn't discount the Citroen Xsara 1.4 either.
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The Xsara is an awesome car - you should be able to get the 1.9TD for that money and it won't put a foot wrong. I miss mine all the time since I got a Honda.
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Assuming you are under 25, I presume you also have at least £2,500 for the insurance?
This was the quote three years ago for son wanting to drive a 1.4 Proton Sprint, in a rural area.
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Can we assume the £1350 does not have to also cover insurance and that will be paid for separately. Because £1350 probably is not enough for the insurance.
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Toyota Starlet.
Dog.
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Fiat Uno, with the 999 FIRE engine - group 1 insurance.
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My stepson got a FIAT Panda Sisley 4x4 as his first car with the FIRE engine. At 18 yrs old he got TPFT for £1700 I think.
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Yes, my 18 y/o cousin is getting quotes of around the £2k mark on a £400 1.1 litre Fiesta he has his eye on. Just passed his test, clean record, lowish risk area etc.
Not that I condone it for one second, and not that he would do so, but they wonder why people drive uninsured....
Cheers
DP
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...but if you get caught it's 6-8 points and a means tested fine of upto £5000. And the IN10 code on the license makes getting insurance even more difficult.
Because of the risk they are obviously trying to price people off the road - they could just refuse insurance I guess.
I saw some fairly young guys in a Bentley Continental GT in Keswick a few weeks back. Out of curiosity I checked the private plate on the insurance database and it did not show....
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I don't think that insurance database is entirely definitive to be fair. All our work vehicles have personalised plates (why, I don't know) and not one of them show up on the database despite all being fully insured. And one of them is a 40 grand S Class.
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Hello
New person here. But I would second an Almera. My first (and current) car is an 2000 Almera Sport. 1.8 means it's quick enough (but not so quick that it guzzles gas), it's got plenty of toys including a cd autochanger, plus it's 4 star NCAP and that was important to me when deciding. It's comfortble too, takes all my surf gear and I can drive for hours without getting sore. Best of all, it's been absolutely bullet proof, just topped 85,000 with no problems at all, I've been delighted with it (had it since 50,000). They may not have the image but that means there are quite a few lower mileage ones about that have been well looked after. If you get a Sport one, you get the alloys and spoiler that neaten the look a bit too.
Sam
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Just to add re: insurance. I was over 25 when I bought it (I'd lived in London for a while - no need for a car), so insurance for a 1.8 wan't too bad - for a 1.8, it was actually good. If you are younger than that I'm not sure how it would affect it.
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