First Car

horn-girlie

horn-girlie

Member
Once you've passed your test it is a good idea to take the PassPlus scheme - basically you spend a day under instruction driving on the moterway. A lot of insurance companies will immediately reduce the cost by up to a third once you've completed PassPlus, and it gives you more confidence on the moterway.
 
Ruthless

Ruthless

Member
Fi, def go for a Micra, I had one as my first car it was FAB - literally as the three letters in the registration were FAB!!

I bought mine before I passed my test. It was a year after I finished Uni (I also had my foot in pot the summer I intended to learn to drive and didn't get round to it until much later) It certainly gave me the push I needed to learn and pass my test, knowing that she was sat on my parent drive in Birmingham whilst I was in Hull. Dad did bring her up to visit occasionally so I could take her out for a drive - we often went to the beach together.

I passed my test the summer after buying her at the Christmas.

I insured it in my own name and found it difficult to find anyone to insure it in my parents name as the car was in my name. I had previously been on my parents insurance when I was driving their cars. That was where the distinction was - whose car was it.

I never had any problems with her. She was a light blue J reg Micra and I know she is still going strong. The girl who bought it off me still lets me know that she is doing well.

Hope you make a decision that suits you. Just beware of the hold driving can have on you. Before I drove I never understood why I woud need to when there were trains, buses and boyfriends to drive me. I now would not survive without my car:D
 
Ffion Flugel

Ffion Flugel

Member
My first car was a Land Rover Defender swb, it was wonderful, and could fit most of U6L in the back. The insurance is cheap on them too, and people tend not to argue with you too much - although they do pull out in front of you in the mistaken belief that you'll be going slowly.
 
Magico

Magico

New Member
My first car was a 10 year old corsa and nothing every went wrong on it, it was a great car to start with. I sold it a year later to get a new corsa and I only lost £50 on what I bought it for. It just goes to show that there is nothing wrong with older cars. It was fairly cheap to insure considering I was a learer driver at the time, although to make it cheaper still, my mum insured it in her name and I was a named driver. Im insuring my car in my own name for the first time now, after three years and have found that it is cheaper in my own name this year than it was in my mums name last year for the same car! Putting it in my mums name for the first few years while I gained some driving experience worked for me because now I can afford to have my own insurance as it has gone down in price a lot.
 
dizzy winslade

dizzy winslade

Member
If you look online for a quote and then compare it with a quote over the phone giving the same details, the online is often cheaper. I got insurance from Eagle Star a few years ago online as it was about £100 cheaper than over the phone.

Try a Diahatsu Sirion. £40 tax a year, £6-7000 new, don't know about second hand. It's a spacious little car and fun to drive. Got 4star rating for crash test.
 
DaveR

DaveR

Active Member
I forgot to say what my first car was! It was a 1982 Austin Princess 1.7, absolutely enormous, and far bigger than most first cars. It had a 16 gallon (72 ltr) petrol tank and in those days I used to be able to fill it up for less than £30. The insurance wasn't too bad either because it was before the days of everyone claiming for damages and no-win, no-fee TV adverts! Happy days! :rolleyes:
 
Di

Di

Active Member
My first car was a Vauxhall Viva HC model and the insurance was dirt cheap. In those days (groan), insurance prices weren't as ridiculous as they are now. And it's not always the "new drivers" that cause the accidents is it? You'd think the newer drivers are more careful using their newfound skills than some of the more seasoned and "blase" drivers. Anyway, my first car, as a new driver, lasted me all of 12 days. It'd been lovingly restored as a project by the chap I'd bought it from, reconditioned engine, treated body work. 12 days I had it, then some geek ran into the back of me after I'd stopped and pushed me into the car in front. :mad: Insurance company paid up and gave me the wreck to do with as I pleased, so I made some profit on that. Anyway, the guy that hit me is STILL paying for it 24 years later. :biggrin:

Anyway, I'd recommend a little Hyundai Amica, if you can afford one. I have to say (touching wood here! ) I've done over 80,000 miles in mine and it's never given me a days trouble. It's only 1 litre so is cheaper to tax and is pretty cheap on the insurance too.
 
Liz Courts

Liz Courts

Active Member
Di said:
Anyway, I'd recommend a little Hyundai Amica, if you can afford one. I have to say (touching wood here! ) I've done over 80,000 miles in mine and it's never given me a days trouble. It's only 1 litre so is cheaper to tax and is pretty cheap on the insurance too.
Click to expand...

Woohoo! I've been waiting for someone to say that, seeing that's the car I've just bought...can't wait until Tuesday to pick it up! :biggrin:

Anyway, as for insurance, Churchhill gave me the best quote at the time - although other people have said that they're more expensive...I think it changes a lot! Go to confused.com! And it's probably best to go on mother's insurance at first, and get your own as soon as you can afford it...I'm planning on getting my own when it's next up for renewal - it's a LOT cheaper now than when I first started learning
 
Di

Di

Active Member
Liz Courts said:
Woohoo! I've been waiting for someone to say that, seeing that's the car I've just bought...can't wait until Tuesday to pick it up! :biggrin:

Anyway, as for insurance, Churchhill gave me the best quote at the time - although other people have said that they're more expensive...I think it changes a lot! Go to confused.com! And it's probably best to go on mother's insurance at first, and get your own as soon as you can afford it...I'm planning on getting my own when it's next up for renewal - it's a LOT cheaper now than when I first started learning
Click to expand...

Good for you. It's a great little car and you'll love it. :biggrin:

Have you tried Direct Line for insurance?
 
Ste69

Ste69

Member
As far as cars go - something small (perhaps similar to what your instructor has.) I teach in a Corsa and all my pupils love it - Nice looking, sporty and goes a long way on a tank of fuel.

Click here for the car--->
car2.jpg


Insurance-wise - Yes - get the passplus as long as you are with one of the approved insurers that accept it. Direct line do AND they will allow you to collect no claims bonus as a named driver (so when you go it alone in a few years, you've built some up)

PM me if you want any advice - If you're looking for an instructor I may know someone in your area.

Good luck.
 
julestools

julestools

Active Member
My first car was a Dutton Pheaton which I built in 1985. It was just like the flyer (<) I have now (which I built in 1996) but was a curious orange colour. I used to be able to change the engine in a couple of hours but I dont tend to blow them up so often now. The only problem was transporting my bass to jobs so a works van allways came in handy.
The cost of insurance for young drivers is shocking these days but for an old man with a clean licence (like me) it's not so bad

Jules
 
Anno Draconis

Anno Draconis

Well-Known Member
My better 'alf has had an R-reg ("noddy" shape") Micra for a while now and it's been great. Definitely get one if you can, easy to service, cheap parts, cheap-ish insurance. Generally for a young/new driver I'd thoroughly recommend Nissan/Toyota/Honda up to 10 years old because everybody services them, parts are widely available and cheap, and they are better built than virtually any other small car. Don't buy a Renault, Peugeot, Fiat or Citroen unless you're boyfriend's an auto-electrician, and don't buy a Perodua or a Kia at all, even though they will be stupidly cheap - they're awful. Recent Daewoos are OK but don't buy an old (pre-GM takeover) one, and Hyundai/Daihatsu are OK; more recent Hyundais come with a 5 year warranty which shows you how confident they are about build quality.

Regarding insurance, all you can really do is shop around, although the Pass-Plus will help. Definitely don't tell fibs, even little white ones - it's just not worth the risk of invalidating your cover IMHO. If you've got access to a garage at night, use it, it'll save you a bit, and if you're only going to do a few 1000 miles a year make sure your insurer knows as that will help. There was talk recently of a scheme where insurers reduce premiums for drivers who have a self-imposed curfew - in other words you agree not to drive at night - but I don't know the details I'm afraid.

My first car was an X-reg (1982?) Vauxhall Chevette which I bought off a mate in 1996 for £50; a complete shed, but it got me round for a year until I scrapped it. I got £25 for it as scrap! The biggest running cost was insurance - third party only cost me £350 :eek: 10 years ago.
 
S

sheilawinter

Member
My first car was a Mini Metro i had it for 4yrs i went every where in it
It was cream with red interior
it was a great car to drive easy to park but very economical for its day
 
tenor_horn_18

tenor_horn_18

New Member
I have an N reg corsa which is fantastic. It wasn't as expensive to insure as i thought it would be either. As for repairs my car has only had one owner from new and has full service with it. The only thing ive had to do with my car is buy a new indicator light, which was 60p. :) i love my car.
 
Brian Kelly

Brian Kelly

Active Member
ian perks said:
My First Car was a Mini 850 it was a real rip snorter of a car
Click to expand...


Me too!

I've also had a pair of Citroen AXs (one after the other), and, despite the reputation that Citroen cars seem to have, I can honestly say that they were the most reliable cars I have ever had, and they never let me down once (unlike the Ford Escort, a terrible car which replaced my last Citroen and which was totally unreliable and always let me down).

I can recommend the Ford Ka, which is cheap to run and insure, reliable, and, like the original (real) Mini, is great fun to drive.

I currently drive a Ford Fiesta, just that bit bigger than a Ka, but still cheap to run, and big enough to get my trombone in the boot.
 
Liz Courts

Liz Courts

Active Member
Picked up my new car yesterday, and I love it!! :biggrin: Everyone buy a Hyundai Amica!! It came with a 5 year warranty, 3 years RAC cover, and I managed to get metallic paint for no extra cost, AND knocked a few £ off the asking price - bargaining works!!

I don't know much about Kia, but the Picanto is very similar to the Amica - Hyundai own Kia, but Kia decided to conquer Europe before moving to the UK - that's why they're less well known!

I would also like to say that Citroens ARE good cars (in my experience)...I'm in the process of getting rid of my saxo at the moment, and it's been a great first car (although it doesn't like being parked outside in the cold much!).

I learnt on a Corsa, and loved it! But I know a lot of people who own Corsas, and have had problems - nothing serious, but more problems than I had with my saxo!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top