Just wondering if anyone out there is offering free servicing as an alternative to free insurance? (or if you could negotiate for it?) this might be a better bet for young drivers, as personally I found that the free insurance had too many terms and conditions applied - they only really want to give it out for people who'd get quoted £300 - £400 I think.
In the case of a new car, which you'd want to have main dealer serviced this might be a much better option financially.
I'd also recommend getting a good selection of insurance quotes for the shortlisted models before you decide to buy. I'm still shopping around for our daughter and have found quotes varying by up to £900 pa! Very broadly speaking it seems to be engine size which makes the most difference, plus any non standard modifications (such as adding alloy wheels ...I know, I know, I did try and persuade Mr H not to go for them, but he wasn't budging)
We went for Toyota, but then again (so I'm told ;) not such a good image for a fella)- our criteria was safety and reliability. You really need to go out and test drive for yourself when you have a sensible size list of choices, there's no other way to find the best vehicle for you.
Good luck, and please let us know what you decide.
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What happened to students driving bangers???
Times soon change (only 6 years since I was one of them).
1k to buy car (that's a good un!), 1k to insure (OK my first ome was only £500 to insure), leaving 8k to spend on things more important to student life like beer and pies. And you don't have to sell your soul to he main dealer when it needs an oil change.
Oh well, I'm still driving 'bangers' 'cos I can't bear to part with all that hard earned - maybe I just don't fit in.....
RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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Good question, RW. The world is full of decent cars for a grand - you just need to know how to detect the best ones. And in some uni towns it makes sense to drive a low-profile car.
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Anyone wanting to find a comprehensive list of cars in each insurance group should go to www.parkers.co.uk (hope its ok to advertise that site here moderators), under owning click insurance guide and then you can pick by car or by group, they include the trim levels in each group too, so, as above, if you by a car with alloys as standard it shouldn't affect the cost of the premium. I found this a great help when buying my first car as for example an N reg 1.1 Fiesta is group 4 whereas a Pug 306 1.9l Turbo Diesel is only group 5 and a measly 1.4 Astra is group 7!
It DOES pay to check this out before you buy!
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I am swaying towards either the Ibiza or the Corsa - with the Jazz niggling at the back of my mind.........
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Sorry to complicate things but have you considered a Skoda Fabia? It's the same platform as the Polo and Ibiza and some reviewers regard it as a better car than the Polo. The current offer is for interest free credit. They've recently reintroduced the Silverline: a basic model with a few nice extras, such as alloy wheels and a CD player, thrown in. ABS is standard, but there's no air conditioning.
I'd have liked air conditioning in mine but find that the car's ventilation is pretty good once you start moving. I've yet to brave a daytime trip during the current heatwave however!
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Citroen were doing free insrance for first year with the Saxo.
Alternitively, get yourself a banger for virtually nothing and run this for the first 2 to 3 years, accumlate some NCD, then go for a newer car without having to mortgage it to pay for the insurance.
****Signature? - Ideas on a postcard please anyone!****
****We never stop learning****
Hugo
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Glasgow Mag, if you're swaying between the Ibiza and the Corsa I'd plump for the Ibiza. As far as I'm aware, the Ibiza has less likelihood of breakdowns/reliability problems, and it'll hold its value better - especially considering that the current Ibiza is a new design, whereas the current Corsa has been around for three years, is therefore due for replacement sooner and will therefore be an outdated model sooner. But if you're still thinking of the possibility of a slightly bigger car, the base Seat Leon 1.4 comes with aircon as standard and can be had for around £9k - don't know if free insurance is available or not though. The 1.9 TDi S might be an option too, as the fuel economy will be better. These ones won't be quick, but are solidly built and handle well.
Having said all that, I think Hugo has the best idea - get something for much less money for the time being, considering that you're much more likely to damage it at this early stage in your driving career. Pay for your own insurance and still save a packet left over to spend on beer and rent. You won't be hit by huge depreciation either. Not being condescending about your lack of driving experience, by the way, just realistic (I had my shunt about a year after passing the test).
andymc
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Appreciate the advice Andy - what you say does make sense. But the reasons I want a new or nearly new vehicle are (1) They are generally safer to drive, and (2) Unless you are very lucky, and find a reliable older car, then the chances are that you will get your fingers burnt when the costs of repairs mount up. I've seen this happen to friends on numerous occasions and something tells me I should stay well clear of this.
Also, I have a weekend job which gives me enough to lead a happy student life with beer, etc and my folks pay my rent for me. Plus I really do need the car pretty soon because I will be having to make 20 mile plus journies on a daily basis.
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.. and (andymc) perhaps learn a thing or two about how to keep your cheap car running, and sleep better by worrying less who might be trying to pinch/break into it. I thought all today's students are running up debts without buying new cars?
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Yes (Andrew-T) but what about th costs of repairs for a seemingly cheaper car, and the lack of safety features?
Also I am not overly worried about the debt I will incur since in 2 years time I expect to be on the salary of a junior doctor, i.e. £35K per annum. Therefore I will have little trouble clearing it quickly.
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An 8k car bought now might be worth 4k max in 3 years and something like the yaris wouldn't cost that much in repairs over that time, unless you were very unlucky.
Have you considered leasing? - www.best4cars.co.uk seem to have some good leasing prices. You can get full maintenance options too so you wouldn't have to even thing about any servicing or maintenance costs. There is also - www.lexfreechoice.co.uk but they seem to be more expensive but they are a more well known name.
teabelly
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I have a 95N Citroen Xantia TD. Cost £1450 last November with 72k miles on it. Now on 87k, since then it's needed only a new wheel bearing (£80), part exhaust (£80) and radiator (fitted by me for £115 parts, about £160 if fitted by someone else). Also needs new front pads and discs - another £150 if someone else does it. It's still 'worth' about £1200. I don't care if it gets dinged in the carpark, no one is likely to key it out of envy (they would be struggling to pick themselves up off the pavement for laughing probably!), I don't need to spend half my life washing and waxing it (wash when you can't get in without getting dirty, and even then just a rub over with a cold hosepipe!). It has an air-bag, but no ABS, and would be outperformed in modern crash tests as cars are designed to pass these (which may or may not make them 'safer') - don't forget that most of the safety comes from the attitude and aptitude of the person behind the wheel.
All in all it's cost about £2700 so far to run it for 9 months, less than the depreciation alone on a new car!
I realise that it is a personal choice, and some people are happy to pay the premium for 'peace of mind' (but check out the threads for "My new car's gone wrong again..."!), but you can motor reliably on a budget - you just need to select carefully in the first place.
Oh well, people have got to keep buying new cars so I can pick thme up cheap in a few years time!
RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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When is the best time to look for a nearly new/ex-demonstrator? Is it now, since lots of folk are holding off until 1st September for the new registration plates, or some time around October when these people will have made their purchases?
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Mag - older cars aren't dirt-cheap because they cost a lot to keep running. It's because there are loads of newer ones available which are more desirable in the status race, and lots of people have money to burn. Provided you avoid buying a real lemon (and it's not difficult) you can save several grand without losing all your street cred.
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