Hey!!
Wondering if anyone can give me a bit of advice...............
Learning to drive, hopefully passing test in a few weeks. I want to buy my own car in the new year. Any ideas or insight into the best car around for me at the moment??? Or know of any "free insurance" deals with cars for 20year olds???
Thanks,
Kelly
|
Hello Kelly
No doubt there'll be lots of advice forthcoming. Let me just say welcome to The Back Room, and good luck with your test!
|
|
|
Kelly, looks like you are after a new one. That's cheating. Your first car should be an unreliable heap whose adventures, breakdowns and romantic encounters will keep you in amusing dinner party anecdotes for years. Think again!!
Best of luck
Mike
|
I agree with Mike!
My nearest and dearest (only a few years older than yourself) has had her license for a few years but has barely ever driven since she passed her test. She was looking to buy a new Yaris but after making a small modification to a hitherto undisturbed evergreen tree in the front garden whilst moving my car round the driveway she decided she wouldn't want the upset of having scraped a brand new car (though apparently it is okay on my old one, so she tells me) so we're now looking out for an old banger for her for 12 months or so.
You'll have so much fun in an older car and be able to concentrate much more on getting to know the roads etc - Things such as practising reverse parking etc stop being so much fun when you've just put a scrape down the side of your 1000 quid to replace bumpers.
I reckon get an old'un for 12-24 months, enjoy it, and then blow your money!
If that doesn't sound like sense, Citroen have some marvellous deals on Saxos at the moment:
www.citroen.co.uk/level3/caroffers.asp?pagetype=sa...s
No free insurance but if you got something like this with a 1.1 engine then you'll get very cheap (comparably so) car insurance anyway and as a bonus, cheaper car tax!
Best of luck...
Dan
|
You's have said exactly what my dad has said!!
Although the thing is...........I work, have no kids and still live with my parents. Thought that I would start spending my money on something worth while for a change!!! So the new car idea is most probably the way I'll be going!!
Thanks
Kelly
|
Kelly,
I'd think twice about buying a new car - driving it out of the showroom will do horrible things to its value, the depreciation is worst in the first 2/3 years you have the car.
So I'd recommend looking for a clean 3yr old car, which although it may not have that new smell, or a fancy numberplate, you could save literally thousands of pounds.
Not that I'd know which car to buy, or where to find it, but there's a lot of folk around here who will!
Good luck,
Lee.
|
|
|
> Although the thing is...........I work, have no kids and
> still live with my parents.
:~) I have only just moved in with my other half and it has to be said, if I was still living with my parents I would have been straight down to the car showrooms!
You are a car dealer's dream, you have no old and naff part-ex that they won't want to give you decent money for, you're looking to buy a brand new car and they'll be itching to sell you a good deal so you'll be back there again - The car world is your oyster. You'll usually find car dealers are often in a similar area such as on an industrial estate so get yourself out and start looking to see what tickles your fancy and look at as many different makes as possible - If you spot something you like the look of, you have an excellent minefield of info if you go to the 'Car-by-Car breakdown' on this site and look it up to see what is good/bad about the car. Get a copy of What Car who has a listing in the back of every single new car you can buy and a "target" price you should expect from a dealer - Once you've decided on what you want, go to several dealers of the same manufacturer and haggle with them - never be conned into paying their initial asking price!
Don't stuff yourself by getting finance from the garage either as you'll be paying well over the odds. If you're not going to be buying the car outright with cash and want a loan then go somewhere like www.tesco.com and you'll be reducing your monthly payments by a significant amount. PCP where you never actually own the car and are restricted on mileage could be right for you but whilst the payments might be a bit lower you'll never get anything back such as ownership etc but might be worth a look...
Hope that is of some help - I'd still be very careful about buying a brand new car but I guess if you've decided and you're itching to spend the money then nothing anyone says will stop you!
Best of luck
|
|
Just one more thing - I couldn't agree more with Lee/Stu/Vin re the horrific amount you'll lose on a new car. Another suggestion would be to decide on what you want and then go to a "nearly new" car supermarket (look on the Honest John's FAQs) but for an example www.fow.co.uk [Fords of Winsford] and compare the prices of new cars you've been looking at with what they have which is 12 months old - you might be very surprised! These places often give bad trade in for your current car but you don't have one...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kelly,
Don't do it! Listen to the voices of experience above and also your Dad. As a Dad myself it would be the first time I had been listened to. Buy a decent, interesting, but past its prime car, it will still break your heart when you get the first bump, but the pain will hopefully recede more quickly.
If the money is still burning a hole in your sporran spend the difference on a sponking holiday to remember for ever.
Good luck with your test,
Stuart
|
|
|
No, no, no, no, no, please don't.
"Thought that I would start spending my money on something worth
while.."
New cars are anything but worth while. Get a copy of What car and look at the "percentage of new value after 3 years" column, divide it by 36 (months in 3 years) and look how much money your car will cost you per week in depreciation.
When you come round from the shock, buy a 12 month old one and go on holiday on the spare cash.
Then again, if you're like everyone I've ever given that advice to, you'll just buy a new one anyway.
V..
|
boo-hoo!!!
The thought of my lovely new car, gleaming outside the window is now not looking so good!!! There hasn't been one good comment as to why I SHOULD buy a new car!! And who am I to argue?? I've never bought any car never mind a new one before, and from where I'm sitting, those comments are voices of experience!!
Cheers everyone, I'm gonna think about it more now!!
Kelly
|
|
Kelly, you only live once and you can't take it with you, so if new is what makes you happy, then buy new. Insurance companys repair new cars just as readily as second hand ones should the worst come to the worst. My experience of former pupils is that those who buy new tend to be more careful and are less prone to dinging them anyway. (Though don't blame me if you're the exception)
|
|
|
|
I can only agree with all of the above.
As a young driver (me 21) you are more than likely to scrape/dent/crash than when you are a more 'mature' driver. It is much better to damage an older car that you didn't just spend half a years salary on! Not to mention the chronic depreciation on new cars...
|
Hey Phil!!
Did you buy a second hand car?? What about all this "free insurance" offers?? Do they not make up for the price difference??
k
|
|
|
If you are going to buy brand new get a MINI. If you are going to pay loads for insurance you might as well enjoy the car. My girlfriend loves hers - she feels 'sorry' for her mates with their Saxos and Clios...... As a young lady with no kids it should suit you.
If you buy something dull and commonplace it's not surprising it will drop in value rapidly. Try something old like a nice MG Miget / B or Spitfire - glamourous and cheap to run! If you have spare cash and want to enjoy your car rather than just trundle to work and the shops they might be worth a look.
Piers
|
|
|
|
What a sensible lady you are Sue and so right. My eldest daughter passed her test a couple of years ago. She decided that she would prefer to build up her own no claims discount and pay cash for an affordable car. She bought a Citroen AX (with the help of Yours truly) for £400, paid £650 3rd party insurance and drove carefully for the first year to avoid any bumps. She changed the car about 8 months ago for a VW Polo (a grand), sold the AX to me for £250 (I was robbed) and is now looking for a 2/3 year old Pug 306. After 2 years claim free driving, her insurance premium for the Pug will be the same price for fully comp as she started paying 3rd party for the AX and she has not borrowed a penny. Sound planning often pays off in the long term.
|
|
|
|
Well, Kelly, for a bit of really old-fashioned advice via one who could be on his last wee car, from his father, try not to spend more than a third of a year's salary.
Very Scotch!
Good luck, and enjoy.
Tomo
|
|
|
Kelly
As a 22 year old, here is my advice, for what it is worth.
Firstly, from the sounds of it, you do not "need" a new car so, for goodness sake, do not buy a car on a finance deal where you will end up paying x times the actual cost of the car.
Secondly, are you interested in cars? New cars are far more difficult to work on than older cars and you may also be scared to practice on your new car, for fear of causing damage. As a result, for the rest of your motoring days, you may end up booking your car into the Main Dealer every time it needs a bulb replacing and paying handsomely for the pleasure. On the other hand, learning how to do replace the air filter, oil filter and spark plugs will, in the long run, prove very useful and you may actually enjoy the experience and resulting satisfaction. You will, of course, make mistakes, but this is all part of the learning curve. (My latest was when the container, into which I was draining the engine oil, split, leaking four litres of oil onto the garage floor... But I learnt that cat litter is very good at soaking up oil and that coca-cola removes the stain)
If you choose an older car, you can also be more selective about your choice, instead of opting for a small car with a small engine.
As Cilla would say... The decision is yours
Good luck. If you have any more queries, feel free to post them or e-mail me directly.
Yours
Andy
By the way, it is widely reported that now is the most difficult time of year to sell cars. So, if you are in a position to buy now, before you pass your test, you may receive a better deal than in the New Year. However, there are others better qualified than me to give advice on this subject. Good luck with your Driving Test.
|
I guess all the useful points have been made here but I have found the best piece of logic is to imagine what you could spend on a new car and then imagine how much better a used car this money would get you.
If you are at all worried about reliability and such like then stick with main dealer offerings with main dealer waranties which these days are as good as the ones you find on a new car.
|
|
|
|
Just remember it is not a case of if (you hit something), just a case of when. Thats not a reflection on you and your ability, just plain statistics.
There is also no substitute for substantial metal around you.
My advice is find yourself a car wise boyfriend and then buy old. (An alternative is a father who can teach you to do the maintenance).
An old Polo or Golf circa mid 80s for a few hundred quid with a long MoT (so you can always sell it on) will have much more metal left than any Mini, fiesta or nova!
I have been told that Landrovers can attract low insurance premiums and stand up well to carpark damage.
Think how many old cars you throw away for the price of the first year depreciation.
I would not advocate the purchase in the £2000+ bracket as large bills will be difficult to swallow, and it is not an easy decision to throw it away!
The best of luck, let us know what you decide to buy.
PS. This is not theory, just a distillation of experience of fatherhood. In fact I have now gone back myself to practising what I preach! SWMBO does not always sympathise with the approach, but it does allow me to run a selection of vehicles (some classic and a convertible) and generally one of them will start!.
|
|
|
None of us know what Kelly's financial position is. Maybe she actually has enough to get a new one outright, ie. no credit. Certainly don't borrow money to buy new. But, if she has the funds for a new one, plus the insurance, then it is a real treat to drive a new car and it is less likely to break down or leave her stranded somewhere she'd sooner not be (dark lane or outside lane of M25).
Kelly, if you are going to buy new, first check the insurance premium to make sure you can afford that as well. Then ask how safe it is. The Saxo/Peugeot 106 for example is not as safe as the Toyota Yaris or Skoda Fabia. Check NCAP tests in Which? or motoing mag's. Then apply for the further insruction/test now available for younger newer drivers, I can't recall what it's called, but someone here will know (ask in seperate posting), but as well as making you more confident and competent, it will reduce your insurance premiums too.
Lastly, in return for the advice given here, you must promise not to wear baseball cap or drive with foglights on when it's not foggy or play garage/house music too loud whilst chatting on mobile.
PS. Don't buy a black one (always dirty and shows up the scratches from supermarket trolley')
Good luck with test.
|
|
|
Kelly, You probably need advice from a female's perspecitve, not us cynical blokes. There are a few in the forum, so stay optimistic and wait for their views. Still reckon on an old banger though, you will appreciate a new one so much more after the 'joys' of bangernomics.
Mike
|
mike harvey wrote:
>
> Kelly, You probably need advice from a female's perspecitve,
> not us cynical blokes. There are a few in the forum, so stay
> optimistic and wait for their views. Still reckon on an old
> banger though, you will appreciate a new one so much more
> after the 'joys' of bangernomics.
Here goes!
I was young once, but have never been able to even consider a new car. I got to drive a few new company cars when my husband was working in computing, and each was nicer than the last, and always infinitely preferable to whatever 'banger' was mine.
So, if you buy new now you may spoil yourself and always feel dissatisfied when the lean times come!
Economically your dad is right. And it does make sense on the emotional side as well. My first car was a yellow Renault 6, bought from my cousin, and it was a sad day when a friend wrote it off. However, both she and I would have felt much much worse if the car had been worth a lot of money, or was still being paid for.
And you will have a much wider choice if you go second hand, even quite new secondhand, in terms of what you can afford. Plus the niggling faults should have been sorted, no need to worry about running the engine in etc.
Also, if you find you hate it, it will be easier to change it than if you buy brand new because of the horrendous depreciation already mentioned.
The final decision has to be yours. Hopefully your main consideration is not to impress potential boyfriends. That widens the choice even more! But try not to buy something which will traumatise them: one female friend had a small Fiat - Panda? 126? (long time ago) - which was forever going wrong. One of our mechanically minded male friends still jibbers at her memory.
Think about what you want to do with the car - will it fit with your lifestyle? park in small spaces? take all your and your friends' luggage? zoom up hills (that Fiat didn't!)?
But whatever you do, choose a nice colour! That's all some of us will ever notice!! ;-)
|
|
|
|
My first car was a banger and it always let me down and caused more trouble than it was worth, my advice would be to buy a 2-3 year old car with a good warranty (one year should do), as you will of avoided most of the depreciation.
DO NOT buy brand new, that is madness! Also, budget for around a grand for your first insurance policy, even on a very low insurance group car, unless you go through your parents insurance as a named driver (however in the long run it is better to insure in your own name asap to gain NCB in future).
Hope this helps...
|
|
|
Yeah it all depends on how much money she has. If I had tens of thousands sitting in the bank I *might* buy new but in my 20s and as a student I don't expect to in the near future.
Kelly - I would guess you won't get much change from £1000 for your first years insurance, whatever you buy. I would say if you have a few grand to spend then get a nice 3 year old reliable motor. Seat Ibiza would be worth a look - a Polo for much less money, and you can get them with small engines, making insurance a bit more reasonable.
|
|
|
|
I've just remembered - The scheme for new drivers is PASS PLUS. Type it into search engine on your computer (or someone else's) and you'll get some info.
|
|
|
You could do worse than a Nissan Micra. I selected my mum a used one a couple of years ago. This was a '97, 1000cc 'shape', as they were titled. -
A quick, objective, resume' from numerous drives of this vehicle.
PLUS SIDE:
- economical: plentiful supplyof low mileage good examples about- at sensible money (when bought at 18 months old).
- Don't be fooled by small engine- plenty of up and go- (twin cam set up)
- once inside car- better feeling of space and light than exterior suggests
- very manouevrable, in and out of traffic like a dervish. U turns easy.
- most professional appraisals will confirm (as I can) excellent reliability
MINUS SIDE :
- Not the best of rides. tendency to fight you to where the camber and bumps send you - not a motorway car.. you get the feeling you could use a sixth gear, as fifth with toe down produces raucous high revs, resounding thro' whole car. Need to take it steady on the wet / greasy roads as it is quite a performer in lower gears. Must have regular oil changing (chain driven cams) which complain if forgotten about partic 'on cold start '. 'Shape' very base, with few extras.
MY HUMBLE VERDICT - WORTH A LOOK - BUT NOT A STREET CREDDER. LOOKER
|
|
|
Hi Kelly
Yes the sensible thing is to go with something older (not quite a banger maybe - who wants to learn car maintenance anyway? not me) but I can understand your reluctance to do that, so...
My vote goes to 'nearly new' so you can still be a bit flash, buy from a dealer with a good warranty, find some money for an AA-type membership, and if you need finance NEVER get it from the dealer. The car will have lost the value it had 'brand new' so you won't lose quite so much money. If it's true statistically that you're likely to have an accident, all you really need to worry about is being safe. Personally I would be upset by damage to my car whether it was old or new (it's a girl thing).
Don't be swayed by free insurance deals, because the year will go pretty quickly and you'll have to find the money soon enough.
Or you can do what I did and win a car in a competition. But don't fail your test a week later like I did...
Rebecca
PS Silver is nice.
|
|
Nice one Rebecca - what car did you win?
|
|
|
SNIP
Silver cars are NOT nice!
Try matching the paintwork after a ding! (i used to have a four-coloured silver car!
Also, there have been sufficient threads about silver cars being difficult to see in rain/fog/at dusk etc.
All four of my dings were "I didn't see you" dings....
|
|
|
|
Amongst the car buying public, there is a very big and sensible trend to buy a nearly new car instead of a new one. There are many excellent reasons to do this and many good reasons why buying a new car would be not be as financially sound an idea.
Problem is, all these nearly-new cars have to come from somewhere. Sure, there are the ex-rentals, but I bet the bulk of these motors are from lease/company fleets which end up in the nearly new supermarkets. What is going to happen as successive governments frown further and further upon company cars? Already about two thirds of the people I know who've had a company car scheme now have either been forced to or personally elect to buy their own car instead - Where are all these nearly new motors going to be coming from? Will it mean a good outlook for used prices in years to come?
|
|
|
Yes - I too am worried about the lack of new cars on our roads!
Seriously, I think there are more new cars around than ever before - it has been made more affordable now by cheap Saxos and the like.
|
|
|
Kelly, I can see the attraction of the "free" insurance when you are first starting out, but there really is no such thing as a free lunch. One of the major problems with the manufacturers "free" policies is that once your year is up and you have to pay for your own insurance, you won't have any no claims bonus to use. The policies that come with Saxo's etc don't allow you to build up your own no claims.
The advice here is pretty sound, buy something old yet cool for your first car and you can park it where you want without fear and when you get your first ding, it won't hurt nearly as much as it does in the side of a 6 month old motor.
Use some of the money you save on your own "proper" insurance, some on a holiday and then the rest on drugs.
Colin
(OK I was only kidding about the holiday)
|
|
cheers colin!! I'm sure that you have given me some sound advice there!!! Already listened to your advice and have booked for Tenerife next summer (should be fun!!), now I have to get to work on spending money on the other stuff!!
|
|
|
|
