My 18 yr old wants to learn to drive. Great idea, but I want him to buy his own car. I'll help with the insurance but I really don't want him in mine. If its his own money he'll be more careful (I hope).
So, we are looking for diesel, economy, low insurance, and bangernomics to keep the cost down. So whats the best thing to go for ?
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Micra - small, cheap to insure, usually reliable.
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You need to check insurance groups for small diesels - the smallest are probably the Peugeot/Citroen 1400 as in the 106, but they are a group 5, so will be more expensive than a group 1 by a distance. Unless he's using it hard, fuel costs don't really come into it, as he should be getting 45 mpg from a group 1 petrol.
Think Micra (can't see a lad in one though), Punto (head gasket issues though), 106 etc.
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At 17 back in'82, I purchased a 1.0, 3 door Austin Allegro, absolutely no street cred at all, generally driven by older people.
Advantages, cheap to run, insure, cost £700 to buy, let me in those potentially "stupid" years from trying anything majorly stupid, because speeding just wasn't feasible, and I'm glad to admit I never got stopped for anything, not even when I did the odd D/D( apologies but I think most people, if honest have done so, even if 20+ years ago).
So go for a cheap petrol car, less than 1.3cc, with no street cred , and wish them well with years of safe driving .
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Try a VW Polo. Not the cheapest to insure but not expensive if you go for the 1.0.
They are much tougher than most small cars and would stand up to abuse that a teenager can throw at it. I had one as a first car and I thrashed it to hell and back, yet it never broke once.
There are plenty to choose from and as an added bonus, they have a gender neutral image.
Just dont buy a dog.
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'A't 17 back in'82, I purchased a 1.0, 3 door Austin Allegro, absolutely no street cred at all, generally driven by older people. Advantages, cheap to run, insure, cost £700 to buy,'
Gawd, people on here spend a fortune on cars. ;-) My Marina in 1983 cost £100, with cheap servicing from my friend, the ex-owner; and sold it after 10 months for £70. Had to replace the alternator brushes (pence plus a pint for my friend's help.)
Frankly with a first car it's just nice to be mobile and in my case not freeze to death on the back of a M/B. If they want to buy their own let them choose. Otherwise teach them the economic facts of life with what's cheap. Let them pay for the image - the sooner they realise the potential cost the better.
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Bought a 1996N 1.4 Megane for my son to learn in and subsequently drive. Perfectly adequate. I think it's group 4 but there wasn't a lot of difference between the various groups at the lower end. Main reason was it's 4 star NCAP rating. Does about 38mpg, and has been reliable.
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We got my sister a 1996 Vauxhall Astra 1.7TD, which is exceptionally easy to drive. I learnt in a Rover 100, which I believe had the same 1.5l diesel as found in 106's and the like.
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corsa 1.5 diesel spend less than a grand
Cracking little cars if he doesnt thrash the head off it and under 1542 cc so chep road tax.
Usual banger checks needed no real problems apart from sticky handbrakes and duff alternators .
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There is nothing cracking about a Corsa 1.5 diesel. Everything about is horrible, from the noisy, unrefined turbodiesel engine to the wooly handling, horrible nasty plastic interior and ridiculous plastic wheel arches which fade to light grey 30 seconds after the car was built.
I know a first car needn't be a Ferrari but there is no need to put up with a hateful Corsa when cars like the Nissan Micra or Ford Fiesta exist.
My first car was a Citroen Xantia TD SX. Brilliant, served me well, and was as good on fuel as the Fiestas my friends were running. Cost less than the equivilent Fiesta, as well and it was only Group 9 insurance.
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I took son round all the local dealerships and let him test drive lots of different cars. He has a micra - new shape - which he loves - not particulary cool but never seems empty of young females. Bear in mind size of your son - mine has big feet and found lots small cars difficult to drive. He also liked the panda - but prefers the micra. Insurance will be horrendous - expect at least £1000. His friends have a variety of cars from corsa's to puntos - he says get an old car cos he is guarenteed to scratch it or get it keyed!
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if you read the original question MichaelR the original poster asked for diesel banger economic first car for his son :>
micra doesnt come in diesel
fiesta does come in diesel but its 1800 cc dear road tax and group 5 insurance
the plastic wheel arch trims stop the wheel arches rotting and can be returned to new with a hot air gun and a coating of plastic jelly protector once every 6 months,unlike fiesta"s and micra"s that need tins of gobb
the corsa is a non turbo engine in 1500 guise and is made by isuzi its a storming little engine and if treat right like i said will easily attain 150,000 miles with minimum maintainance and a lovely unstressed cambelt to boot
if you can find a son under 20 that would be seen in a micra as a first car i will eat my hat
finally corsa"s can be blinged to the sky and still look good
by the way i hate corsa"s i bang my head everytime i get in the things but have a look around they are still there in numbers even on "k" reg look for the same in fiesta"s and micra"s
ok...... :-)
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Cheap KA would be my choice if i could not get a Japanese brand,Old skool engine,cheap as chips,does what it says on the tin.Find one with pas,where can you go wrong? In fact when you think about the new KAs available for £4999 that is one cheap car.
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Please inform us of taste of hat - my son, age 18, has a micra........first car.....
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is he an art student by any chance? deepwith or is it the company pizza wheels?
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Oldman, Physics, graphics, resistant materials (whatever THAT is), chemistry and, yes, art!! No idea what he will study next - pubs and clubs I suspect! Micra (new shape) particularly good for tall lads as has good headroom and well set pedals and is nippy too. If not for insurance I am sure he would have gone for a boy-racer type car.
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My first car was a Micra. I didn't care about the lack of perceived kudos because at least I had wheels. It was cheap to insure by 17yo standards, sipped petrol and if I drove it like I stole it the performance from the 16v engine wasn't too bad. Far better than the Fiesta Diesel I learned in anyway.
A massive plus point for the Micra was the fact that it just ran and ran and asked for more. In 50,000 miles I had to change one clutch, the exhaust, tyres and a couple of bulbs. I ran that car for years on pennies.
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I learn't in a micra about 5 years ago which is a good little car to drive. Or a 106 as this was my first car (1996 reg). Insurance, road tax and cost of car was very low definately a good first car : )
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It depends how important street cred is to him.
A Ford Ka is ideal but he may think it too girly. Citroen Saxo / Peugeot 106 probably OK for street cred - unless he's going to do a huge mileage the 1.1 petrol would do fine. I think this would also be cheaper to insure than the diesel, and almost certainly cheaper to buy. There should be plenty of them around.
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My daughter will be changing her 98 106 1.1 met blue Look2 98k very tidy, maybe next month. She will sell it privately for about £900 in the Bristol area ( south of ) Regards Peter
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Cuz has just brought first car for son @ 17. Ended up with Renault Clio 1.2, Insurance in ME5 postcode was £ 1,180 (has done pass plus). No diesel was affordable even the different variations of Clio were different insurance groups. Paid £ 375 off of E Bay, clutch at Mr Clutch for £200 & Sprog is V Happy!
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106 1.4 diesel. yours for under £1k and at that price you can get a low mileage one with fsh!
0-60 5 years but that's irrelevant for first wheels..
madf
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