2nd Hand Car Purchase - Advice Needed

[Chris-W-]

I'd recommend a small engined KA or Fiesta. I've owned both (currently fiesta) and have only been driving for 2 years. The insurance on the KA is much lower being only insurance group 1, and the fiesta group 9. Still, the insurance isn't bad at around 800 quid. Parts are very cheap and easy to get hold of.

 

If you're still looking at the end of June, I'll be selling my Fiesta for around the guide price in the OP.

 

EDIT: Its a MK4 fiesta.

Edited May 31, 2011 by Chris-W-

[chrbb]

When we were looking for first cars for our sons, we didn't go for standard small, starter cars, we looked at something a bit more substanstial. No 1 had a megane scenic, no 2 an astra. Both cars had double air bags and enough oomp to pull away from a junction safely!

[gshaw]

How about a 1.6 Zetec Focus, around 2002 reg? Cheap as chips now, parts common as house bricks and the car's solid and still looks good

[bodminman]

How about a 1.6 Zetec Focus, around 2002 reg? Cheap as chips now, parts common as house bricks and the car's solid and still looks good

 

Would love to but would cost a wee bit more than my £800 budget. Unless you know something I don't! Well, do you!?!?!

[gshaw]

I reckon you might just be able to get one for £800 but it'll be a high-miler so some element of risk there I guess

 

Edit: it'll be a MK1 for that money, not much difference between the original and facelift tbh so wouldn't worry about that side of things

Edited May 31, 2011 by gshaw

[mac_shinobi]

Nissan Micras - just looking on auto trader between 1 and 1.3 litre engines

 

Might be worth while just to get an idea of cars / prices etc to go onto autotrader ( http://www.autotrader.co.uk )

 

Enter in your post code, distance ( i normally put about 60 ), then click on more options and change the options there ref min, max price, amount of doors, engine size etc and click on search to find cars in that bracket

 

Upto you if you specify cars older then or milage lower or higher then etc etc

Edited May 31, 2011 by mac_shinobi

[Mullaney18]

Micras are ten to a penny but are rock solid. Look after them and they look after you. we paid 200 quid for our first M reg and it lasted 4 years! Edited May 31, 2011 by Mullaney18
changed 20 to 200

[bodminman]

I remember when (i'm starting to sound like my old man now) small cars were going as cheap as chips! Obviously now that people are getting rid of the 2L gas guzzlers the small cars have become more valuable.

 

Just been looking at a cracking Volvo S60 T S 2.0L which at £700. I thought I may get this for myself until I worked out that the road tax is going to be in the region of £250 a year! Insurance is the same as my current car which is a 1.4 Suzuki Swift (2010).

[bodminman]

Micras are ten to a penny but are rock solid. Look after them and they look after you. we paid 20 quid for our first M reg and it lasted 4 years!

 

Bloomin' heck that's good value for money!

[mac_shinobi]

Bloomin' heck that's good value for money!

 

With it being Nissan like Honda, mazda etc its japanese so assuming its not been driven around racing / ragged etc should last quite some time.

 

Ive got the almera 1.4 and have had it a year and a half and got it through the MOT by replacing one light bulb and one tyre, obviously if things do go wrong it can add up as far as parts although I think you will find the labour will cost a lot more unless you obviously know people ie Mechanics etc

 

Or get the haynes ( think thats what they are called ) manuals and DIY

[Mullaney18]

Lol missed a zero off that, 200, still a bargin

[kevbaz]

to me somethign like this would be perfect

 

VW Golf MK2 Owners Club • View topic - 1989 mk2 golf 1.3 4+E 5door

 

cheap to buy, cheap to insure and cheap to run/fix plus the pleasure of owning a vdub

[maniac]

I always recommend peugeot 106's as good first cars - although a little old now, you can easily get a good one for £800 and they are really cheap to insure, quite nice to drive and really nippy. Also parts are pretty affordable and they're not too difficult to work on yourself.

[bodminman]

to me somethign like this would be perfect

 

VW Golf MK2 Owners Club • View topic - 1989 mk2 golf 1.3 4+E 5door

 

cheap to buy, cheap to insure and cheap to run/fix plus the pleasure of owning a vdub

 

I'm loving that!

 

Never thought to look at some of the owner club sites. Nice action!

[Jose]

106s or saxos are good, your big saving on the insurance is making sure its registered to a nice address, ie not a council estate with high crime. Limit the miles to under 5000 per year and have a large voluntary excess.

[mac_shinobi]

Let us know what car you go for and how you get on with insurance etc

 

Maybe it's just me being biased and bitter but other half has a pug 306 and it cost her around the £1300 about 2 years back, parts don't fit right and had the wrong cat convertor fitted as had to have this replaced every year, had to pay extra to get an extra bit of piping fitted onto the exhaust to make it fit and even though its still low mileage isn't worth much now and would be lucky to get £500 for it, to give you an idea, we have literally spent £500 on it to replace brakes , give it a full over service etc etc ( list goes on )

 

From my point of view I would avoid french cars - I think Renault have combined with Nissan so are a french / nissan car maker ( not sure if thats good or not )

Edited June 2, 2011 by mac_shinobi

[2097]

Focus or Fiesta is probally the easiest choice.

 

Are you paying the insurance for him also ? as i imagine that will cost double what the car will !

 

I would hate top buy a youngster a car and they cant afford to insure it and decide to go out anyway !

 

im 24 and my insurance is £1500 on my little lotus lol !

[mac_shinobi]

Focus or Fiesta is probally the easiest choice.

 

Are you paying the insurance for him also ? as i imagine that will cost double what the car will !

 

I would hate top buy a youngster a car and they cant afford to insure it and decide to go out anyway !

 

im 24 and my insurance is £1500 on my little lotus lol !

 

Which lotus and who are you with for insurance ?

[kevbaz]

 

From my point of view I would avoid french cars - I think Renault have combined with Nissan so are a french / nissan car maker ( not sure if thats good or not )

 

Couldnt agree more, french cars are pityful

[bodminman]

I've said that I would go 50/50 on the insurance for the first year then he's on his own after that.

 

I've been looking at a bog standard 1.6 Vectra (2000) and the insurance quote for it is the same as a Fiesta Zetec 1.25!?!?!

[kevbaz]

Fiesta is probably classed as a hot hatch thus common amongst boy racers hence the higher premium

 

 

take into consideration road tx aswell, i wouldnt go over a 1.2/3 as you save all round (fuels insurance tax etc)

[mac_shinobi]

Fiesta is probably classed as a hot hatch thus common amongst boy racers hence the higher premium

 

 

take into consideration road tx aswell, i wouldnt go over a 1.2/3 as you save all round (fuels insurance tax etc)

 

Agreed - Nissan Micra or something along those lines for the first year as the first years insurance is very high, my first year was a lot and I was over 25 and that was with a 1.4 honda civic and also as above you have to take into consideration tax as well as other things ie maintenance, getting it through the MOT which for the first year isnt an issue but obviously might need money to pay for replacement parts / labour etc

 

Can always sell it and get something later on with regards to bigger engine or whatever depending on insurance quotes later down the line

[laptopsandspares]

for parts and spares, worth checking the location of your nearest Camberly Auto Factors and or German & Swedish. Cheaper but adaquate parts for most nationalities of vehicle. Cheaper than Halfrauds and I can't think of anything I haven't managed to get from them over the years. Even for my loony Jap import Pulsar I used to run. Have a look round their web-sites, I'm not sure either cover Volvo parts (saw it mentioned above)

 

Hope this helps.

 

D

[Sirbendy]

106/Saxo I would avoid unless they've really improved the seat tendency of the back collapsing in an impact, resulting in probable whiplash.

 

I started out in a 1.4, then a 2.0, (Both french), then went to 2 Rover 1.6's, followed by a Vauxhall 1.6SPi, followed by my current 2 - a Vauxhall 1.4MPi Project, and a Vauxhall 1.6MPi as a daily hack. Back when I started, finding a little engined automatic wasn't easy..

[2097]

Which lotus and who are you with for insurance ?

 

 

its the s2 Elise .

 

Im with Bell/Admiral

 

When im 25 though im saying good bye to them !