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"Buying your first car"

Right, having past my driving test and done the pass plus scheme, nows the time to buy myself a car and use it practically.

But the question is, what do i get? Being a first time buyer with no interest in cars, i have no idea what i want. Its only gone as far as buying a car thats economical, cheap to maintain and keeps my insurance down. Oh and has an MOT and in decent quality.

Other then that i haven't a clue what i want. So any advice on buying my first car and how much i should spend? Really i just want it to go from point a to point b. Or from work and maybe to the super market.

obviously buying a car is a lot harder than buying a pc, especially if you're looking for one under a grand, chances are it'll have a major fault either aesthetically or mechanical so check every nook and cranny of it anyway i hope it goes well for you : )

Hmm, honda civic eh? I'll check around. TBH, i've got my eyes on a ford fiesta thats probably 10 years old or something. Usually get them under 1k, but that all really depends on the condition really.


I still need to get the guts up to buy the car, insure it and live with the cost. Its something thats been eating away at me for sometime now. As most of you guys know from my past topic on buying a pc.

They are a fantastic car, but expensive. To buy and second hand buy from what I can see.

And expensive to insure as well. :S

Very nice and reliable car though.

well whatever i was just trying to help, the car doesn't have to be 9 years old, i was just using my friend's civic as an example, personally i think it's a great car for a first time buyer who might not have a lot of money to spend, ANY car starts to go wrong eventually, no matter how well you take care of it, i don't know very much about cars but i do know that most civic models are reliable and are cheap to maintain and insure because i actually checked around for facts and reviews before posting and what i did see was very positive

And the fact that yes, as a first car they actually would be extortionate to insure.

A Honda Civic.....Boy Racer. They must be in the higher bands...

Dr Bongo wrote:
> you can't go wrong with a honda civic, i know many ppl who chose
> one as their first car, they're really reliable because my
> friend's one hasn't ever broke down once and he's had it for 9
> years and a little car like that wouldn't cost much to insure
> either- ps i know this thread is ancient, just wanted to help if
> you're still having trouble choosing :)

Some additional points for the Honda Civic (9 years old):


Quite a few 1.5 VTEC-Es were laundered into second-hand cars via the rental fleets.

All 'Swindon Civics' appreciate frequent servicing and clean oil.

Some complaints of poor reverse gear selection, so check this on test drive.

Open hatch of 5 door and look for rust where the hinges join the body. The similar Rover 400 5-door has a big problem here.

Wiper motors have been known to fail due to ingress of water which doesn't easily drain out.

R reg cars can suffer from heater switch failures.

Depending on your experience as a driver and age of vehicle, group 4 insurance would be the bottom line - same as an 'old' shape focus :-)

you can't go wrong with a honda civic, i know many ppl who chose one as their first car, they're really reliable because my friend's one hasn't ever broke down once and he's had it for 9 years and a little car like that wouldn't cost much to insure either- ps i know this thread is ancient, just wanted to help if you're still having trouble choosing :)

spoonbeast wrote:
> I've resurrected this thread because a thought has occured.
>
> Diesel vs Petrol.
>
> Heres what i know:
>
> Diesel makes the engine noiser and its more expensive, yet you
> go further with it and it keeps insurance costs down.
> Supposedly.
>
>
> Petrol more quiter, cheaper but doesn't last longer.
>
>
> Does the cost of diesel outweigh the increased mileage i can
> possibly gain or is it marginally better then petrol?

Diesel fuel isn't what makes the engine noisier - a diesel engine and a petrol engine are two different beasts. Diesels are a lot smoother and quieter now and are capable of extremely high speeds.

The stop-start short city driving will give low mileage per litre for both fuels, longer more sustained driving will give high yields with diesel winning by a long way. Longer distances are also better for either engine.

Service intervals for diesel engines are far longer than for petrol, 20,000 miles as against 12,000 miles.

The majority of fleet managers select and run diesel engine vehicles for their staff because of their improved efficiency and reliabilty.

Just a few ideas for you to mull over :-)

I know i'm only 17 and don't drive, but presently, diesel is far more economic, seeing as the price of diesel per litre and petrol per litre have pretty much matched. Litres of petrol at the moment seem to be £1.069, as does diesel. Who knows? Petrol goes back and forth more than a yoyo.

I've resurrected this thread because a thought has occured.

Diesel vs Petrol.

Heres what i know:

Diesel makes the engine noiser and its more expensive, yet you go further with it and it keeps insurance costs down. Supposedly.


Petrol more quiter, cheaper but doesn't last longer.


Does the cost of diesel outweigh the increased mileage i can possibly gain or is it marginally better then petrol?