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"Buying your first car"

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Sun 06/09/09 at 19:03
Regular
"eat toast!"
Posts: 1,466
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.
Mon 07/09/09 at 22:43
Regular
"Feather edged ..."
Posts: 8,536
spoonbeast wrote:
> some excellent information here.
>
> Being its my first car and my lack of experience i'll probably
> try and look for a second hand car thats incredably cheap. Like a
> 10 year old ford fiesta or something similar old but in good nick
> to drive to and from work.
>
> Even if i wreck the car, being so old and rubbish i could easily
> write it off with no problems.
>
> The strategy would be buy a rubbish car and work my way up
> towards a decent one. Now, the mine field to cross that is with
> second hand cars. Who knows, i might find a decent car or an
> utter deathtrap.

Remember that when buying 'a rubbish car' you may also be buying yourself more trouble and expense. A 'gift' horse may turn out to be a 'money pit' !

You need to look for evidence of a service history, of any signs of previous repair - good or bad - these can indicate severe problems that may not manifest themselves until the car is yours!

Auto Trader is a good place to try. Select a model and then look at what is on offer - private sellers and dealers - remember that both can be just as dodgy as one another, just as they can be genuine :-)

Good luck
Mon 07/09/09 at 18:48
Regular
"eat toast!"
Posts: 1,466
some excellent information here.

Being its my first car and my lack of experience i'll probably try and look for a second hand car thats incredably cheap. Like a 10 year old ford fiesta or something similar old but in good nick to drive to and from work.

Even if i wreck the car, being so old and rubbish i could easily write it off with no problems.

The strategy would be buy a rubbish car and work my way up towards a decent one. Now, the mine field to cross that is with second hand cars. Who knows, i might find a decent car or an utter deathtrap.
Mon 07/09/09 at 18:28
Regular
"Feather edged ..."
Posts: 8,536
Hi Spoonbeast,

As promised a couple of guide prices for a Fiesta and a Corsa:

Fiesta Studio 55 plate 3dr petrol, 30000 miles average to good condition £3225 - £3500

Corsa SXI 06/56 plate 3dr petrol, 30000 miles average to good condition £4800 - £5150

Remember that these are only a guide and on a forecourt for these cars in good condition you would probably be asked for another £600 - £900 !!!!

When selecting a first car, remember to find one in a low insurance group. The two above are Group 3, the Fiesta certainly is - your premiums would be lower.

Hope this helps :-)
Mon 07/09/09 at 12:35
Regular
"WhaleOilBeefHooked"
Posts: 12,425
I learnt to drive in both an old Corsa and new Corsa, both were a really nice drive. Obviously the new one was better in many ways and a smoother drive but for a starter car I'd recommend a Corsa (if you can afford the new one then all the better). I still need to buy my first car, I'm just insured on my dad's!
Mon 07/09/09 at 08:04
Regular
Posts: 15,681
A good way of saving money, if you're intending to get a brand new car, is to look for one which does free insurance deals.

If you're a safe driver, you'll build up a no claims bonus which will reduce future insurance costs.

In terms of driving, when I bought my first car (after my old banger Ford Escort decided to go kaput) I test drove a Ford KA, Vauxhall Corsa and Nissan Micra and found the most comfortable drive to be the Corsa.

Best advice though, try a few test drives to see what you feel is the most comfortable.
Sun 06/09/09 at 19:32
Regular
"Feather edged ..."
Posts: 8,536
Depends on too many variables:

Your budget for a 'first car' must include tax, mot, service and insurance.

Insurance may be high for first year as you are a 'first' and your age will count, above 24 and you may get it cheaper.

As for your first vehicle, the choice is yours. Don't touch anything French or German ie VW, Renault, Citroen etc - parts and service are well over-priced, as are repairs.

Ford and Vauxhall tend to be more affordable in the short term. A couple of years old, Fiesta (old shape) and Corsa (old and new shape) can be good buys.

However, disregarding what I said above about VW's - they do hold their price over the years.

Skoda, forget the shopping trolly image, are good alternatives - made by VW Group anyway!

For your first car, use a recognized dealer for satisfaction and guarantee, service etc...use other sources when you are more knowledgeable.

I'll look at some possibles at work tomorrow and come back with a rough price guide
Sun 06/09/09 at 19:19
Regular
"Let's blow stuff up"
Posts: 321
A ford ka. Cheap to run. Cheap repair parts. Cheap to fill up. Great first time car
Sun 06/09/09 at 19:17
Regular
Posts: 9,995
Get a Pidgeot 206.
Sun 06/09/09 at 19:03
Regular
"eat toast!"
Posts: 1,466
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.

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