first car - where to start?

I think you are best going to the bank first to see how much they will give you. That way you know how much you have.

Next see what type of car you want. By this i mean what litre size. Then pick a few cars you like in that class and get a quote for them. This will give you an idea of the insurance prices for the type of car you want.

So now you can see how much you actually have to spend on the car.

Carefull with buying, if the place looks dodgy, dont even think bout it. Give the car a test drive and never buy it on the spot, give it a day to make sure you like it. You may love the look of the car and all but after thinking bout it it may not seem as good

Make up a random car that would be something like the one linked above (eg 99 Primera, 1.6l engine) and ring tons of insurance companies to get an idea of what you'll need to pay. Prepare to be hit hard. Mention your time as a named driver as a few companies might give you a discount for it.

Then decide upon your budget for the car. You should probably limit yourself to 1.4 litre or less. Bring someone who knows what they're doing along when you're viewing cars. There are a ton of factors to take into account, eg age, mileage, NCT, engine size, the reputation of the make/model for reliability etc.

Once you've picked out the car you want to buy make sure you ring the insurance people back to find out exactly how much you'll be paying first.

And be prepared to pay a fortune for petrol and maintenance Good luck with it.

Spend as little as possible on everything.
something small and Japanese is ideal. Ideally a bigger car would be nice, but if you want tiny tax, insurance and fuel costs, something like an old Micra or Starlet Swift should do the job.

gobby wrote: »

I think something small and cheap would be best for a first car.

OP, small and cheap in Ireland is a contradiction- the smallies are fundamentally overpriced.

For insurance give them a few sample cars 1.6 saloon, 1.4 hatch/ family saloon and a 1.1 hatch- most people find the premiums these days are pretty much the same (unless it's 1.8 hatch for example- think power to weight).

You will probably find running costs for all cars are simlar 1.6 or under are very comparable too (realistically, difference between 35 mpg and 40 mpg is insignificant, all things considered).

If you have lots of driving to do- it doesn't make sense to buy a 10 yr old hatch IMO when you can have a car that was originally the equivalent of a €30k car. Smaller cars will make you stop more often to stretch your legs that's personal experience.

In a nutshell, OP- If I wanted value, comfort, relibility, spec, economy, practicality, I wouldn't be looking for a corsa.

cue colm_mcm

I bet if you were in the OPs position, you wouldn't buy a fiesta. Lots of people tell other people a supermini is a car that would be good for them.

I started out diving superminis as I was on a budget. When you're dealing in cheap cars, the difference od €250 a year in road tax is significant, so is a difference 10-15mpg. The OP says he's only had a full license for a few months and wants to spend small money. I don't see how buying a 1.6 family saloon fits into this.

ciaranfo wrote: »

Trying to work out some of the costs then ... some sample figures, maybe someone could correct me if I'm wrong?

NCT (every 2 yrs) - €50
Tax (every yr) - €150
AA checkup if buying from a private person - €100
car itself - €1500
insurance (every yr) - €2000

Anything I'm missing beyond petrol?

That's €151 tax for a 1.0

1.6 will cost you €391

factor in tyres servicing petrol

yeah, but €1500 is the car!

colm_mcm wrote: »

Buy a suzuki swift 1.0 for €1500
Get 50mpg easy.
Pay €151 per year to tax it,


Buy an Nissan Primera 1.6
Get 35mpg
pay €391 to tax it
pay aorund €600 more(guess, at 22 years old) to insure it

I'm not anti bigger cars by the way, I average 23mpg and pay over €500 a year road tax, this is through choice though.

Surely optimistic mpg for a 10 year old car

You can't make assumptions like that about insurance any more- the days of bigger engines automatically meaning bigger premiums despite body type are gone.

You're talking marginal differences here in OVERALL costs between a swift and a Primera- I know which one I'd want.

I'm with Colm on this.

I earlier suggested something like a 92/93 starlet for around the 1000E mark. Something like this with an nct can be sold 18 months down the line for much the same money as you pay for it. There is always a buyer for these cars.

Its going to be a different story with a 1.6l car though.

cantdecide wrote: »

Realistically, that's then. You have to live today too- I wouldn't favour a starlet or a swift over a primera because in 2 years time someone else is going to be foolish enough to think that they'll save a fortune by getting a tiny car.

Two years service from a €1500 car and you're greedy enough to want ALL your money back?

Gyppo, you wouldn't tolerate a crappy car like that (c'mon) for 2 whole years, why should the OP?

Colm, you're right- usage is far more important than people let on when deciding what the most suitable car is for an individual case but most people aren't so hard up that they must spend as little as possible. I find most cases where people buy small cars, their usage means they are unsuitable but the allure of apparent saving of money clouds their judgement.

My point was that the smaller type car would be more suitable for the OP to start driving in and gain confidence - then change it for something more suitable when they feel like changing.
I never said ALL, btw, but looking from a cost perspective like the op is, you will certainly get a large proportion of it back. With the 1.6l types, next stop will probably be the scrapyard.
I see where you are coming from, the 1.6L car will be a better drive - buy buy it when you can afford the insurance, tax, service costs,etc..

And yes, I have tolerated a 92 starlet (well, my wifes car ) for 4 years.
I'd be suprised at anyone who has ever owned one not rating them highly. Never gave a spot of bother, was economical, nice to drive, nippy enough, and I sold it last march for 900E with a 2 year nct on it. The 2nd caller to ring bought it - and I probably could have it sold 10 times over, judging by the amount of interest.

A bigger car will feel more expensive but it's as much an illusion as buying a small one. Unless you head on up to 1.8/ 2.0 litre country, they're all there or there abouts.

For me, it's a no brainer, value is the key IMO, yes, you can save a little by slashing your expectations but I know what car I'd be looking for if I were on a budget.

Like I say a 1.6 vectra is not a big car in the grand scheme of things and it is only marginally more commitment. A 2.0 is a probably different story.

But I'm repeating myself.

The key thing is to look at carzone.ie- it's definitely the most consulted search site on Boards. Limit your search to a little more than you want to spend (you can always haggle down a bit).

Limit the search to 1.8. Though no matter what car you get, you'll probably have to get the smallest engine in the range if there's a 1.6 or a 1.8, they probably wouldnt quote for the 1.8. Ditto if the engines in the range are 1.8 or 2.0 like a mazda 626 for example.

1.8s are probably not automatically out and 1.8s will be cheaper to buy, if you found one you fancied. Have a look and see what cars show up that you'd like and get a feel for the pricing- get some quotes.

Insurance will be your biggest factor since you're starting out on your own policy. Choose some potential cars and get some quotes for them.

I imagine if you are spending a couple of grand or less you will end up buying privately because a dealer car for this money will cost more and only have a begrudging and half-assed waranty (eg, engine and gearbox only which he probably wouldn't fully stand over).

MAKE SURE the car is as honest as possible whether buying from a dealer or privately by using a reputable mechanic- that's the key.

If you see something you like and you can insure it, you can then bring someone who knows about cars for a look like a friend or relative. If it seems okay, you MUST then get a mechanic to see it. Any local mechanic in the phone book will see it for you but use someone recommended locally (ask here for recommendations when the time comes) make sure he doesn't have to travel 20 kms cos he will charge you.

Must have decent amount of NCT, must be recently or just serviced and have impending work like timing belt etc, cos these are expensive. No obvios damage like cracks in the windscreen or doors not opening, electrcis all work etc. etc.

Keep asking if there's anything else you want to know:)

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=643828

Stick that through as well for the sake of it...

Wait- no NCT on this one, actually

My whole point Bazz is look at the facts. They cost virtually the same to buy and run so there is no merit in buying and running the poor cousin for a tiny difference in money.


Starting in a fiesta is not a requirement by law. 'Starting off?- need a small car, then'. It's the oldest cliche in the book and it's totally unfounded. OP, don't fall for it, you will only fool yourself.


OP has full license and experience and going through the process of buying and selling cars twice in a couple of months is unnecessary complication and stress IMO. Considering what little he's told us about his usage seems to indicate high mileage, it seems he'll need something more substantial the day he buys his fiesta. So why wait?


The cars I'm suggesting change hands all the time. I'e helped numerous workmates (mainly from Poland) buy nothing but small engined carinas, mondeos and vectras. This is the new market for these cars. It is not fair to say that a 100k mile 1.6 saloon in good nick is going to be scrapped or is worthless. Buy it for €1500 and you'll get most of your money back- it's a fact.


How many people downgrade from a 1.6 to a fiesta other than retired couples? People change up and usually never look back.


There is very little extra commitment in 1.6 mondeo than a 1.2 fiesta so unless you have a specific need for one (which no one has, really). It wouldn't make sense.