car for beginner?

snowman707

I am looking around for a car for my daughter, & have narrowed it down to a fiesta, micra, punto or polo hatch possibly 00-02 . she is almost 18 on a learner permit & finds my primera dsl (01) a bit of a handful

Just wondering if there is any realibility issues with any on the above models as I am hoping to get something that she will get 3/4 years out off.

colm_mcm

reliability roughly in this order

Micra
Fiesta
Polo



Punto.



You'd lose the least amount of money in a Yaris, (despite the fact that they're more expensive) and have the best reliability. you'd get a 4 star safety rating too, of the cars listed above, only the Punto gets that (I'm nearly certain!)

peasant

Ovbiously, with 6 - 8 year old cars quite a lot depends on service (or lack thereof) and driving habits of the previous owners as well as the make of the car.

Puntos have a bit of a bad reputation, but that is often due to having been cheap in the first place and not deemed worthy of any attention whatsoever during use.

Out of the cars you mentioned, there probably isn't all that much in it reliability wise, as long as you make sure that the car itself was looked after and cared for.

I'd say go for the best one you can find within your budget, regardless of the make (just take an even closer look for faults when looking at a Punto ) and pick one your daughter likes as well.

vectra

What about a nice little SEAT Arosa ?
Like >> THIS ONE HERE << :cool:

Esel

^ Link to adverts.ie would have got you a lot more brownie points with the mods......



MODEDIT: No, it wouldn't

vectra

esel wrote: »

^ Link to adverts.ie would have got you a lot more brownie points with the mods......

Is there one on adverts.ie ?

even so I was only showing an example of what it looks like as I have no idea where the OP is from :cool:

*Tripper*

Is it really that sunny in here Vectra?

vectra

*Tripper* wrote: »

Is it really that sunny in here Vectra?

Huhh?
If there is one thing i hate.. That is short answers like that..!

If someone has something to say then please say it properly.:rolleyes:
I was only trying to help the OP

snowman707

Thanks for replies so far. She isn't too interested in the yaris, that is why I didn't list it. have my eye on a 02 fiesta full service history, 1 lady owner 66k miles, spotless .

must wait until she finishes her Leaving cert. & then we will go shopping.

The dealer with the seat is a little too far away

Cionád

snowman707 wrote: »

Thanks for replies so far. She isn't too interested in the yaris, that is why I didn't list it. have my eye on a 02 fiesta full service history, 1 lady owner 66k miles

must wait until she finishes her Leaving cert. & then we will go shopping.

The dealer with the seat is a little too far away

If its a ghia model, and has the 1.25 engine go for it.

PurplePrincess

My very first car was a Fiesta and it was a great car to learn in. I've had 4 Fiestas since and they've never given me a days trouble, they're nice to drive and the servicing isn't outrageously expensive.

kippy

Still have this (mostly because GF hasnt been able to find a suitable replacement)
It may be a bit far away for ya but if ya interested let me know, the price is from a few months ago. The timing would suit.
Kippy


http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=51645

angelfire9

snowman707 wrote: »

I am looking around for a car for my daughter, & have narrowed it down to a fiesta, micra, punto or polo hatch possibly 00-02 . she is almost 18 on a learner permit & finds my primera dsl (01) a bit of a handful
Just wondering if there is any realibility issues with any on the above models as I am hoping to get something that she will get 3/4 years out off.

My first car was a Micra, it was 7 years old when i got it and kept it for 3 years without a spot of bother, saw it recently around town and its still going strong, brilliant car!
Next car was also a Micra, was 3 years old, again not a spot of bother, micras are very reliable kept it for 3 years as well
My current car is a Fiesta, bit nippier than the Micra but a good all round car as well no problems so far, have it one year

So, for my 2cents worth, personally i think you should go with a Micra, its a 1litre so the insurance will be less than the 1.25 Fiesta, its fast enough to get her wherever she wants to go but not so powerful that she'll turn into a little girl racer! (i'm female so i'm not being sexist here)

something like this: http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Nissan/Micra/1.0-GX/945210/
(i have no connection to this advert its just very like my old cars )

Tax is also cheaper for the Micra and the fuel economy is amazing!

In my Micras i used to get 100 miles out of 10 litres of petrol, a variety of driving, some long spins more around the town though, the Fiesta is not as fuel efficent, not much of a difference but a difference none the less

To sum up, marks out of ten as follows:
Micra 10/10
Fiesta 8/10
Punto 4.5/10
Polo 7/10

I think a bit of hardship on buses until you earn your own first car is a good life lesson.

kippy

Moonbaby wrote: »

I think a bit of hardship on buses until you earn your own first car is a good life lesson.

I couldnt agree more with that one!
Kippy

angelfire9

Moonbaby wrote: »

I think a bit of hardship on buses until you earn your own first car is a good life lesson.

Is that not a tad sanctimonious (sp?)
What do you do if you happen to live outside of Dublin where there isn't a bus service?

I got a loan out to buy my first car
I wouldn't fancy walking home from a night out, or hanging around in town til 3am to get a taxi so i take my car! I'd be lost without it tbh

S.I.R

snowman707 wrote: »

I am looking around for a car for my daughter, & have narrowed it down to a fiesta, micra, punto or polo hatch possibly 00-02 . she is almost 18 on a learner permit & finds my primera dsl (01) a bit of a handful

Just wondering if there is any realibility issues with any on the above models as I am hoping to get something that she will get 3/4 years out off.

1.3 corrolla.... enough power for any type of driving aswell as the fact that you cant break them...


if your going lower in insurance a pre- 98 citreon saxo/citreon ax/peugeot 106 is a trade secret....

But i didnt tell you that.... if i did id be out of a job... :rolleyes:

snowman707

angelfire9 wrote: »

My first car was a Micra, it was 7 years old when i got it and kept it for 3 years without a spot of bother, saw it recently around town and its still going strong, brilliant car!
Next car was also a Micra, was 3 years old, again not a spot of bother, micras are very reliable kept it for 3 years as well
My current car is a Fiesta, bit nippier than the Micra but a good all round car as well no problems so far, have it one year

So, for my 2cents worth, personally i think you should go with a Micra, its a 1litre so the insurance will be less than the 1.25 Fiesta, its fast enough to get her wherever she wants to go but not so powerful that she'll turn into a little girl racer! (i'm female so i'm not being sexist here)

something like this: http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Nissan/Micra/1.0-GX/945210/
(i have no connection to this advert its just very like my old cars )

Tax is also cheaper for the Micra and the fuel economy is amazing!

In my Micras i used to get 100 miles out of 10 litres of petrol, a variety of driving, some long spins more around the town though, the Fiesta is not as fuel efficent, not much of a difference but a difference none the less

To sum up, marks out of ten as follows:
Micra 10/10
Fiesta 8/10
Punto 4.5/10
Polo 7/10

thanks angel,

she took a few lessons in a driving school micra & liked it, also the controls are similar to my primera, I drive a primera & a pajero & am always getting the wipers / indicators etc, mixed up when I change over.
the bus service here isn't suitable for where/ when she would be going.

angelfire9

S.I.R wrote: »

1.3 corrolla.... enough power for any type of driving aswell as the fact that you cant break them...

Do you not think a smaller engine would be more suitable for a first car? To say nothing of insuring/taxing it
As for the safety aspect a Micra is just as good, i was rear ended at about 40mph in my Micra when i was pregnant, as the vehicle in front of me was a horse box i yanked the car off the road into the ass of a parked car so i ended up with minor damage to the back & a fair amount of damage to the front of the Micra but i was completely uninjured (thank God Touch wood etc etc)

S.I.R wrote: »

if your going lower in insurance a pre- 98 citreon saxo/citreon ax/peugeot 106 is a trade secret....

Not if it was the last car on earth would i buy one I'd rather walk!

Biro

angelfire9 wrote: »

Do you not think a smaller engine would be more suitable for a first car? To say nothing of insuring/taxing it
As for the safety aspect a Micra is just as good, i was rear ended at about 40mph in my Micra when i was pregnant, as the vehicle in front of me was a horse box i yanked the car off the road into the ass of a parked car so i ended up with minor damage to the back & a fair amount of damage to the front of the Micra but i was completely uninjured (thank God Touch wood etc etc)

Insurance or tax aren't vastly different between a 1 litre and 1.3. A 1.3 still isn't a big engine, won't make a difference to a learner, unless they're inclined to speed.

angelfire9 wrote: »

Not if it was the last car on earth would i buy one I'd rather walk!

Good job it's not you that's buying it then!

angelfire9

Biro wrote: »

Insurance or tax aren't vastly different between a 1 litre and 1.3. A 1.3 still isn't a big engine, won't make a difference to a learner, unless they're inclined to speed.

Annual motor tax for a 1l car is €249, its €320 for a 1.3, that's a €70 difference https://www.motortax.ie/OMT/pdf/motortax_rates_2008_en.pdf

I did a quick quote on hibernian regarding the insurance
Comparing a 1l Micra to a 1.3l Corolla
Aged 18 female driver, living in clare, full licence for 1 year, no penalty points, no accidents or convictions, no other Hibernian policies, 5k-10k miles per year went for Fully Comp with no frills
Choose a 00 Car for both
Quote for Micra was €1178.30, Third Party 809.76
Quote for Corolla was €1416.88 FC, third party was 968.52

So by driving the Micra you save yourself €70 on road tax and €238.58 on fully comp insurance, thats a total saving of over €300 in year one
When your 18 that's a bloody big difference!!!

Biro

angelfire9 wrote: »

Annual motor tax for a 1l car is €249, its €320 for a 1.3, that's a €70 difference https://www.motortax.ie/OMT/pdf/motortax_rates_2008_en.pdf

I did a quick quote on hibernian regarding the insurance
Comparing a 1l Micra to a 1.3l Corolla
Aged 18 female driver, living in clare, full licence for 1 year, no penalty points, no accidents or convictions, no other Hibernian policies, 5k-10k miles per year went for Fully Comp with no frills
Choose a 00 Car for both
Quote for Micra was €1178.30, Third Party 809.76
Quote for Corolla was €1416.88 FC, third party was 968.52

So by driving the Micra you save yourself €70 on road tax and €238.58 on fully comp insurance, thats a total saving of over €300 in year one
When your 18 that's a bloody big difference!!!

I got a difference of €190 on insurance, but it's more down to the car type than engine size. Drop a bit in the age of the car and you'll save a lot of money towards tax!
€70 isn't a big difference in a year. If you're that broke, stay in one more night in each year or have 1 less drink every 2 weeks! Even reconsider a few trips. It equates to not much more than €1 per week!

angelfire9

Biro wrote: »

I got a difference of €190 on insurance, but it's more down to the car type than engine size. Drop a bit in the age of the car and you'll save a lot of money towards tax!
€70 isn't a big difference in a year. If you're that broke, stay in one more night in each year or have 1 less drink every 2 weeks! Even reconsider a few trips. It equates to not much more than €1 per week!

Get real here, we're talking about an 18 year old!
As for getting an older car, the older the car the more problems you're going to run into, as for one thing and older car tends to have more mileage so apart from rust and ordinary wear & tear cars over 10 years old have parts that will need to be repaired/replaced sooner rather than later
Which is why i picked a 00 model, 8 years old, not too old to be falling apart but old enough not to be too expensive
With the Micra you'll save on Tax, Insurance and petrol (more fuel economy on a 1l) you can't really argue with that point cos it's the truth, even with the insurance you found almost €100 of a difference

But, because you said the insurance difference was down to car type than Engine Size i went onto chill.ie (used to be insureme.ie) for a new quote,

female driver, DOB 14/01/1980, full irish licence for 1year, zero no claims bonus, no penalty points, kept & used in Clare, insurance for insured only, immobilzer fitted, no alarm, mileage of 10k, parked on property at night value of car €5k


Nissan Micra 998cc 5 door, petrol, 93-00 model Cheapest quote was €793

Corolla 5 door hatchback, 1398cc cheapest was €868

Micra still cheaper, though not by as much as Hibernian, and this is down to the engine size & nothing else!

eringobragh

angelfire9 wrote: »

Get real here, we're talking about an 18 year old!
As for getting an older car, the older the car the more problems you're going to run into, as for one thing and older car tends to have more mileage so apart from rust and ordinary wear & tear cars over 10 years old have parts that will need to be repaired/replaced sooner rather than later
Which is why i picked a 00 model, 8 years old, not too old to be falling apart but old enough not to be too expensive
With the Micra you'll save on Tax, Insurance and petrol (more fuel economy on a 1l) you can't really argue with that point cos it's the truth, even with the insurance you found almost €100 of a difference

But, because you said the insurance difference was down to car type than Engine Size i went onto chill.ie (used to be insureme.ie) for a new quote,

female driver, DOB 14/01/1980, full irish licence for 1year, zero no claims bonus, no penalty points, kept & used in Clare, insurance for insured only, immobilzer fitted, no alarm, mileage of 10k, parked on property at night value of car €5k


Nissan Micra 998cc 5 door, petrol, 93-00 model Cheapest quote was €793

Corolla 5 door hatchback, 1398cc cheapest was €868

Micra still cheaper, though not by as much as Hibernian, and this is down to the engine size & nothing else!

Its a 1.4 vs a 1litre its going to be that bit dearer but not alot by the looks of things. TBH driving one of those puny underpowered 1 litre engines, all it'll teach you is how to sit behind a row of cars, try and overtake someone and say a prayer while your at it, no comfort whatsoever to drive.

peasant

Snowman707

Here's another suggestion, Skoda:

Felicia
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Skoda/Felicia/GLXI/1025289/
not a bad car at all and they're more or less given away these days


or Fabia
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Skoda/Fabia/1.2-AMBIENTE/1013795/
basically a Polo in different clothes

overexcitedaj

well ive been driving a year and ive a 97 one litre polo. I wouldnt have a single complaint about it and ive been driving to and from cork for the past 8 months. Only thing is lack of power steering.

angelfire9

eringobragh wrote: »

Its a 1.4 vs a 1litre its going to be that bit dearer but not alot by the looks of things. TBH driving one of those puny underpowered 1 litre engines, all it'll teach you is how to sit behind a row of cars, try and overtake someone and say a prayer while your at it, no comfort whatsoever to drive.

I never had a problem with it and i'm not a midget i'm almost 5'11"
There's plenty of power in it for Irish roads

overexcitedaj wrote: »

well ive been driving a year and ive a 97 one litre polo. I wouldnt have a single complaint about it and ive been driving to and from cork for the past 8 months. Only thing is lack of power steering.

That's cool, at least you know what you're talking about you're actually driving a Polo!
I rated the Polo 7/10 they seem a nice enough car, and VW are a reliable manufacturer, i assume the 00-02 models would have power steering?

Esel

angelfire9 wrote: »

I was rear ended at about 40mph in my Micra when i was pregnant, as the vehicle in front of me was a horse box i yanked the car off the road into the ass of a parked car so i ended up with minor damage to the back & a fair amount of damage to the front of the Micra but i was completely uninjured (thank God Touch wood etc etc)

The recommended 'if you have to crash' advice is:

1. Run off the road (if clear of objects etc.)

2. Crash into something going the same direction as you

3. Crash into a stationary object

4. Crash into something coming from the opposite direction

If the horsebox was moving in the same direction as you, it would probably have been the 'softer' option. All's well that ends well, however, and I'm glad you and your unborn baby were relatively OK afterwards.

angelfire9 wrote: »

Annual motor tax for a 1l car is €249, its €320 for a 1.3, that's a €70 difference https://www.motortax.ie/OMT/pdf/motortax_rates_2008_en.pdf

The road tax for a 1 Litre car is €165.

angelfire9

esel wrote: »

The recommended 'if you have to crash' advice is:

1. Run off the road (if clear of objects etc.)

2. Crash into something going the same direction as you

3. Crash into a stationary object

4. Crash into something coming from the opposite direction

If the horsebox was moving in the same direction as you, it would probably have been the 'softer' option. All's well that ends well, however, and I'm glad you and your unborn baby were relatively OK afterwards.

The road tax for a 1 Litre car is €165.

The horse box contained a rather large horse so i think hitting the stationary unoccupied car was the better option

SV

What about a clio?
Very safe car, despite Renaults reputation clios are actually very reliable..
Comfortable..and you can pick up some bargains too! (http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Renault/Clio/3-Door/884831/) that's one of many..
Also very very cheap on the insurance

For a girl just turned 18, with the learner permit just obtained..premiums for fully comp start at 1271 up to 1668 on insure.ie

Make the right decision eh

woop

00 polos are that bit more expensive due to the change in model that year and if youre going for the older one get one with pas
toyota starlet would be my choice if I had to do it again, yaris is good though- have a look around is my advice
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Toyota/Starlet/car/1065248/
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Toyota/Starlet/1.3-Petrol/990715/
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Toyota/Starlet/1.3/986641/

Not if it was the last car on earth would i buy one I'd rather walk!

if youre going cheaper than the starlet Id go fiesta(1.25) or corsa(1.2)

ninty9er

It sounds like you're in a rural steeing, so I wouldn't be putting a learner in anything that size. If she CAN drive your Primera, but finds it a handful, maybe something only SLIGHTLY smaller is the right job. I find with girls in particular, when they have a small first car they become afraid of driving bigger cars (my mam being an example, though not too bad these days).

An Astra of that vintage is a heavy, solid, steady car (I have one) that's not too powerful even in 1.6, so a 1.4 would probably suit her needs, or maybe a Golf (overpriced).

The trick is to get something where the back window is LITERALLY the back of the car to make it easier to park.

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Opel/Astra/N.C.T-2010/1000536/

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Ford/Focus/car/1041717/

Definitely not as fast as it looks, but slightly overpriced. Don't let looks deceive you. It may well be a cracker of a car and isn't actually a complete shed.
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Toyota/Corolla/vvti-Terra/982918/

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Peugeot/306/1.4-MERIDIAN/886815/

snickerpuss

I'm a girl, 21, learnt to drive in my dad's primera, hated it, too big!
I got a Yaris and I love it! Can't drive my mate's fiesta, I don't understand the fuss about them, they're horrible to drive.
Fully recommend the Yaris, it'll hold its value too!

ninty9er

snickerpuss wrote: »

can't Drive My Mate's Fiesta, I Don't Understand The Fuss About Them, They're Horrible To Drive.

+1

snickerpuss wrote: »

Fully Recommend The Yaris, It'll Hold Its Value Too!

+1

Biro

angelfire9 wrote: »

Get real here, we're talking about an 18 year old!
As for getting an older car, the older the car the more problems you're going to run into, as for one thing and older car tends to have more mileage so apart from rust and ordinary wear & tear cars over 10 years old have parts that will need to be repaired/replaced sooner rather than later
Which is why i picked a 00 model, 8 years old, not too old to be falling apart but old enough not to be too expensive
With the Micra you'll save on Tax, Insurance and petrol (more fuel economy on a 1l) you can't really argue with that point cos it's the truth, even with the insurance you found almost €100 of a difference

But, because you said the insurance difference was down to car type than Engine Size i went onto chill.ie (used to be insureme.ie) for a new quote,

female driver, DOB 14/01/1980, full irish licence for 1year, zero no claims bonus, no penalty points, kept & used in Clare, insurance for insured only, immobilzer fitted, no alarm, mileage of 10k, parked on property at night value of car €5k


Nissan Micra 998cc 5 door, petrol, 93-00 model Cheapest quote was €793

Corolla 5 door hatchback, 1398cc cheapest was €868

Micra still cheaper, though not by as much as Hibernian, and this is down to the engine size & nothing else!

I am real. I know what we're talking about here. Saying an older car is going to be less reliable is kind of like saying green cars are bigger than red cars.
Seeing as Ireland is all about the year and little else, that lends itself to bargains due to a car being a certain age. A 4 year old abused and neglected car with 100,000 miles is hardly going to be more reliable than a 10 year old minded car with 75,000 miles. Rust isn't a concern these days from a structural point of view.

snowman707

ninty9er wrote: »

It sounds like you're in a rural steeing, so I wouldn't be putting a learner in anything that size. If she CAN drive your Primera, but finds it a handful, maybe something only SLIGHTLY smaller is the right job. I find with girls in particular, when they have a small first car they become afraid of driving bigger cars (my mam being an example, though not too bad these days).

An Astra of that vintage is a heavy, solid, steady car (I have one) that's not too powerful even in 1.6, so a 1.4 would probably suit her needs, or maybe a Golf (overpriced).

The trick is to get something where the back window is LITERALLY the back of the car to make it easier to park.

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Opel/Astra/N.C.T-2010/1000536/

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Ford/Focus/car/1041717/

Definitely not as fast as it looks, but slightly overpriced. Don't let looks deceive you. It may well be a cracker of a car and isn't actually a complete shed.
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Toyota/Corolla/vvti-Terra/982918/

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Peugeot/306/1.4-MERIDIAN/886815/

Thanks for all comments,

It is not the size of the primera that is the problem, ( this lady also drives a 100HP tractor, although usually in the fields) she seems to have an issue with the gear change, & if she stalls it being a 01 diesel one has to go through the 'cold start' routine to get going again, (not very safe at a busy junction!!) she took a few lessons in a micra and liked it,

As I said she is presently doing her Leaving & as soon as she is finished I will pass on all your comments & will leave the final decision to her.

I suppose safety & realibilty are the main issues,

I don't mind the odd repair as long as you get a warning , I have been driving Nissan for 20 years & while I have had problems I have never been left at the side of the road. I service regurally drive the s*** out them & usually get well over 200K miles fairly trouble free.

PS just as an after thought ,, any comments on automatics would be grateful or would that be going in the wrong direction??

ninty9er

snowman707 wrote: »

Thanks for all comments,

It is not the size of the primera that is the problem, ( this lady also drives a 100HP tractor, although usually in the fields) she seems to have an issue with the gear change, & if she stalls it being a 01 diesel one has to go through the 'cold start' routine to get going again, (not very safe at a busy junction!!) she took a few lessons in a micra and liked it,

If it's not the size then maybe a petrol car of that size is feasable given the safety consideration, if insurance is affordable. People here will bitch about the tax but the €263 difference between a 1.0 and 1.6 is negligible when taken into real consideration. After all it's only 72c a day:rolleyes:

snowman707 wrote: »

PS just as an after thought ,, any comments on automatics would be grateful or would that be going in the wrong direction??

If anything it's a better idea, IF she's already passed her test. If not she could always pass her test in her instructors car and just have an automatic anyway. She might or might not like the drive. I would have bought one if I wasn't so desperate to leave the 1.0l behind me in a hurry. At the lower end (up to 1.4/1.6) automatics are kind of wasted, but are still a good option to keep in mind.

What's your budget?

Brianarundel

Well, my beginner's car was a daewoo lanos 1.4. And it's never given me any trouble. Getting around 35 mpg from it, has a little bit of pep and never gives any trouble.Talking to dealers over the past few months about it, the only trouble the cars ever give is with the fuel pump or/and the coil. I bought the 2000 model about a year ago for 1800 and sold it recently for 1750. There's a certain snobbiness about certain cars, and the daewoo is within that category right now. In my opinion it's a perfect starter car: a 2000 or 2001 Black (the other colours look manky on these cars) daewoo lanos 1.4 is a sound enough buy.

zilog_jones

snickerpuss wrote: »

Can't drive my mate's fiesta, I don't understand the fuss about them, they're horrible to drive.

What was so bad about it?

S.I.R

angelfire9 wrote: »

Not if it was the last car on earth would i buy one I'd rather walk!

Suit yourself but there one of the best shooping carts ever made.... more rigid then a micra with less understeer then a civic.... beats most any car asfar as cornering is concerned.


will be taking a S2 106/saxo as my first car... shall be rather happy as ill own it for a year or so then i can get a more comfortable.

ninty9er

zilog_jones wrote: »

What was so bad about it?

The clutch for one....and the driving position for 2. They do it for me anyway

zen15

Hi , I have a durashift 1.4 fiesta Thats the option to drive as an automatic (handy on motorway)or 5 speed (gears)for town driving . picked it up in 03 and have done 80.000 miles and never a foot wrong, service is cheap don't need a franchised dealer can buy most parts in halfords now, 35 miles to gallon, perfect little car

Vertakill

From a slightly biased pov, I'd recommend a Japanese car, mostly for the reliability. I learned in a 99' Mitsubishi Colt 1.3 and really liked it. Comfortable, small, easy to manoeuvre and nippy enough to get you out of harms way if need be. They're also quite cheap nowadays too. You can't really go wrong with most of the small jap cars like a Starlet/Yaris/Micra.
As far as engine size is concerned, she may get frustrated driving a 1.0ltr car after she's comfortable at driving (I got bored of a 1.3, but that's just me), so as the saying goes "I'd rather be looking at it, than for it", regarding power - because you just don't have any in a 1 ltr. 1.3 is grand to learn how to drive in, and there's a little bit of power there when you need it. Also the insurance/tax costs between 1 and 1.4ltr is negligible nowadays.

zilog_jones

ninty9er wrote: »

The clutch for one....and the driving position for 2. They do it for me anyway

Took me a few days to get used to the clutch alright, but this was like after 4 weeks of starting driving. I think it's just because it's hydraulic whereas other cars are cable-driven - there's nothing really bad about it IMO, it's just different.

Don't find the driving position too bad either, given the seats in mine have seen better days. I'm not particularly tall or anything though. Legroom is definately crap in the back - a bit annoying for me because I nearly always have to move the seat forward if there's four people in the car.

The rear windscreen is massive compared to a lot of cars (Polo etc.), which is probably good for starting off.

The Mk. 5 Fiesta (2002 onwards) is a completely different car - none of the above applies to that, except maybe the clutch (didn't notice it myself but I'm used to them after nearly 2 years). The driving position is completely different (much higher up) and you can get adjustable everything. Steering is fierce light in comparison - everything is weird and different compared to the Mk. 4

zen15

Just noticed , on rereading never said the year of my fiesta 2003, also would be willing to sell it , to a good home rather than a good price and before anyone thinks i'm desperate my other car is a mercedes s 280 , other end of spectrum , i know , but love me aul fiesta

Max_Damage

ninty9er wrote: »

The clutch for one....and the driving position for 2. They do it for me anyway

My father has a '97 Fiesta, and it's not a bad car to drive. I do agree that the clutch is quite sensitive, but you get used to that after a while of driving it. The driving position is fine for me (I'm 6' 0"). As Zilog_Jones said, there is virtually no room in the back for passengers, compared to my Micra, you could fit three in the back no bother without the need of moving the seat foreword.

The suspension is a bit spongey though.

zilog_jones

Max_Damage wrote: »

The suspension is a bit spongey though.

The rear shock mounts may be gone - they were in mine along with some bushes (they were quite noisey though) and it made a big difference afterwards. NCT failure AFAIK. Front suspension bushes are known to wear quickly enough too - heard about every 30k miles from someone - can't confirm this, but knowing my luck things started getting squeaky at the front a few months after getting the rear stuff done :rolleyes:.

freakgirl

I have my very first car for now VW POLO 96, got it very very cheep.

Didnt wanted any fiesta, micra, punto, they might are popular but VW better by quality and spear parts not hard to get.

Have to agree window screen is defiantly big and good for beginners.
I keep learning in my area and road observation is perfect. The same about side mirrors.