€2000 to spend on a car..

arybvtcw0eolkf

I'll be shortly buying my son (he's 17) his first car and wouldn't want to go much above €2000 for his first.

Is this enough to get him a half decent (and safe) car and what would you guys recommend.

Thankfully he hates the whole boy racer thing so a Civic/Punto/Micro etc are out of the question. Although I wouldn't mind a Civic in original condition as their basically a reliable car?.

Beta Ray Bill

1.0L VW Polo is the way to go mate.

really can't go wrong

challengemaster

Personally I'd cry if I had gotten a micra!

I got a 00 punto, I'm happy - It's a nice car, giving me no trouble at all - great to learn in.

here's a nice one not too far over your budget - It's the sporting version (engine size is still the same, 1.2L - it just has that bit more class so you don't look like a gimp in it)

Captain Slow IRL

Here's a pretty decent specced civic - a little over budget, but I'm sure there's room for bargaining.

Volvoboy

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Nissan/Almera/1.4-GX/1213214/

FTW! My 1st car was one of theses and never had a days trouble, fair enough i only had it for 8 months or so.

Check usuall Cv's and shocks on these.

snowman707

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Skoda/Fabia/1.4-16V/1224131

looks to be clean, mileage ok, & a very safe car.

ergonomics

Ford Fiesta is a great little car. I got a 99 there a few months ago for just over 2K and got a 6 month warranty. They're common as muck so it's easy repair them and mine is very economical. Costing me about €20 each week, including a trip to and from Limerick every week.

SV

Ford fiesta 1.25 Ghia Model - 1250 EURO
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Ford/Fiesta/1.25-GHIA/1136828/

Fiat punto 1.2 ELX model -1650 Euro
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Fiat/Punto/1.2-ELX/1223215/

VW polo 1.0 base model - 1750 EURO
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Volkswagen/Polo/1.0-BASE/1214908/

Volvoboy

ClioV6 wrote: »

Ford fiesta 1.25 Ghia Model - 1250 EURO
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Ford/Fiesta/1.25-GHIA/1136828/

Fiat punto 1.2 ELX model -1650 Euro
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Fiat/Punto/1.2-ELX/1223215/

VW polo 1.0 base model - 1750 EURO
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Volkswagen/Polo/1.0-BASE/1214908/

That Ford is a LX.

A friend of mine has had nothing BUT trouble with her 00 Punto.

Dont mean to piss in yer cornflakes ClioV6

Cionád

Volvoboy wrote: »

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Nissan/Almera/1.4-GX/1213214/

FTW! My 1st car was one of theses and never had a days trouble, fair enough i only had it for 8 months or so.

Check usuall Cv's and shocks on these.

+ 1

I've had mine for near on 4 years now, 156k miles now and never misses a beat.

Hal1

He might appreciate the car more if he purchased it out of his own pocket.

SV

Volvoboy wrote: »

That Ford is a LX.

A friend of mine has had nothing BUT trouble with her 00 Punto.

Dont mean to piss in yer cornflakes ClioV6

lol..it's ok, I know nothing about them really! I do know a lot of people have hassle with puntos but a lot of them are ok too..

didn't know that about the fiesta at all actually..nice catch!



ha, they're not my cars so it doesn't bother me

Brian?

ClioV6 wrote: »

lol..it's ok, I know nothing about them really! I do know a lot of people have hassle with puntos but a lot of them are ok too..

The only people I know who've had puntos have had terrible hassle with them.

Can't go wrong with an almera or a fiest I reckon, boring but reliable.

You could go for a bitta excitment with this:

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Volkswagen/Corrado/1.8-16/1114174/

challengemaster

and about 4-5k insurance on that yoke... madness putting a learner in a 1.8L

Go for the punto tbh - Wouldn't fault mine. They're actually a nice car to learn in, and despite what people think, you do have to start somewhere. And atleast the punto mk2's dont look like a huge pile of crap. IMO they look better than the mk3 too. This is coming from a 17 year old here. Also you're looking at like 2-3k insurance on a punto with a learner permit these days. You go with something higher powered... Best of luck to ya!

The best thing you can do Mairt, is ask him what he thinks.

Volvoboy

challengemaster wrote: »

and about 4-5k insurance on that yoke... madness putting a learner in a 1.8L

Go for the punto tbh - Wouldn't fault mine. They're actually a nice car to learn in, and despite what people think, you do have to start somewhere. And atleast the punto mk2's dont look like a huge pile of crap. IMO they look better than the mk3 too. This is coming from a 17 year old here. Also you're looking at like 2-3k insurance on a punto with a learner permit these days. You go with something higher powered... Best of luck to ya!

The best thing you can do Mairt, is ask him what he thinks.

I still dont recomend the Punto, yes it will look a but more grown up on par with a Micra or Saxo, but what good is a good looking Punto sitting on yer drive after the head goes on it?

The car will want to be a strong enough mecanically to put up with a learner driver. Think German or Jap.

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Toyota/Corolla/NCTD-0210/1216110/

These are a great little car too;

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Volkswagen/Lupo/car/1210576/

Biro

Civic saloon is your man. Ultra-reliable, not boy-racerish at all, and a league ahead of the Almeara. Looks fine, not offensive like a Micra!

Gary ITR

Hal1 wrote: »

He might appreciate the car more if he purchased it out of his own pocket.

Yes and a baby wouldn't sh1t in it's nappy if it had to pay for them himself. If my father bought me a car when I was 17 I would have appreciated it very much.

Volvoboy

Biro wrote: »

Civic saloon is your man. Ultra-reliable, not boy-racerish at all, and a league ahead of the Almeara. Looks fine, not offensive like a Micra!

:eek:

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Honda/Civic/car/1218804/
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Honda/Civic/vti-must/1221990/
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Honda/Civic/1.6L-VETEC/1189862/
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Honda/Civic/modifed-modifed/1200788/
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Honda/Civic/vtec-1.5ls/1206517/

Biro

Volvoboy wrote: »

:eek:

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Honda/Civic/car/1218804/
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Honda/Civic/vti-must/1221990/
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Honda/Civic/1.6L-VETEC/1189862/
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Honda/Civic/modifed-modifed/1200788/
http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Honda/Civic/vtec-1.5ls/1206517/

THere's pimped out Almearas too!
OP - just avoid the above 5 civic saloons and you're sorted.

GERMAN ROCKS

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Citroen/Xsara/LX-FULL/971525/

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Peugeot/306/1.4-MERIDIAN/1212384/

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Peugeot/206/1.1-L/1196535/

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Peugeot/106/1.1-PLUS/1216021/

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Renault/Clio/car/1224277/

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Opel/Astra/1.4-top/1223460/

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Opel/Corsa/1.0-SWING/1120506/

granted all mine are a bit over budget but you should get a few hundred off by paying cash and with the recession and everything

Volvoboy

Biro wrote: »

THere's pimped out Almearas too!
OP - just avoid the above 5 civic saloons and you're sorted.

Where??!

But to say the Civic saloon isnt a boyracer mobile is a bit silly tbh.

challengemaster

Volvoboy wrote: »

I still dont recomend the Punto, yes it will look a but more grown up on par with a Micra or Saxo, but what good is a good looking Punto sitting on yer drive after the head goes on it?

The car will want to be a strong enough mecanically to put up with a learner driver. Think German or Jap.

The car is well able to put up mechanically with learner drivers - y'know, being one and driving one, and all... I think I should know.

Oh, and the head gasket problem is only with the 8valve engines. 16v ones its not a problem. I still can't fault mine, and judging by your rabble, you haven't either driven or learned in one.

They're well capable cars - Accidentally a while back I overshot 3rd into 5th gear - easy mistake for a learner, car kept going grand. Also I think if instructors and a lot of learner drivers choose them as a first car, they can't be too bad.

ytareh

Nissan Micra 93-99 model for sure...bombproof...the only thing that gives trouble in them are door handles(breaking) and door hinges (drooping) ...Insurance and running costs probably half of the Civic or less .5 Door far better (500ish) resale value.

masseyno9

Challengemster, I appreciate that you think the world of your punto, but to say the head gasket isn't an issue is just untrue. I drive a bravo 1.2 which has the same engine as your punto and the gasket has gone...more than once according to what the mechanic told (and showed) me, but only once since I owned it. I know another guy who had a bravo and scrapped it when his head gasket went. Ask any mechanic about issues with punto/bravo/brava 1.2 16v engines and they'll tell you head gasket. Fortunately they won't tell you much else.

Mairt, Punto is an affordable, comfortable car for a learner and you can get well up in the years due to price of 2nd hand fiats. Personally, even after all the head gasket issues I've outlined above, I'd still recommend one. Look after her, oil, water etc. and you should be ok, and at the very least you'll be able to spot a problem early before it gets too serious/expensive. If you're looking at puntos you might aswell look at the bravo/a as well. They feel so much bigger inside than you'd think and are very affordable. Make sure if you do get one that the timing belt has been done recently too (and water pump etc at the same time).

Best of luck.

Volvoboy

challengemaster wrote: »

The car is well able to put up mechanically with learner drivers - y'know, being one and driving one, and all... I think I should know.

Oh, and the head gasket problem is only with the 8valve engines. 16v ones its not a problem. I still can't fault mine, and judging by your rabble, you haven't either driven or learned in one.

They're well capable cars - Accidentally a while back I overshot 3rd into 5th gear - easy mistake for a learner, car kept going grand. Also I think if instructors and a lot of learner drivers choose them as a first car, they can't be too bad.

I'm not saying they're a bad car, just not a reliable one.

Here is proof if ya need it; http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055351913

I've had to tow this car in the above thread home more than once.

And as for rabble, do/have your worked in any aspect of the motor trade?

superjosh9

I have a soft spot for the Almera saloon. They are a brilliant first car in terms of: economy, visibility, turning circle and reliability is first rate. In addition, they usually are driven by sensible/oaps, and apart from the odd parking dent, they aren't thrashed - like a Civic et al.

The only problem? Safety. It's terrible. But, prob no worse than a Civic, Punto of similar age.

If safety is a concern, have a look on www.euroncap.com and look at the ratings. Rule of thumb, the newer the *design* the safer it is.

gyppo

Fiesta 1.25 gets my vote as a brilliant starter car.

Otherwise, a late Starlet would also be a good bet.

Eoin

challengemaster wrote: »

Personally I'd cry if I had gotten a micra!

I would have been over the moon if my dad had bought me any car at 21, let alone 17.

Mairt, the difference between insuring a 1.0 engine and a 1.3 engine could be a good few hundred quid, and I assume you are shelling out for that as well, so take it into consideration.

bigpinkelephant

A vote for the Punto from me!
They really are much bigger on the inside than they look, I can fit 3 of my friends in the back no problem.

I hope this thread isn't going to descend into another anti-Punto free-for-all...

galwaytt

someone mentioned it, but the Saxo and it's ilk, e.g. small Peugeot's offer good small cars, at reasonable money, and they're all learner-friendly.

Have you checked insurance yet ? Like it or not, it's a factor. Models like Punto's, Saxo's, Fiesta's, Micra's (boring and all as they may be..), all get 'reasonable' (! :rolleyes: ) quotes.........well, compared to the likes of Civic's, etc.....