First Car?

SauceMonster

Hidey Hi my little droogies.

Sorry if you are all sick of recommending "my first car" to newbies but despite all my homework im still none the wiser as to what i should get so i just need somebody to tell me straight out.

Im on my first provisional license and ive only just learned how to drive. Im considering something in the supermini class a). because i like the idea of my first car being small and easy to negotiate tight spaces b) trying to keep it below 1.2 litre to save on insurance costs and c) cos my girlfriend will also be driving it at some stage.

Im not too concerned with it looking girly i just need something reliable and a decent enough performance for its class. My budget is around 8k. So far ive narrowed my search down to Getz (06-07), Colt (06-07), Micra (06-07), Picanto (07-08), Yaris (05). Am i way off with these choices or do any of them seem like a good idea to any of you motoring experts out there?

Thanks a million.

JackFrosty

Go for the yaris, they are a great car.
Micras are reliable but dont get alot of respect on the road

allthedoyles

VW Polo 1.2

B00MSTICK

Can I suggest you go for something a little cheaper as a 1st car, you probably will scratch/dent it a bit so I reckon you should drop a few years. A newish car that's taken a few knocks can look much worse than an old one.

8k is alot for a 1st car, go for something cheap, cheery and reliable now and then upgrade when you have a NCD/Full license

Hal1

My two choices would be a Fabia or a Polo in the 1.2 range. Boomstick is right, but the way the car market is atm there's alot of bargins in most garages.

SauceMonster

Thanks for the advice people.

My thinking behind going for a newish car was that they do seem to be quite cheap at the moment and im not sure how long that will last.
For example i saw an 07 Getz priced at €7,500 so i figured i could get a bit more off that.

Also i thought that by spending a bit more money on a newer car i could be avoiding dishing out additional money on repairs to older models.

I'll definitley take your advice into account, maybe i was just getting a bit carried away with the first car buzz. Are there any particular makes/models you would recommend or at the very least ones that i should steer well clear of?

lifer_sean

From what you list, I'd agree with JackFrosty on the Yaris as number 1. Personally I'd put the Getz as number 2 from what you list. The Colt is impossible to sell so only buy if you are getting a really really good deal - you will have a problem offloading it when you want to change.

Nothing wrong with a Fiesta - you will get a 06 Fiesta Steel (alloys, sunroof or air con) for that budget.

Micra won't give trouble but very uncool.

ninty9er

One thing that's a nigglin at me....you've only begun learning to drive....people who have "learned to drive" are most likely to be those that never truly know how to drive. If you approach driving properly you should still be learning (on a full licence obviously) in 40 years.

Anyhow...that's my little off topic lecture out of the way.

Have you considered something slightly bigger. If you're going new because you plan on keeping it, you may outgrow a small car and tire of it before you can financially afford to get something bigger...I was luck that my part time job paid well and I could change my first car after 2 years, but the loss you make when trading is astounding.

The insurance won't be more than €300-400 more expensive for a 1.4/1.6.

Try and find a car that would normally have a smaller engine and bargain with the seller because it has a bigger engine. The "normal" engine in Ireland is a pain and generally underpowered for the car it's in. In general, if most are 1.4, the smallest it should have is a 1.6.

(i.e get a 1.3 Yaris/ 1.6 Focus)

Try something like these....and MOST importantly....drive before you buy.

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Peugeot/206/1.4-GLX/200840190285087/advert

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Mazda/Mazda3/NCT-01%231/200846190837505/advert

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Opel/Astra/1.6-16V-/200823189071859/advert

billyhead

Hi OP,

I am selling my Nissan Micra. It would be ideal for your circumstances and a lot cheaper then what you are considering. The link is below. The price is negotiable. I do not possess a digital camera so could not post pics, but if you were interested we could arrange for a viewing and test drive.

http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=85522

Tony Broke

If you want piece of mind and some bit of a warranty go for a Kia.Kia Picanto are a good car and you can pick up a 07 one for about 6000-7000.I think they came with a 7 year warranty/100,000 mile warranty as well.

I would never spend that much money on a first car, but if you dont have to get a loan and you can pick up a good little 06-07 yoke with a 2 year + warranty go for it.

How old are you? If your older than 21, then going from a 1.1 to a nice 1.3 wouldnt cost a lot.That extra bit of power goes a long way.

Steve

My 2c is to buy something a bit older that you won't get upset over when you get a scratch or a dent - it WILL happen, it happens to 95% of new drivers imo. That way you can get more enjoyment out of it rather than having to worry about birds crapping on it and kids kicking footballs against it. After 1 or 2 years you will have learned enough to know where best to park etc and will hopefully have gotten any gatepost scrapes out of your system.

The main thing is to enjoy the whole experience of owning your first car and not having to worry about the odd scrape of bump will help this..:)

Tony Broke

SteveC wrote: »

My 2c is to buy something a bit older that you won't get upset over when you get a scratch or a dent - it WILL happen, it happens to 95% of new drivers imo. That way you can get more enjoyment out of it rather than having to worry about birds crapping on it and kids kicking footballs against it. After 1 or 2 years you will have learned enough to know where best to park etc and will hopefully have gotten any gatepost scrapes out of your system.

The main thing is to enjoy the whole experience of owning your first car and not having to worry about the odd scrape of bump will help this..:)

agree fully with that, best off getting a nice clean Seat Ibiza for under 1500.plenty around and a good car.

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=1199218

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=search&sortby=PriceAsc&maxrows=100&MakeID=27&ModelID=1491&Price_Min=500&Price_Max=2500&GroupID=738

theteal

i miss my old micra (t'was a 98), sure it looked like a deformed bubble and it shook to pieces once you hit 140kmph but it was quick, light, easy to handle (no power steering though) never gave me an ounce of trouble and it was just plain fun - micra gets my vote any day!

do not spend anything like what you're planning OP, you will scratch/bump it (no offence) and it'll bug you so much more if you paid a pretty penny for the car

towel401

don't get any of this 05-07 stuff. that costs money

get an old banger, don't spend more than 1,000. that way things wont be so bad if you **** up. drive the banger for a year or two then get a proper car

challengemaster

I think spending anything over 2k on your first car is madness. As others have said, you will get bumps/scrapes in it. It's what happens when you're learning. Also cheap cars = cheap insurance.

Would you prefer taking a scrape on a 00 car, or a 07 one? And which would cost more to fix?

Tony Broke

ninty9er wrote: »

The insurance won't be more than €300-400 more expensive for a 1.4/1.6.

Try and find a car that would normally have a smaller engine and bargain with the seller because it has a bigger engine. The "normal" engine in Ireland is a pain and generally underpowered for the car it's in. In general, if most are 1.4, the smallest it should have is a 1.6.

(i.e get a 1.3 Yaris/ 1.6 Focus)

Try something like these....and MOST importantly....drive before you buy.

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Peugeot/206/1.4-GLX/200840190285087/advert

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Mazda/Mazda3/NCT-01%231/200846190837505/advert

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Opel/Astra/1.6-16V-/200823189071859/advert

Thats good advice, know one told me anything about that when I bought my 1st car .Carrying around a saloon Corolla in a 1.3 wasnt much fun, especially when I had a taste of the good life in my bro's 2.0 626.

cooperguy

I have to agree with starting out with an old banger. Iv had my 95 fiesta for 2 years now and Im about to upgrade. You WILL scratch the car at some stage. It probably wont be major but it will happen. Now maybe going for a 95 fiesta is going too far in the other direction but I think a cheap learning car is what you need.

mumblin deaf ro

The cars listed by the OP are all good cars for a learner, but I'd go for the Yaris.

You could of course do what I did (and what a lot of people do) and spend €2K on a Punto and then get something nicer when you pass your test.

ninty9er

mumblin deaf ro wrote: »

The cars listed by the OP are all good cars for a learner, but I'd go for the Yaris.

You could of course do what I did (and what a lot of people do) and spend €2K on a Punto and then get something nicer when you pass your test.

Realistically my advice is predicated on the notion that nobody should buy a car until they have passed their test.

Even after 25 years my mam is scraping the smallest car she's ever owned...not a lot though, but you will never be free o bumps and scrapes.

mumblin deaf ro

ninty9er wrote: »

Realistically my advice is predicated on the notion that nobody should buy a car until they have passed their test.

How are you suppoed to get enough practice if you don't own a car though? After all, who can afford to pay for a driving lesson every time you want to drive.

VolvoMan

I haven't any experience with the above except the Yaris which I found to be a painfully uncomfortable car. The only thing I have positive to say about it is that it is a spacious, airy car. Otherwise it is overrated.

ninty9er

mumblin deaf ro wrote: »

How are you suppoed to get enough practice if you don't own a car though? After all, who can afford to pay for a driving lesson every time you want to drive.

Get 10/15 lessons = €500 max. If you can't pass your test after that you shouldn't have a car and if you can afford to buy a car you can afford to pay for the lessons.

It's not about practice, it's about learning effectively and continuously throughout your driving career. You can practice all you like after you pass your test.

If it's good enough for some of the best drivers in the world it's good enough for me.

ninty9er

mumblin deaf ro wrote: »

How are you suppoed to get enough practice if you don't own a car though? After all, who can afford to pay for a driving lesson every time you want to drive.

Get 10/15 lessons = €500 max. If you can't pass your test after that you shouldn't have a car and if you can afford to buy a car you can afford to pay for the lessons.

It's not about practice, it's about learning effectively and continuously throughout your driving career. You can practice all you like after you pass your test.

If it's good enough for some of the best drivers in the world it's good enough for me.

VolvoMan wrote: »

I haven't any experience with the above except the Yaris which I found to be a painfully uncomfortable car. The only thing I have positive to say about it is that it is a spacious, airy car. Otherwise it is overrated.

I don't find the Yaris particularly uncomfortable for a car of its size.

mumblin deaf ro

I disagree with you there 99er - driving lessons alone without practice are not enough to make you a competent driver. You need lots and lots of practice and for that you need your own car.

ninty9er

mumblin deaf ro wrote: »

I disagree with you there 99er - driving lessons alone without practice are not enough to make you a competent driver. You need lots and lots of practice and for that you need your own car.

Passing a driving test is the first step to competence. Get your practice and improve on that base, but you need the basics before you go driving on your own.

The culture of getting a car when you get a provisional is an outdated one that is the root of all poor driving in this country.

VolvoMan

ninty9er wrote: »

I don't find the Yaris particularly uncomfortable for a car of its size.

Space-wise it was fine, don't get me wrong, but the seats were like benches. I found them quite unbearable.

ninty9er

VolvoMan wrote: »

Space-wise it was fine, don't get me wrong, but the seats were like benches. I found them quite unbearable.

I find them too soft:pac:

SauceMonster

Once again, thanks everybody for your advice.

The consensus seems to be, start off with something cheap and nasty cos the first year or so of driving is basically bumper cars.

Thanks again, im sure ill be trading insurance details with most of you at some point in the future.

angeldelight

The new Yaris seats are very comfortable - they mould very well into the lower back.

I bought my first car in September - a 2008 Yaris Luna for 13,000... I absolutely love it and I have to say I'm glad I didn't go for a cheap car I'd be 'afraid of scraping'. Everytime I get into the car I feel happy driving it and having driven my mam's car for over a year before buying my own and never having a bump/scrape/near miss I definitely think it's worth the money. The newer Yaris (2006 onwards) are lovely

ninty9er

angeldelight wrote: »

The new Yaris seats are very comfortable - they mould very well into the lower back.

Too flexible for my liking....but by all means if you've made a shortlist of at LEAST 5 cars, and driven ALL of them for at least 25 mins, and the Yaris comes out on top....buy one.

Esel

+1 on the Bangernomics advice. You will/may ding/damage it in your first year of driving; ditto for your girlfriend. I would advise a Corolla (know it'd be over your engine size preference, but not by much) or Micra. You can get a reliable one for €1,000. Don't be put off by the year - that's for snobs/fools.