Best first car for a teenage girl

Ciaramb92

I'm currently learning to drive (have had 7 lessons... Hoping to apply for my test next week leaving me plenty of time to get more lessons..!)

Dad has (half heartedly (meaning I'll have to put some money to it)) agreeded to buy me a cheap car once I pass.

I'm going into LC and will need it for going to school and also going to friends and stuff!

What I need:
A nice small car
Not costing over €3500
Cheap to insure (well cheap considering.. :rolleyes:)

I was thinking of:
Toyota Yaris
Fiat Punto
Ford Ka
VW Beetle (out of the price range though?)

Thanks..!

(Plus how long would the wait be on average between applying for the test and sitting it..? Could I opt for a cancellation test to get one quicker?... In the Athlone centre..!)

If I were you I'd get the car before passing unless you are insured on a family car?

I got my micra as my first and I love it. It's also reliable

Ciaramb92

I'm not too keen on the micras... Though Id' say they're nice for driving in towns and stuff?

I would but there's the cost of insurance on a provisional so I'm not sure yet...

Dad got a quote for me to get insured on the family car and it was €1000 for the year.. Like extra on top of the current premium.. Bit expensive..? ('08 Nissan Note)

Alanstrainor

Ford Fiesta 1.25 Ghia is a great car.
Toyota Yaris is another good choice, but they tend to be a little bit more expensive for the year of car.

sh1tstirrer

Stick the yaris. Fiats are trouble Ka not much better and forget about the beetle they are heavy on juice. The yaris is light on petrol and a very reliable car it won't let you down.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Max Power1

My personal choice was a fiesta - they are easy to learn in.

sentient_6

Ciaramb92 wrote: »

(Plus how long would the wait be on average between applying for the test and sitting it..? Could I opt for a cancellation test to get one quicker?... In the Athlone centre..!)

The average waiting times are up on RSA website. Looks like athlone is 13 weeks at the moment. If you need it sooner or end up feeling your ready dont be afraid to try elsewhere, mullingar & roscommon are only a short hop from you. (& 9 & 7 weeks wait repectively)

Ciaramb92

Ciaramb92 wrote: »

I'm not too keen on the micras... Though Id' say they're nice for driving in towns and stuff?

I would but there's the cost of insurance on a provisional so I'm not sure yet...

I got a partial refund on mine once I passed the test and sent them a copy of my licence

Fair enough so, I like mine Usually end up driving on the motorway myself

mathepac

Toyota Yaris (will be expensive as they hold their value well) or a Daihatsu Sirion (998 cc sips juice), both ultra reliable, easy to drive.

lilka

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Ford Fiesta 1.25 Ghia is a great car.
Toyota Yaris is another good choice, but they tend to be a little bit more expensive for the year of car.

Agree with Ford Fiesta 1.25 Ghia is a great car...so great to drive with loads of extras on the Ghia ...

SissyBubbles

My current and first car is a Fiesta. I would highly recommend it. Best of luck with your test.

rugbyman

prob raise a smile here, but I think Daewoo Matiz are the bees knees, cheap to buy, reliable, absolutely no street cred.

Re insurance, my insurers want 1200 euro extra to put my 17 year old son on.
Quinn direct ,appear to be offering me to put him on for 300 odd if I move to them.

Good Luck

Rugbyman

challengemaster

Ciaramb92 wrote: »

I'm currently learning to drive (have had 7 lessons... Hoping to apply for my test next week leaving me plenty of time to get more lessons..!)

Dad has (half heartedly (meaning I'll have to put some money to it)) agreeded to buy me a cheap car once I pass.

I'm going into LC and will need it for going to school and also going to friends and stuff!

What I need:
A nice small car
Not costing over €3500
Cheap to insure (well cheap considering.. :rolleyes:)

I was thinking of:
Toyota Yaris
Fiat Punto
Ford Ka
VW Beetle (out of the price range though?)

Thanks..!

(Plus how long would the wait be on average between applying for the test and sitting it..? Could I opt for a cancellation test to get one quicker?... In the Athlone centre..!)

You don't need a car for going to school. You managed 5 years so far - one more won't kill you. Waste of petrol tbh, something you'll soon learn about

I'd say anything over 2k is overkill for a first car. And it's laughable at a girl complaining over insurance costs.... my first years insurance was 2000 for a policy in my own name. I've 2 years NCB now, and a full license. It's down to 1000 on a 1.4..... my girlfriend could get insurance on my car for 800 with a provisional, in her own name, with no NCB.

Do some looking around, look into getting your own policy - it'll work out better in the long run anyway. Might even be cheaper than adding to another policy.

As for cars, forget the beetle, unless you want to be laughed at....ugly car which should never have been made, i'd almost guarantee it's awful to drive too.

As for puntos, stay away from the 8v models, they tend to have lots of issues, especially with the head gasket/engine (lot of money to fix).

As for the test-wait... there's waiting times on drivingtest.ie for centres. I applied in june, didn't get notification of a date until september and it was october before I sat the test - and that was athlone test centre last year. I can't imagine it changed much since.

phasers

Girl here, when I was 18 I got TPFT insurance for €1450 on my first car (1.4 Peugeot 206), it's worth having your own policy so you can build up a no claims bonus. It went down to €1100 this year for fully comp and hopefully will be under a grand next year. This is with a learner permit by the way, if you pass your test it will be much lower.

Also you'll think twice about driving to and from school every day if you have to pay for your own petrol.

I'd say avoid beetles, they're so bulky and they also look like they'd be harder to reverse!
I got the 206 and while I loved it I wouldn't reccommend it, I found the gears quite heavy and awkward. Tempermental little thing as well, very French

Get yourself a Toyota, they're brilliant cars and do everything you want them to do. A little Yaris would be perfect, plus they're really cute.

Cabaal

Ciaramb92 wrote: »

I'm going into LC and will need it for going to school and also going to friends and stuff!

How did you get to school the other years?

While I understand you want a car unless you going to get yourself a job and keep it throughout the year doing the LC you don't need th extra expense of tax, insurance and running costs.

Get the head down and finish the LC, you don't need the added work of having to pay for the car while still in school.

In the mean time do some learning on the parents car and you'll be set further down the line

Michael B

Another vote for the Yaris. My mother has one, it's the car I learned to drive in and it's a very reliable, easy car to drive.

tinkerbell

I vote for a 1L Toyota Yaris - it's what my first car was and it was a brilliant little car. Also, I loved the fact that the speedometer is a digital one which is brilliant, rather than the normal clock that other cars have.

highlydebased

Get a Fiesta.

TBH I would not go wasting 3000+ on a first car. Beginners habits may not be the kindest to it!

Ciaramb92

While I understand you want a car unless you going to get yourself a job and keep it throughout the year doing the LC you don't need th extra expense of tax, insurance and running costs.

Already have a job and have got the go ahead from my boss to only work a half day on Saturday (it's normally a full day shift I do) so don't need to worry about that..!


Dad was talking about either a 2001 Landrover Freelander or a 2004 Fiat Punto (insurance is the exact same on both cars)... Big difference between the cars though.. Live in the country and my local town isn't big so I wouldn't need a car that can fit anywhere..! I kind of like the idea of the landrover...:rolleyes:

Max Power1

Neon-Circles wrote: »

Get a Fiesta.

TBH I would not go wasting 3000+ on a first car. Beginners habits may not be the kindest to it!

+1
I passed my test today in a fiesta! And it showed that it was the car I learned in! Associated dints etc.

ztoical

Ciaramb92 wrote: »

Dad was talking about either a 2001 Landrover Freelander or a 2004 Fiat Punto (insurance is the exact same on both cars)... Big difference between the cars though.. Live in the country and my local town isn't big so I wouldn't need a car that can fit anywhere..! I kind of like the idea of the landrover...:rolleyes:

As someone who drives a landrover I think it's mad for a learner to get one as a first car - the road tax on it alone will kill you [or rather your father as I assume he's the one whose going to end paying all the bills]. Your taking 800 odd for the landrover vs under 200/150 for a small car.

Did you actually check with the insurance company [and by check I mean physically go in and speak with a person not online or over the phone] about covering a teenage girl on a first learners permit on a landrover cus I got rid of my micra and was put on the insurance for my dads landrover discovery only when I passed my test as they just wouldn't insure me on it as a learner and I was 25.

And spending anything over 1000 is also a bit much. OP if you have to get something get something small and cheap with a few dents on it.

Sobanek

Wouldn't be that sad with the insurance. We guys have to pay €2000 at least

gu10

An often overlooked feature is a nice spacious and comfortable back seat. an absolute must I would say especially if you are living with your parents.

challengemaster

Learning to drive in a landrover... oh dear jesus. >.<

Davabo

I'm currently learning to drive (have had 7 lessons... Hoping to apply for my test next week leaving me plenty of time to get more lessons..!)

So im assuming you just got your provisonal and your learning to drive.
You do know that you have to wait 6 months to be able to sit your full driving test? And if you book now, You will probly get the date 3-4 months later, therefore making you not eligible to take the test. Correct me if i'm wrong.

As for a starter car, Ive always loved polo 1.0, cheap insurance, great on road and a general nice car. Move up to a 1.4 golf if you have the cash tho

fonpokno

I couldn't speak about Nissan Micras highly enough, my 97 is wonderful, she's a hand-me-down from two older sisters and she's still driving perfectly. The new ones are ugly as sin though.

My driving instructor used a Yaris and I didn't like it tbh, felt too much like a really light tin can. Although the digital speedometer is handy when you're learning.

Also, before you get tied up about driving to school check if they'll let you park there. I know mine didn't let any students park in the school at all and they clamped and fined anyone who tried. I wouldn't waste the petrol either tbh.

The idea of getting a Land Rover as your first car sounds like absolute lunacy to me. Then again I think that a Land Rover at all is lunacy unless you're driving over building sites or big mucky fields so never mind me...

Edit: insurance on the Micra was about €420 fully comp (I was 19 at the time) for me the day I passed my test.

Robo_Mike

Sobanek wrote: »

Wouldn't be that sad with the insurance. We guys have to pay €2000 at least

Not always!

Went out on my own first time this year in a 1.4 01 Corolla, paid €912.77 for TPFT! Adding parents as named drivers knocks off €50, and playing around with the online forms really drops it! Be careful though not to put down anything that isnt true, dont want to void your insurance!

Granted i have 2 years experience, and full license for year and a half, but as a 19 year old lad, i was very happy with it!

Overature

I would highly recommend not going for a micra or a punto, puntos are very not reliable and micros are driven by old people. go for a ford fiesta, i think theres a 1.2 liter one and there better than the ford ka

challengemaster

Overature wrote: »

I would highly recommend not going for a micra or a punto, puntos are very not reliable and micros are driven by old people. go for a ford fiesta, i think theres a 1.2 liter one and there better than the ford ka

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a punto. The models with all the problems are 8v ones. I had one from 17 til just before I turned 19, never came across any major problems. It ALWAYS started perfectly and was grand on petrol.

Overature

challengemaster wrote: »

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a punto. The models with all the problems are 8v ones. I had one from 17 til just before I turned 19, never came across any major problems. It ALWAYS started perfectly and was grand on petrol.

im sorry, i just have a strong dislike for them

ANXIOUS

If i was you, id get a renault something along the lineas of a clio or megane hatch back. Speaking as a learner whose first car cost the guts of €5000 and insurance of €2500 to follow id get something small.

Max Power1

challengemaster wrote: »

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a punto. The models with all the problems are 8v ones. I had one from 17 til just before I turned 19, never came across any major problems. It ALWAYS started perfectly and was grand on petrol.

Seems like you got one of the few good ones!

Look on carzone/donedeal etc and youll see lots of the 98-mid 00's model for sale. They are notorious for HGF and coolant issues.

challengemaster

Max Power1 wrote: »

Seems like you got one of the few good ones!

Look on carzone/donedeal etc and youll see lots of the 98-mid 00's model for sale. They are notorious for HGF and coolant issues.

Again, all 8v ones.

Ciaramb92

So im assuming you just got your provisonal and your learning to drive.
You do know that you have to wait 6 months to be able to sit your full driving test? And if you book now, You will probly get the date 3-4 months later, therefore making you not eligible to take the test. Correct me if i'm wrong.

Yes, I've had my prov for over 6 months now so am ok!

Max_Damage

I'd go with a Fiesta, the 1.25L Zetec's are great, even the older 1.3L HCS pushrod engines are good too, easy/cheap to service and very economical.

The Escort is a great car (have two myself, as seen in my sig! ), although if you're looking for something newer, the Focus is a good reliable purchase.