First Car Recommendations

t1mm

Hello all,

I'd appreciate it if I could pick your brains as to what car you'd invest in if you were in my position. I'm 19, on a provisional license I just got a few months ago, and debating as to what car to get. I've a budget of about 3,000euro. A few i've been thinking about as follows:

BMW 316 E36 - By all reports its tough to find a clean one and they're getting a bit old now, but its been one of my favourite cars for a long time.

Volkswagen Golf MK4 - A bit common but has a good reputation nonetheless.

Volkswagen Bora 1.4l - I like the fact that its a bigger car as with the e36. A few people have said they're fairly solid.

I don't really want to go above 1.6 petrol in engine size, I'm not after a rocket but I'd like a relatively spacious car.

Any comments about the above cars I posted, as well as other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers

Mar4ix

id say bora would do the work

bazz26

Reputations mean nothing. The Bora and Golf are practically the same car so the same applies to both cars. The 1.4 litre engine in both are rubbish, known for various problems, underpowered and VAG gearboxes of that era are very fragile. If looking at these then go for the 1.6 litre 8v engine, it's an old engine but alot more reliable than the 1.4 litre.

BMW E36 is pretty old these days and finding a decent, clean one that hasn't been Halfordized or used for drifting will be difficult. The safety rating on them is pretty poor also. The 318is coupe would be one to go for but insurance would probably rule that out for you.

Personally I'd recommend a 1.6 litre Ford Focus, a nice driver's car with good handling especially in the corners, 1.6 litre while not particularly special suits the car perfectly. A 1.6 Zetec would be a good purchase imo.

Raskolnikov

t1mm wrote: »

BMW 316 E36 - By all reports its tough to find a clean one and they're getting a bit old now, but its been one of my favourite cars for a long time.

I think you're nuts to even consider this as your first car. Insurance is going to be a killer, think in the region of €3k at very least. You'll also have car tax of €500 for the year. People are going on about a 1.4 Golf being underpowered should wise up a little. As a learner driver, you aren't even allowed on the motorway, so 80bhp that a 1.4 Golf would provide is more than enough for your needs.

If money is no object though, then get the BMW by all means.

bazz26

Raskolnikov wrote: »

I think you're nuts to even consider this as your first car. Insurance is going to be a killer, think in the region of €3k at very least. You'll also have car tax of €500 for the year. People are going on about a 1.4 Golf being underpowered should wise up a little. As a learner driver, you aren't even allowed on the motorway, so 80bhp that a 1.4 Golf would provide is more than enough for your needs.

If money is no object though, then get the BMW by all means.

It's not all about top speed, it is also about having enough power to complete an overtaking maneuver safely.

Raskolnikov

bazz26 wrote: »

It's not all about top speed, it is also about having enough power to complete an overtaking maneuver safely.

A BMW 316 has almost the same 0-60 as a 1.4 Golf. The BMW will of course come into its own at higher speeds, which is useless to a learner driver as they can't even drive on a motorway.

t1mm

Maybe a diesel version of the Bora would be a good idea. Does anyone have any thoughts on the Audi A3?

Thanks again for all the replies!

Anan1

t1mm wrote: »

Maybe a diesel version of the Bora would be a good idea. Does anyone have any thoughts on the Audi A3?

Thanks again for all the replies!

Have you checked out insurance quotes yet? I'd prefer something like a Fiesta 1.25 to any of the cars you mentioned, and the difference in insurance costs for you will probably be substantial.