First car-Nervous Driver!

saggycaggy

Sorry if this has been done to death already but I am a very nervous learner driver but I need to drive so I'm looking for a suitable car for myself. I really don't know anything about cars but I have been looking up Volkswagan Polo's and like what I see!

My budget is up to €3,000 - so really im looking for anything suitable and safe up to that price.
What are people thoughts on the Polo as a beginner car??

Thanks very much!

EPM

Always say it but a Fiesta 1.25. Loads about, economical, small. Great learner car.

Nissan doctor

IMO your first car needs to be reliable as you don't want to be dealing with car problems while learning to drive.

Based on that I'd stay well clear of the 02 on polo as they are fairly problem ridden.

Something like a 99-03 yaris, an up to 02 micra or the Fiesta above.

If you still want a polo then go for the later of the old shape model, 99/00 to 02.

vectra

here you go
reliable car
Cheap tax
Cheap(ish) insurance
Cheap on Petrol
Hard to get something that would be more reliable.

I bought one a second car well over a year ago.
Still running spot on,
Used it to teach my son to drive which he did and passed his test.

he went to seell it recently and renaiged as he found iut hard to get something as nice and in as good condid=tion for the money

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2206340

E39MSport

I'm with the doc on the Yaris. Very easy to drive which is a plus if you're nervous.

listermint

not 100% that the 99 Polo even had Power steering, there were definitely 98 models with none as standard.

For me, thats a huge negative, because that little car was tough at low speeds.

Yaris wins.

Wolverine_1999

If you are really such a nervous driver, would it not be best to spend the money on getting lessons until a time that you feel confident enough to drive on the roads?

In my opinion an "L" driver is just someone who hasn't passed their test yet. The roads shouldn't be initially used as daily learning experience whereby an accident is just waiting to happen. There are enough inexperienced drivers on the road as it is, and I include fully licensed drivers in that..

Having said that, I agree with the above comment about picking a car that does not give trouble. Yaris is fairly bulletproof and it's a car that I wouldn't mind knocking off everything

To be honest, I would never be spending that much money on a car that will get a few bumps here and there, you have to think about resale value also.

krissovo

I would suggest that you head to a few dealers to at least sit in some these of cars. Even if you dont buy from them and go private at least you have a fair idea that you would like it. The best cure for a nervous driver is to be comfortable in your surroundings, by this make sure the driving position is the best it can be for you and that you are happy with the view around you and lastly that you feel safe in your driving environment.

As for the type of car I would not be overly worried by economy or reliability for this car, just get it checked out properly and be comfortable in it while you get your confidence.

saggycaggy

Thanks for all the replies people, I have been learning to drive for quiet a while now and its just the nerves that get the better of me. When I am in an instructers car I get a sense of safety-like they will come to me rescue with the pedals etc but my husband is a great instructer for me so once I overcome the nerves I feel I will be fine.

I need to drive for my own and my daughters sake (just to get from A to so something small and safe is a must-I like the Toyota Yaris so I will look further into that, thanks very much!

I was only looking towards the Volkswagan as my husband drives one and thought it might be easier (for services) if we both had a VW!!!

Thanks again.

saggycaggy

thanks again for the help-I checked out the Yaris but didnt realise how small the boot was. I have a young daughter and there may be more (future!) so I dont think it would be suitable for me for the next 3-4 years. I have my eye on a Citreon C3, are these reliable??


Thanks!

Mycroft H

vectra wrote: »

here you go
reliable car
Cheap tax
Cheap(ish) heavily loaded expensive insurance
Cheap on Petrol
Hard to get something that would be more reliable.

I bought one a second car well over a year ago.
Still running spot on,
Used it to teach my son to drive which he did and passed his test.

he went to seell it recently and renaiged as he found iut hard to get something as nice and in as good condid=tion for the money

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2206340

FYP

cantdecide

landyman wrote: »

FYP

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Learning driver trying to get insurance on a Honda Civic, that will be a fun quote!

Only one way to know for sure. I would also have suggested a civic. Yes there's a stigma but they're very reliable and they have extremely forgiving handling. Maybe there's a little more insurance to pay for but infairness they do everything well.

saggycaggy wrote: »

I have my eye on a Citreon C3, are these reliable??

No

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/

Compton

Yep there'll be a premium for a civic against a fiesta, my quote for a civic was 1000 euro more than the fiesta I have now.

ari101

My first car was a '97 Fiesta 1.3 if you're going for a fiesta the 1.25 are better and go newer than the 97... it was very old feeling.

I had a '00 1.0 Seat Ibiza for number two - a little workhorse of a car I got in '08 about which I was initially unsure due to the light clutch but now I'm sad to see her go (she did some good work for me :-) )

Have heard good things about the Yaris, Micra and Polo registered either side of 2000 from friends.

vectra

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Learning driver trying to get insurance on a Honda Civic, that will be a fun quote!

Wrong

landyman wrote: »

FYP

Actually you wrongfully adjusted my post.


The civic my son drives is an EK2 . = 1.3 engine.. Was actually cheaper than a lot of more basic cars to insure when we went for quotes.
Might be better if you reviewed these matters before Jumping blind.:pac:

cantdecide

Personally, I was never loaded for driving an ordinary civic, even in the bad old days of unashameadly ripping off young male drivers.

Midnight_EG

I was never loaded on my EG3 either, and nor am I on the EK4!

VolvoMan

Used Yarii are expensive but well worth the money imo. Fantastically light steering, easy maintenance and utter dependability.

christy02

saggycaggy wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies people, I have been learning to drive for quiet a while now and its just the nerves that get the better of me. When I am in an instructers car I get a sense of safety-like they will come to me rescue with the pedals etc but my husband is a great instructer for me so once I overcome the nerves I feel I will be fine.

I need to drive for my own and my daughters sake (just to get from A to so something small and safe is a must-I like the Toyota Yaris so I will look further into that, thanks very much!

I was only looking towards the Volkswagan as my husband drives one and thought it might be easier (for services) if we both had a VW!!!

Thanks again.

Hi,

I presume you will have a qualified driver with you at all times until you pass your test anyway, so why dont you get insured on your husbands car until you get some more confidence and pass your test?

Mycroft H

I'd go with a yaris.

Cheap to run, tax and insure.

The little 1l is quite powerful for its size and its a decent car to learn in.

Plus you will find it hard pressed to find a clean and unmolested civic these days compared to the amount of clean yarises out there.

Vicxas

Toyota Yaris or a Renault Clio

Idbatterim

how about the below OP, my mum is a hopeless driver and just got one of the below, they are very compact, even compared to the nissan almera hatchback she just got rid of...

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2198959

other than that yeah the yaris is the obvious one that springs to mind, along with the fiesta... If I were a nervous driver, size of car and visibility in it and particularly being able to see over bonnet would be big factors for me...

shanec1928

christy02 wrote: »

Hi,

I presume you will have a qualified driver with you at all times until you pass your test anyway, so why dont you get insured on your husbands car until you get some more confidence and pass your test?

seeing as they already have a vw its either going to be a passat, bora, jeta the op is looking for a small car so id say that rules the above option out.

saggycaggy

Thanks again for the replies everybody.

Yeah my husband has a VW Jetta and there's no way il be able to try and drive that. I really need to get driving soon before it gets into the winter and evenings are dark and I won't have the courage to go out when its dark! and also I will always have a fully qualified driver with me at all times, my husband or relation or friend.
Boot too small in the Yaris for a buggy im afraid.
From what i've read im going to go with a Renault Clio or a Nissan Micra-thanks for the link for the Micra Idbatterim-that car looks perfect for me! I'll just have to find one below 3K!

Thanks so much