First car to buy? Advise please!

SlaveToTheSkids

Just looking for a bit of advise in which car to buy as my first car. I'm currently learning & on my first provisional. Looking for something cheap to run & also to insure, so am I right in thinking to keep it to 1.2 & under?
Preferably a car under 10yrs old to get a bit longer out of the NCT. Looking for something reliable i.e. not a cheap heap of junk but something I'll keep for a few years until my insurance goes down & I decide to upgrade.
I've 3000 to spend, I would like to incl. the insurance cost in that figure but if it's the difference of a couple of hundred to get a much better car than I'm willing to up it.

So far my options seem to be: Peugeot 206, Opel Corsa, Clio, Citroen C3, Panda (was warned against Fiat by loads!) Micra & Yaris (Although the Yaris is right at the top end, haven't found many in my price range tbh)


I know the general consensus is stick with the Japanese but just wanted a few opinions on the above cars.

Cheers!

2012 Rio

Those ones you listed seem like good choices. The Fiat cars are OK but they can be tempermental at times so unless you are mechanically minded steer clear of them.
The 2001-2006 Corsa is a very good car. the older ones had a tendency for the cam chain to stretch and fail and I'm not sure if this has been rectified in the newer model. I suppose one benefit of the chain is that you never need worry about timing belts.

BTW. maybe I'm being over pedantic, but you don't have a provisional license. No-one does. You have a learner permit.

Overature

micra i hear are good, but unless you want to be taken for a granny i wouldn't get one, toyota are quite reliable. Ford fiesta and ford ka are quite good and have small engines

Celly Smunt

Don't listen to anybody saying Fiat are a heap of junk etc etc,they just got that bad name due to earlier models and it won't let up,most models post 2000 are great cars apart from some stilo models perhaps.

Yaris is bulletproof however.

SlaveToTheSkids

Actually that should say Punto not Panda!

Yeah everyone I've asked the first word out of their mouths is Yaris! But even a 10yr old one seems to be out of my price range....good sign on them keeping their value though.


My sister has an 2004 Corsa & loves it! Really cheap to run too.


Not really a fan of the Micra, I think their hideous looking! Although I know I can't be picky especially over looks! Plus anyone I know that's owned one has spoke highly of them.


Getting pretty mixed views on the 206- anyone particularly for or against them? Same with the C3.

mad muffin

What about a SEAT Ibiza?

Something like this perhaps?

http://www.autotrader.ie/search/SEAT/Ibiza/1.2-STEL/201139204680749/advert?channel=CARS

I've owned a 2006 for the last three years, never given me a days trouble.

The 1.2 three cylinder is also quite nippy for what it is.

bazz26

Hyundai Getz 1.1 litre:
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2704775

Great little car and very reliable.

walus

Cheap and reliable? Hm... Corolla?
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Toyota/Corolla/1.3-petr/913274138624210/advert?channel=CARS

Great cars, especially with 1.3l pre vvt-i engines. Bulletproof.

I've one from 1994, the only thing that broke was CV boot - no surprise there - piece of rubber after all.

janar

http://www.carsireland.ie

Great little car and very reliable

Limbo123

Personally, I'd be looking for a fiesta or a polo!

User Friendly

Peugeot 307 its a 1.4 petrol nice looking car imo:cool:

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2984385

colm_mcm

User Friendly wrote: »

Peugeot 307 its a 1.4 petrol nice looking car imo:cool:

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2984385

I think the op isn't looking for an unreliable pile like a 307

User Friendly

colm_mcm wrote: »

I think the op isn't looking for an unreliable pile like a 307

:eek: dont know much about Peugeot but i didnt think ppl thought that low of them.

pjmn

Have a '99 Yaris from new - never an ounce of trouble (will probably fall apart tomorrow now that I've said that...:D)

bazz26

walus wrote: »

Cheap and reliable? Hm... Corolla?
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Toyota/Corolla/1.3-petr/913274138624210/advert?channel=CARS

Great cars, especially with 1.3l pre vvt-i engines. Bulletproof.

I've one from 1994, the only thing that broke was CV boot - no surprise there - piece of rubber after all.

The seller is having a laugh asking €1800 for a 13 year old one.

vectra

Color might not be your cup of tea but very smallmiles on this one

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2935579

SlaveToTheSkids

That Yaris looks pretty good! I have no preference with colours tbh, anything goes really!

SlaveToTheSkids

colm_mcm wrote: »

I think the op isn't looking for an unreliable pile like a 307

Any ideas what the 206 is like? There seems to be a good few out there in my price range. Always liked the look of them.

dgt

Loads of people warning you against Fiats? They're talking loads of shíte, I'd bet almost none of them have ever had one and it's hearsay. That said, I am a Fiat fanboy :pac:

Here's a pretty decent starter car. I had one till last week, sold it on, it was like a new car when I was finished with it. Ideal for a learner

A ghia too

SlaveToTheSkids

Looks good, although when I was doing a quick check for insurance the Fiesta came up almost €200 more than a micra or clio! It was a late 90's one but still a bit of a jump in cost as I was always under the impression Fiesta's were sturdy little cars!

vectra

2004 Ibiza 1.2 with 28k miles on it

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2986528

Max Power1

SlaveToTheSkids wrote: »

Looks good, although when I was doing a quick check for insurance the Fiesta came up almost €200 more than a micra or clio! It was a late 90's one but still a bit of a jump in cost as I was always under the impression Fiesta's were sturdy little cars!

Insurers often increase quotations if the car is over 10 years old.

coco_lola

I had a Yaris for 2 years. Paid 2,350 for it, sold it 2 years later for 2,150. Never had a single problem with it. Serviced it regularly and it was so economical on fuel, drive it near the petrol station and it would fill up

Honestly, you will pay more for it but it is so worth it. I drove long distance and city driving, it was great and sturdy and never let me down, and I made my money back after two years!

barura

I just posted a very clean looking punto in the bangernomics thread. It would do you til you get to grips with driving a lot.

Also, don't spend 3k on it. Get a reasonable car for 1000 or less and then upgrade in a year or two. The difference in a well maintained car for older than 10 years is just an extra 50 euro to get it's NCT. The NCT doesn't mean that your car will magically be fine til it runs out you know!

I've been going around doing the bangernomics lark with my cars, and the current one I'm on was 350euro, got it last july and have driven 7000 miles with it. Only cost was a drop of gearbox oil and some tyres (that I already had). It also came with NCT til this march and tax for a month.

If you want to drop 3k on a car (And believe me, I would love to spend that amount of money on a car!) it's your choice, but I would HIGHLY recommend only spending 1k or less on one. There are good cars out there for that money. Also, you will lose a lot less when it comes to sell it on.