New car for young driver?

Lawless2k12

Any suggestions for buying an 18 year old male a car? He already has a claim to his name for approx. €30,000. Looking to spend €6,000 at the most. Must be a maximum of a 1.2 litre due to his already dirtied insurance history. Was thinking a newish Opel Corsa or Ford Fiesta?

Alanstrainor

Just buy something very cheap, I'm talking sub 1 grand.

But before even thinking of doing that you'll have to get insurance quotes. No point even buying a car if the insurance is going to be 5/6 grand!

Mr Simpson

If he's got a claim already, insurance is going to be very difficult and probably very expensive. Named driver might be a better option for the moment if possible.

Lawless2k12

No I'm looking for something newish, reliable and safe. He just came out of a serious crash 4 days ago after pulling out of a blind junction (Hence why I made the other thread a couple of days ago about overgrown hedges) but didn't have a bruise on him even though a merc ploughed into his door. All down to the safety of the Honda he was driving. I'd rather splash out the extra 4 or 5 grand than have him seriously injured. Already lost one family member due to that because of a drunk driver

Lawless2k12

mmcn90 wrote: »

If he's got a claim already, insurance is going to be very difficult and probably very expensive. Named driver might be a better option for the moment if possible.

He has already been a named for just shy of 2 years now so its time for his own insurance since he will be off to college. Insurers already said it will probably cost about 20% extra due to the claim so it looks like I'll pay an extra 900 to 1200 euro on it...

Praetorian Saighdiuir

So, what you should be asking is:

"What is the safest. newest 1.2L car I can get for €6000".


Is it essential that he has another car?

Mr Simpson

If your fine about paying pricey insurance etc. Here's what I'd recommend. 07 Opel Corsa D. I've an 08 and I can't fault it, not the most exciting yoke, but that doesn't really matter, insurance is ok on them. Haven't had a problem with mine in 4 years.

Lawless2k12

benwavner wrote: »

So, what you should be asking is:

"What is the safest. newest 1.2L car I can get for €6000".


Is it essential that he has another car?

Well anything less than 6 years old is pretty safe so I'm not looking for the winner of the ncap ratings or anything but ultimately I suppose your kinda right. And yes, he needs it for college to drive to and from Cork every week.

Marcin_diy

so OP Your son just had a serious crash and you want to buy him a small tiny fiesta or corsa? imagine a merc crashing into his new smaaaallll car again.
I wouldn't buy for my son so small car especially if he had problems recently and can't drive properly. Buy Octavia 1.4 or avensis 1.6 for 5k, and add 1k to cover insurance.

avensis is the best option in my opinion.

Lawless2k12

mmcn90 wrote: »

If your fine about paying pricey insurance etc. Here's what I'd recommend. 07 Opel Corsa D. I've an 08 and I can't fault it, not the most exciting yoke, but that doesn't really matter, insurance is ok on them. Haven't had a problem with mine in 4 years.

Was looking at them alright. Thats quite a nice one too. He'll only have 3pf&t though so as long as the engine size is small, the year and car value shouldn't matter? I'm down in the middle of Munster though so Dublin is a wee bit out of range unfortunately Would have been a nice option

Lawless2k12

Marcin_diy wrote: »

so OP Your son just had a serious crash and you want to buy him a small tiny fiesta or corsa? imagine a merc crashing into his new smaaaallll car again.
I wouldn't buy for my son so small car especially if he had problems recently and can't drive properly. Buy Octavia 1.4 or avensis 1.6 for 5k, and add 1k to cover insurance.

avensis is the best option in my opinion.

Insurers won't take him on anything bigger than a 1.2 so they're all off the list at the moment. His driving is fine but the junction is a complete hazard hence why the guards are not pressing charges. Also may try and bring the council into the equation for leaving the ditch go out of control for the last couple years. There has been many close calls there already and he just crept out that couple feet too far

Mr Simpson

Lawless2k12 wrote: »

Was looking at them alright. Thats quite a nice one too. He'll only have 3pf&t though so as long as the engine size is small, the year and car value shouldn't matter? I'm down in the middle of Munster though so Dublin is a wee bit out of range unfortunately Would have been a nice option

You'd want to talk to your insurance company about that, and shop around. Search carzone, there's a few corsas around at similar price. Here's a 3 door one with 30,000 miles in Cork for €4950. Seems cheap, make sure to do a cartell/motorcheck and try get a warranty.

Lawless2k12

mmcn90 wrote: »

You'd want to talk to your insurance company about that, and shop around. Search carzone, there's a few corsas around at similar price. Here's a 3 door one with 30,000 miles in Cork for €4950. Seems cheap, make sure to do a cartell/motorcheck and try get a warranty.

Putting that one on the maybe list anyway! Thanks. Nice motor and nice price for the year and miles done. I have a pretty good mechanic so he'll be giving any car a good look over before hand. And better yet it's not a private sale Hate private sales

goz83

His driving might be fine when you're around, but he's still a young, inexperienced driver, who is far more likely to take risks on the road and be involved in a collision. I am glad to hear he is ok and I am sure this will make him a more cautious driver in the future.

So to answer your question. I think a Chevy Aveo 1.2 will do the trick for you. Asking price for a lovely 2010 model is 7k. In Dublin, but well worth a trip for the right car.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3741571

Or in Limerick...Seat Ibiza 07

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3811334

Lawless2k12

goz83 wrote: »

His driving might be fine when you're around, but he's still a young, inexperienced driver, who is far more likely to take risks on the road and be involved in a collision. I am glad to hear he is ok and I am sure this will make him a more cautious driver in the future.

So to answer your question. I think a Chevy Aveo 1.2 will do the trick for you. Asking price for a lovely 2010 model is 7k. In Dublin, but well worth a trip for the right car.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3741571

Or in Limerick...Seat Ibiza 07

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3811334

Yes I'm just hoping he learned a valuable lesson from it all. Hopefully he will think a bit more before making his move.

That Ibiza is another one for the maybe's. Nice car, good price. Had an Aveo before but didn't like it for some reason. Sold it about 3 months after buying it. The Ibiza is much more on the button! Thanks for that mate

Katunga

your mad spending that much money on a car for them.
they need to learn to respect a car and the only way is for them to buy a car or the same might happen again.

Cedrus

Saying that a newer car is safer isn't necessarily true, it depends on the car itself to start with, whether it's brand new or practically veteran. For instance, I wouldn't touch a car that hasn't even been submitted for an NCAP such as some of the chinese cars.

Secondly, the driving and service history count for a lot, an older car could be better if driven and maintained by a good driver than a younger model that's been thrashed by some fool who thinks oil is what chips are cooked it and garages are a waste of money.

There is also a view expressed often that bigger cars are safer than smaller cars but this is not borne out by any scientific evidence, some small cars are structurally sounder than big cars which can have unsustainable spans across their frames.

The NCAP ratings are a very good if not perfect place to start, after that most car buying is emotional rather than scientific. Personally, I'd go for a small japanese car for reliability and low maintenance but a lot of people (and their entire families) disagree with me.

Lawless2k12

Cedrus wrote: »

Saying that a newer car is safer isn't necessarily true, it depends on the car itself to start with, whether it's brand new or practically veteran. For instance, I wouldn't touch a car that hasn't even been submitted for an NCAP such as some of the chinese cars.

Secondly, the driving and service history count for a lot, an older car could be better if driven and maintained by a good driver than a younger model that's been thrashed by some fool who thinks oil is what chips are cooked it and garages are a waste of money.

There is also a view expressed often that bigger cars are safer than smaller cars but this is not borne out by any scientific evidence, some small cars are structurally sounder than big cars which can have unsustainable spans across their frames.

The NCAP ratings are a very good if not perfect place to start, after that most car buying is emotional rather than scientific. Personally, I'd go for a small japanese car for reliability and low maintenance but a lot of people (and their entire families) disagree with me.

Well when I say it doesn't have to be top of the ncap ratings I mean anything 4 stars or above. Preferably 5 of course but 4 would suffice. And the Civic he was in was much much safer than most cars. He walked without a bruise after being hit at over 70km/ph. And the '08 civic is not big by any means. Even some 4x4's have done poorly in ncap ratings and a lot of people think that jeeps are the safest.

Just out of curiosity, what jap companies would you suggest? A colt perhaps?

Jimbob 83

Get the bus to and from Uni until insurance goes down and he has some more confidence/gets over what sounds like a big crash.

goz83

Lawless2k12 wrote: »

Yes I'm just hoping he learned a valuable lesson from it all. Hopefully he will think a bit more before making his move.

That Ibiza is another one for the maybe's. Nice car, good price. Had an Aveo before but didn't like it for some reason. Sold it about 3 months after buying it. The Ibiza is much more on the button! Thanks for that mate

No prob. To boost your search, just go to done deal and enter "1.2" in the search box and look at the prices and counties of your choice. All the garbage will be removed above the 4k mark for a 1.2 engine. It took about a minute to find both those cars.

Cedrus

Lawless2k12 wrote: »

Well when I say it doesn't have to be top of the ncap ratings I mean anything 4 stars or above. Preferably 5 of course but 4 would suffice. And the Civic he was in was much much safer than most cars. He walked without a bruise after being hit at over 70km/ph. And the '08 civic is not big by any means. Even some 4x4's have done poorly in ncap ratings and a lot of people think that jeeps are the safest.

Just out of curiosity, what jap companies would you suggest? A colt perhaps?

Some 4x4s provide very dramatic footage on youtube, basically disintegrating when in a collision and there is one that a colleague crashed that was famous for rolling over (think it was an L200) though some are better than others.

I must admit to giving up on recognising Civics, there have been so many shapes and sizes under the same name. but generally I'd agree that Hondas are excellent cars.

I drive a Colt sometimes myself and I love it, but it's lively enough to collect points in so maybe not the best choice for your peace of mind. Is there a sub 1.2 version available? A little less power for the weight might make it safer (but less fun).

If I was in your shoes I'd look at the 1 - 1.2 offerings from Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Mitsubishi, check the NCAP ratings and then see what's available locally in your price range. I say locally because, although you might find a great car at the other end of the country, there's a better chance of knowing the history of it if it's local.

CianRyan

I have to say, I think you're mad buying him a car and presumably insurance too?
He's just shown not to have enough respect for the road and you want to spend €6000 on a car for him?

Buy him a bus ticket and tell him he can drive again when he gets a job and buy his own car.

Lawless2k12

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3780839

Found this Corsa in my travels. Seems pretty good provided there's nothing hidden behind the advert. I quite like the Opel as they're a well built car and fairly sound too.

I prefer local myself as it makes it easier to get to the person if the car brakes down and also its easier to get it checked before I buy as I doubt a mechanic is gonna travel 120km to check out a car for me.

Also agree with the honda statement. Changed drastically at least 4 times since 2000. The one we had was the spaceship style civic :P

Jimbob 83

CianRyan wrote: »

I have to say, I think you're mad buying him a car and presumably insurance too?
He's just shown not to have enough respect for the road and you want to spend €6000 on a car for him?

Buy him a bus ticket and tell him he can drive again when he gets a job and buy his own car.

Especially when you consider that at 18 it's a fairly big distraction from your studies especially when you have an accident, i don't get whats wrong with a trip to the bus stop once a week, did me no harm.

At the end of the day it's your child/money but putting an 18 year old into a car that is an unknown quantity straight after a crash for a fairly long drive would be dicey

Lawless2k12

CianRyan wrote: »

I have to say, I think you're mad buying him a car and presumably insurance too?
He's just shown not to have enough respect for the road and you want to spend €6000 on a car for him?

Buy him a bus ticket and tell him he can drive again when he gets a job and buy his own car.

He does have respect for the road. In fact he has strong feelings against anyone breaking laws on the road. Future guard if things go his way! The junction he was exiting from is very dangerous and difficult to get out of as the main road approaches at a more than 90 degree angle plus the ditch is totally overgrown. It's a hazard to everyone but is used very little thankfully. Maybe now the council will touch it up a bit!

Jimbob 83

You can follow the council for neglegance you know (they will probably claim some protected species sparrow or mouse lived in that bush mind) but if you took photos on the day you would have a strong case.

meoklmrk91

Katunga wrote: »

your mad spending that much money on a car for them.
they need to learn to respect a car and the only way is for them to buy a car or the same might happen again.

I have to agree with this 100%, I was one of those young drivers who thought I was invincible and I wrote of 2 cars before it woke me up, and I paid for both of them, what got to me was the money, not the fear of what could have happened, when I think back on it now the feeling that I get in the pit of my stomach tells me how much worse it could have been,but I'm older and wiser now, a much better and careful driver, lesson was well learned, probably the best lesson my father ever taught me, the value of money and not to be a dickhead on the road.

Lawless2k12

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

You can follow the council for neglegance you know (they will probably claim some protected species sparrow or mouse lived in that bush mind) but if you took photos on the day you would have a strong case.

Ya we're actually following that up. Gonna be hard to get anything out of them though as they always have some BS to cover their *sses! Hopefully we will be able to bring them into it some bit though

Jimbob 83

Is your son renting at uni or commuting home every day ?

Lawless2k12

Will be staying in a house there but will have to travel to work at weekends and will be staying at home on weekends as well as it is closer to his workplace.

starlit

Is he still learner driver or has he passed the driving test?

Is 0.998/1.0 or 1.2 litre not the maximum for a learner/young driver?

He may need to get some professional driving lessons and more driving experience before he improve with his driving any bit. He needs to be more vigilant on the road though.

You be best to get a second hand car rather than a brand new one to be honest though a toyota or a mazda even a ford might be a better option than a honda in my opinion for a young driver. Seat Ibiza wouldn't be too bad.

Katunga

Lawless2k12 wrote: »

Will be staying in a house there but will have to travel to work at weekends and will be staying at home on weekends as well as it is closer to his workplace.

bus ticket to college named drive on your car for the weekend simple. saves you over €6000

Jimbob 83

Katunga wrote: »

bus ticket to college named drive on your car for the weekend simple. saves you over €6000

Does make sense and it will be a safer (heavier) car while he builds up some no claims

Lawless2k12

He has a full licence alright. Passed it when he was 17. Got 12 lessons on his provisional also. He has been driving a 1.4 civic since he got his learners but was a named driver. Cant put him on my car this year as I will need it at weekends too, and during the week.

Also I'm buying a brand new one. Looking for a 2nd hand car around 5/6 years old?

Cedrus

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

Does make sense and it will be a safer (heavier) car while he builds up some no claims

A heavier car does not guarantee safety, I've been in a small car that was shunted sideways when T-Boned by a bigger car, almost all of the impact was dissipated, a heavier car would have had to absorb the impact and would have come off a lot worse. Side impact protection would help but heavy just equals heavy, IMHO.

Jimbob 83

Cedrus wrote: »

A heavier car does not guarantee safety, I've been in a small car that was shunted sideways when T-Boned by a bigger car, almost all of the impact was dissipated, a heavier car would have had to absorb the impact and would have come off a lot worse. Side impact protection would help but heavy just equals heavy, IMHO.

That's just NCAP ratings, all well and good unless the crumple zone is your knees :pac:

Cedrus

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

That's just NCAP ratings, all well and good unless the crumple zone is your knees :pac:

Wha.. ??

Katunga

Lawless2k12 wrote: »

He has a full licence alright. Passed it when he was 17. Got 12 lessons on his provisional also. He has been driving a 1.4 civic since he got his learners but was a named driver. Cant put him on my car this year as I will need it at weekends too, and during the week.

Also I'm buying a brand new one. Looking for a 2nd hand car around 5/6 years old?

6k is MAD buy something for a third of that like a Clio if its all about the NCAP.
unless your working I'm sure you could drop them to work and bus Station at the weekend until they save up for a car, how else do you expect him to learn from his mistakes if you keep buying cars for him?
You know what they say about young Honda civic drivers and its true 90% of the time.

JJJJNR

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3711961

Lawless2k12

Katunga wrote: »

6k is MAD buy something for a third of that like a Clio if its all about the NCAP.
unless your working I'm sure you could drop them to work and bus Station at the weekend until they save up for a car, how else do you expect him to learn from his mistakes if you keep buying cars for him?
You know what they say about young Honda civic drivers and its true 90% of the time.

I'll be working also so the only way to get to work for him is by taxi which is unreasonable for a 35 minute drive
And he has learned. I've already confiscated his debit card which will be used towards insurance renewal. It only has about 1100 on it but it leaves him with about €100 euro in his pocket.
You wouldnt say that for this civic haha big bubbly spaceship style D-type civic

Katunga

Lawless2k12 wrote: »

You wouldnt say that for this civic haha big bubbly spaceship style D-type civic

that just make it seem like you have more money than sense spend so much on two cars for him.

Lawless2k12

That was actually my car and he was a named driver. Insurance will be paying out €11000 for it so I plan on buying 2 cars for approx €5500/6000 each. That way they should both last 5/6/7 years. If he does something to this one he's off the road for good. It's his second and last chance. Never had any bother before, no speeding tickets or any trouble with the guards so he has his last chance left.

starlit

It take him a few years to really appreciate having a car at all. Money doesn't grow on trees and cars can be expensive along with everything that goes with it, petrol, insurance and tax and so on. He need to contribute to the finance of the car it be a lesson to him to know that its not just a case of car being handed to him for free.

A second hand car be a better option, i'm still learning after a few years and I be a bit older than him. The car I have is fairly old but its handy for a young driver and a learner one at that. It has had things done to it and repairs but it has kept going. Careless and reckless driving is not something to encourage if you keep buying him cars he won't learn from his mistakes? I take on the advice as other posters have said until he has learnt his lesson, he won't appreciate the car until hasn't got it!

In these situations not nice but you do need to be firm with him, he still only a young fella and well you know the drill. He needs to be more careful on the road and things happening to the car is not on. We all been there and done a few things we shouldn't have with the car when learners and when young drivers but it comes with experience that you learn from them and not to do them and being a more careful driver.

Safety is important even if being overcautious can be a nuisance. I suggest he get a few professional lessons again to assess where he is at, at his driving to see where he can improve, doesn't have to cost a fortune just a few and he contribute to it only fair.

The fact he has his test passed doesn't mean he is a good driver he needs a lot of experience on the road before he really learn. He has his test passed so he is independent to drive when ever he wishes which is good but I think only give him the car when he needs it? At weekends, travelling, town and work. When going to college he can use the bus.

djimi

If it was me Id be spending about €1500 on a 1.0 2000-2001 Micra for him and let him work his way up from there. With all due respect to your son, you are proposing spending €6k on a car and then insuring it third party, meaning that if he writes this one off too you are kissing goodbye to €6k. Hes 18; spend €1500, put the rest away and add to it, and if he is still accident free when he is 21 then buy his something a bit more decent.

If youre worried about safety most cars do not suddently become death traps once you go over 4-5 years old. Get the car checked out to ensure that there is nothing wrong with it (mechanically and structurally) and you should be fine.

kirving

They don't, but a 00 Focus will hold up a hell of a lot better in an accident than a 00 Micra.

He pulled out and didn't see another car coming. It was a one off accident. He wasn't rallying around being chased by Gardai when it happenned. Sacrificing safey by giving him a small car to punish him and make him appreciate what he's got isn't the right thing to do.

starlit

Spending over €6000 for a car wouldn't be the best value if he isn't going to appreciate it. Anything less than €3000 for car if he can get it be more suited to him. My car is 8 years old and its fine. Had no hassle with it except for the odd things with it. Its been on the road long enough and its fairly good and efficient it does the job getting from A to B. A car around the 4-6 years old be about right I say for him.

Lawless2k12

Kevin Irving wrote: »

They don't, but a 00 Focus will hold up a hell of a lot better in an accident than a 00 Micra.

He pulled out and didn't see another car coming. It was a one off accident. He wasn't rallying around being chased by Gardai when it happenned. Sacrificing safey by giving him a small car to punish him and make him appreciate what he's got isn't the right thing to do.

And that's exactly why I don't wish to punish him too harshly. He wasn't driving dangerously, and doesn't drive dangerously. He lost one parent 3 years ago so he knows exactly the consequences of dangerous driving. €6000 euro is just a maximum I would spend. Prefer to spend 3 or 4,000 but I need it to be a solid car that will last. He will be getting a small sum of money his way due to a claim for approx. 6600 which has already been agreed to come my way, hence why I am willing to spend the money on a car and insurance even if I do have to add some myself

Media999

Audi a3 sounds like a good Choice. Also its a tank compared to a Corsa and much lower insurance from quotes ive gotten before.

Lawless2k12

Media999 wrote: »

Audi a3 sounds like a good Choice. Also its a tank compared to a Corsa and much lower insurance from quotes ive gotten before.

Would have thought the opposite for an A3? Would have thought higher quotes straight away. They tend to be faulty though? The older versions. The amount of crap I had to fix on one before. Handbrake, clutch, left indicators multiple times, brake sensors, electric window jammed, boot lock and boot lock. Maybe it was just a bad buy as it was second hand but I never had another audi after that

djimi

Kevin Irving wrote: »

They don't, but a 00 Focus will hold up a hell of a lot better in an accident than a 00 Micra.

He pulled out and didn't see another car coming. It was a one off accident. He wasn't rallying around being chased by Gardai when it happenned. Sacrificing safey by giving him a small car to punish him and make him appreciate what he's got isn't the right thing to do.

He pulled out of a junction and caused a €30k accident. I dont care what the reason for it; if you cant see whats coming then you dont just pull out and hope for the best.

The OP said that the car has to be 1.2 or less. Honestly, how much safer is a small 06 car going to be than a 00/01 Micra? The way some people talk about 10 year old cars youd swear they have a zero safety rating. The Micra of that era was a good car; Im not proposing buying an 83 Fiesta!

djimi

Media999 wrote: »

Audi a3 sounds like a good Choice. Also its a tank compared to a Corsa and much lower insurance from quotes ive gotten before.

Not a hope in hell that an 18 year old male is going to get insured on an Audi A3 with a claim of that size to his name...