What to do.. :/

AdamOHare

I have asked a few questions here already and always get good answers. I originally wanted to get a van but after some thinking Im just going to stick with a car for now until I get a feel for this driving business and then I'll see about a transit or something later on.

So its my first car and I dont have a clue where to start. My budget is 3000 tops (cash). A Passat and a skoda octavia are at the top of my list. The logic here is they are popular taxi cars, so obviously they must be reliable and cheap to run.

Anyway Im just looking on donedeal and it seems to me that on my budget Im only getting the cars people are selling because they know if they hold on for another year or two it will have no value and is probably going to turn into a money pit soon enough.

I dont know. What do you guys think..?

ottostreet

Your logic is sound. Also, insuring those would be pretty difficult if you have no NCB built up, or a provisional.

I would advise a smaller car 1.0-1.3 to start off in. As awful and nasty as those cars are, you'll get a good one far easier for your budget, as well as insure and tax it far more easily.

Think Punto, Clio, Starlet etc. especially if you are unsure of driving as a skill.

AdamOHare

Im currently on a learners permit. But I dont plan on buying until I have my full licence. Im currently sharing my parents car for now which Im insured on. So hopefully all going well by the time I buy I will have 1 years no claims bonus

goz83

For your first car, just pick up some cheap old thing that's easy to tax and insure. a 96/97 opel astra is nice and cheap and reliable.

Chris_Heilong

small cars are one of the reasons this country's attitude towards anything decent is so screwed(from an insurance point of view), I started on a 1.4 then on my own policy provisional on a 1.5 and now on a Full licence on a 2l. Really 1.4 is not a big engined car and is the minimum I would recommend starting on. If people stopped buying small cars I am sure insurance companies would change their ways. Sure get an octavia for 2k and use that extra 1000 for the insurance for the first year. If you are on a provisional then get your test passed as soon as possible.

ottostreet

Not sure why the FTO crowd are feeling so generous with advice this evening. Must be because we're all broke from our babies, so are sitting in?

MugMugs

What do you need transport for? You're mentioning a van, do you need room straight away etc etc? Give us a bit more background

AdamOHare

MugMugs wrote: »

What do you need transport for? You're mentioning a van, do you need room straight away etc etc? Give us a bit more background

Sorry it took so long to get back to this.

Well living out in the country side with no buses means Im looking to get set-up ASAP with something. Im young and broke too so Im looking for something thats cheap to run and reliable.

Oh and about the van. I just thought would be handy for carting about tools, or generators or the dogs or put a trailer on it if Im going to be a toeing a boat or anything ya know yourself. But theres no big rush for that. I can easily do without.

AdamOHare

BTT