Advice on car for 36M starting out driving

talla

Well I've finally given in and decided its time I learned to drive.
I'm a 36 year old Male and spend 3 days in the office in Dublin and 2 days working remotely from Donegal.

I know the general advice when starting driving is to get a solid basic car.
However I have my heart set on an Audi A4, more than likely an estate similar to http://www.agnewcars.ie/used_cars/30006/audi-a4-20-tdi-143-ps-se-avant/. Am I mad going down this route?
Will probably buy up North due to proximity to Donegal.
I'm obviously expecting to have problems getting insurance due to the car and being a learner for a couple of months.
Who would be the best company / broker to approach regarding insurance in the above scenario and any ballpark figures of what kind of quotes I may get?

General Budget I've set aide is €18K for the car inclusive of any VRT to be paid.
Expect to be doing approximately 30,000 Km's per year.

rovoagho

And there was me thinking you wanted a car for €36m. Gold plated, perhaps.

Nonoperational

Nice car. Might not be the easiest to learn in and manoeuvre around the place for a learner. You could also do expensive damage to the body if your knocking it around!

I'd nearly get some old thing for €2-3k and when your done with the learning and get your test etc get the A4 then.

ARGINITE

talla wrote: »

I'm obviously expecting to have problems getting insurance due to the car and being a learner for a couple of months.

Check you can get insured before buying. 123.ie would be a good place to start for a ball park figure. Also you will be paying more for insurance for a few years rather than months.

corktina

omg 36 and a Virgin!

You've wasted enough time, get something impractical, fast and loud

Max Power1

36 or not, I wouldnt spend 18k on my first car

Go for a smaller cheaper car first like a festy or a yaris, learn to drive in it, then replace her with something bigger when you are more comfortable on the road imo.

talla

Nonoperational wrote: »

I'd nearly get some old thing for €2-3k and when your done with the learning and get your test etc get the A4 then.

Doubt I'l be learning to drive in the A4. Will more than likely use the other halfs old volvo initially.

Check you can get insured before buying. 123.ie would be a good place to start for a ball park figure. Also you will be paying more for insurance for a few years rather than months.

If I can't get insured at all initially on the a4 or if quotes are greater than 3K, will more than likely go down the route of transferring car to other half and going on her policy as a named driver initially.

Nonoperational

talla wrote: »

Doubt I'l be learning to drive in the A4. Will more than likely use the other halfs old volvo initially.



If I can't get insured at all initially on the a4 or if quotes are greater than 3K, will more than likely go down the route of transferring car to other half and going on her policy as a named driver initially.

Not a great idea.

SEPT 23 1989

talla

Nonoperational wrote: »

Not a great idea.

Any specific reasons?
Cheers

Nonoperational

You might as well start earning a proper no claims bonus in your own name and build it up.

Also, if your being completely above board, your supposed to insure the car in your own name if you own it and your the main driver of it. And if she is insuring it as a second car, she can only use her no claims on one policy so it may not be worth it.

I'd say at 36 you'd get insured without being completely shafted anyway.

magic_murph

33 m here only recent passed the test and bought first car.
I listened to all the practical advice of getting something cheap to learn in and was seriously considering it but then drove a 2010 A4 and said feck the banger - I know the A4 might not rank up there as a great car for the die hard drivers in here but I think she runs like charm.
I'd say just go with what your happy with never mind practicality.
Especially if your up & down to Donegal all the time - you want comfort and safety

trad

How do you plan on driving from Dublin to Donegal you being a learner driver and all that?

belcampprisoner

you need to look at petrol milege,some kind of diesel

drunkmonkey

Get a 00 VW Passat, crash it as you most likely will, then get another VW passat, keep that for 12mts and if you don't crash is get yourself an Audi if you still want one.

talla

trad wrote: »

How do you plan on driving from Dublin to Donegal you being a learner driver and all that?

Public transport, same as I've done for the last 7 years. Car will be staying in Donegal until I have full license.

Cienciano

OP, Im in a similar situation to yourself. Well, I was a year ago! First thing to do is get your lerner permit and stick yourself down as a named driver on the wifes insurance. Obviously easier to learn in a smaller car, but best thing to do imho is to learn in whatever car is available.
I only passed the test a couple of weeks ago, I didn't even bother looking for insurance on a learner permit.
Insurance isn't such a big thing, mine cost me €500 for 3P FT on a 2liter diesel Rover 75 in Dublin 12 (does close to 60mpg on the motorway btw), that's the advantage of being old
My car is only worth 3k th

mickdw

I never understand people advising to get a small cheap car cause you will crash into things. Nobody should be on the road if they are going to be hitting things.
I learned to drive in an audi 100 and I didnt go around bumping into things.
Fair enough, insurance might be the issue but an a4 sounds like a good option to me for the op. Given that he is 36, insurance might not be mental either.

Nonoperational

mickdw wrote: »

I never understand people advising to get a small cheap car cause you will crash into things. Nobody should be on the road if they are going to be hitting things.
I learned to drive in an audi 100 and I didnt go around bumping into things.
Fair enough, insurance might be the issue but an a4 sounds like a good option to me for the op. Given that he is 36, insurance might not be mental either.

It's not that they would be hitting things, but a smaller car is tidier to judge for parking etc while you are getting used to driving.

_Kaiser_

Nonoperational wrote: »

It's not that they would be hitting things, but a smaller car is tidier to judge for parking etc while you are getting used to driving.

A lot of A4's (especially Northern ones) will have parking sensors though or can be retrofit cheaply enough.

I'm not saying it's a complete substitute for spacial awareness but it will help those awkward parking moments. I've owned my 06 Passat 5 years now and even now it can be a pain judging the rear distance sometimes due to the high bootline. Anyone who has one will be familiar with watching those metal bollards that line parking spaces disappear from the rearview long before the bumper gets there

When I get the A6 later this year (all going well) parking sensors will be a must.

Cienciano

mickdw wrote: »

I never understand people advising to get a small cheap car cause you will crash into things. Nobody should be on the road if they are going to be hitting things.
I learned to drive in an audi 100 and I didnt go around bumping into things.
Fair enough, insurance might be the issue but an a4 sounds like a good option to me for the op. Given that he is 36, insurance might not be mental either.

I agree. It might be even better to start with a decent size saloon. Then you're used to big cars. And no one really bangs into things.
One thing though, it is that bit easier to do the turnabout in a small car. But get used to a big one and it's not a problem.

unkel

Fair play to you, OP! Let us know how you're getting on!

mickdw wrote: »

I never understand people advising to get a small cheap car cause you will crash into things. Nobody should be on the road if they are going to be hitting things.

Was gonna post the exact same thing!

I suppose this culture is based on the old learning to drive system where completely incompetent people would just get into a car and (try to) drive. We really need to see the end of this system soon

In continental Europe you only drive in a dual control learner car with a registered instructor beside you. Until you pass your test.

talla

Getting surprisingly reasonable insurance quotes on the a4 although the excess is extremely high.
Best I've received so far is fully comp for €1400 with and excess of €1000.

Bigus

talla wrote: »

Getting surprisingly reasonable insurance quotes on the a4 although the excess is extremely high.
Best I've received so far is fully comp for €1400 with and excess of €1000.

Excess is only high if you use it ,makes perfect sense to me. If you do minor damage you'll be fixing it out of your own pocket , where's the harm in that.

talla

Bigus wrote: »

Excess is only high if you use it ,makes perfect sense to me. If you do minor damage you'll be fixing it out of your own pocket , where's the harm in that.

Yep thats also my line of thinking.

meathstevie

Why does the idea that one should drive a yoke that'd put you off driving for the rest of your life always crop up when someone is talking about learning to drive ?

Imagine the fun he'll have driving from Donegal to Dublin and back in a 10 year old 1 litre small car. It's just not a realistic option.