Advice on my first car.

nowimtalking

Hi, I'm considering buying my first car and wanted to see if anyone with more experience in motors could recommend anything. I am only due to sit my test this month and have previously driven my parent's 03 VW passat 1.9L.

I need something that will run at a relatively low cost as I also spend quite a lot on commuting via bus to the city for half of the year.

I can afford to spend approximately €2, 000 on the car itself and would be looking for something to last me three years at least, obviously having to keep it serviced and getting new tyres etc.

I'd like to keep insurance minimal as it's going to be very high considering my age and that it's my first car on a full licence, having only been on as a named driver before now. If possible, a lower tax bracket also.
I won't be doing huge milage, just In and out of town once per day and an odd long distance trip for events etc.

I'm not car-image conscious, I just want something reliable and cost effective.

What are your thoughts?

JohnBoy26

A reliable car that is easy to maintain and cheap to tax. Your best bet would be a 1 liter Toyota yaris imo.

166man

Wouldn't bother with a Yaris, ridiculously over priced, crap interior and not as ''amazeballs'' as some would lead you to believe.

OP, I'd look at older Polo's and especially the Fiat Panda and/or Seicento.

dgt

Add festys to that list :cool:

JohnBoy26

166man wrote: »

Wouldn't bother with a Yaris, ridiculously over priced, crap interior and not as ''amazeballs'' as some would lead you to believe.

OP, I'd look at older Polo's and especially the Fiat Panda and/or Seicento.

If you read the op's post you will see that their first priority is not how the car looks. They want something that's reliable and cheap to maintain. The yaris does these things better than the cars you mentioned and as regards the interior it's no worse than any of the cars you mentioned and is actually better than that of the seicento.

As for being over priced, yes they are expensive to buy because of their popularity but the positive of this is that you will have no trouble selling it in the future and for a fair chunk of what you paid for it also.

toastedpickles

As much as it kills me to say this, consider an opel corsa, cheap, easy to maintain, or a nissan micra or a fiat punto, they look rather well I think

dgt

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

If you read the op's post you will see that their first priority is not how the car looks. They want something that's reliable and cheap to maintain. The yaris does these things better than the cars you mentioned and as regards the interior it's better no worse than any of the cars you mentioned and is actually better than that of the seicento.

As for being over priced, yes they are expensive to buy because of their popularity but the positive of this is that you will have no trouble selling it in the future and for a fair chunk of what you paid for it also.

I completely disagree having experience on the lot of them. Seicento over a miserable plastic soul-less tinbox yaris anyday. That's not biased either.

Ever work on a yaris? Not basic servicing like but trying to straighten one after a crash? So many layers and it still folded into sh*te. At least when we straightened the Sei, it straightened well. Yaris has gaps round the tailgate....

My opinion is mine and yours is yours. But don't mix up fact and opinion, yaris is a miserable expensive transport device for fuddy duddys

If I were the op a fiesta would fit the bill

166man

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

If you read the op's post you will see that their first priority is not how the car looks. They want something that's reliable and cheap to maintain. The yaris does these things better than the cars you mentioned and as regards the interior it's no worse than any of the cars you mentioned and is actually better than that of the seicento.

As for being over priced, yes they are expensive to buy because of their popularity but the positive of this is that you will have no trouble selling it in the future and for a fair chunk of what you paid for it also.

Oh believe me I read the OP, but struggled slightly with yours.

Why is a Yaris better than a Seicento again? What makes a Seicento unreliable? Is a Seicento not cheap to maintain? The Italians are the masters of the small cheap to run car, remember the original Fiat 500, so I'd imagine they know what they're talking about.

The last Yaris I was in is chock a block full of cheap nasty plastics all of which are grey, and people pay good money for these things?

Why not buy a Seicento for half the price of the Yaris and recoup a fair chunk of the price of the Panda/Seicento?

Sandals and Shorts

nowimtalking wrote: »

Hi, I'm considering buying my first car and wanted to see if anyone with more experience in motors could recommend anything. I am only due to sit my test this month and have previously driven my parent's 03 VW passat 1.9L.

I need something that will run at a relatively low cost as I also spend quite a lot on commuting via bus to the city for half of the year.

I can afford to spend approximately €2, 000 on the car itself and would be looking for something to last me three years at least, obviously having to keep it serviced and getting new tyres etc.

I'd like to keep insurance minimal as it's going to be very high considering my age and that it's my first car on a full licence, having only been on as a named driver before now. If possible, a lower tax bracket also.
I won't be doing huge milage, just In and out of town once per day and an odd long distance trip for events etc.

I'm not car-image conscious, I just want something reliable and cost effective.

What are your thoughts?

Bit far away but YUUUUUMMMM YUUUUMMMMMM

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2002-fiat-only-35000-miles-one-owner/5297962

JohnBoy26

dgt wrote: »

I completely disagree having experience on the lot of them. Seicento over a miserable plastic soul-less tinbox yaris anyday. That's not biased either.

Ever work on a yaris? Not basic servicing like but trying to straighten one after a crash? So many layers and it still folded into sh*te. At least when we straightened the Sei, it straightened well. Yaris has gaps round the tailgate....

My opinion is mine and yours is yours. But don't mix up fact and opinion, yaris is a miserable expensive transport device for fuddy duddys

If I were the op a fiesta would fit the bill

Yes I have worked on the lot and I am not mixing up fact with opinion, it's you that is guilty of that sir with the drivel you posted above. The Yaris is far better than you make out. You have a big chip on your shoulder when it comes to Toyota's.

the reason why the seicento straightened well for you is because it's thin sheet metal is easy to bend back. It's understandable that the yaris is harder to straighten because of it's better sheetmetal, after all it has a four star ncap rating to the seicento one and one flagged star. Perhaps if you brushed up on you panel beating skills you might be able to fix those gaps;)

As for the fiesta, they are good cars but most are rust buckets at this stage.

dgt

166man wrote: »

Oh believe me I read the OP, but struggled slightly with yours.

Why is a Yaris better than a Seicento again? What makes a Seicento unreliable? Is a Seicento not cheap to maintain? The Italians are the masters of the small cheap to run car, remember the original Fiat 500, so I'd imagine they know what they're talking about.

The last Yaris I was in is chock a block full of cheap nasty plastics all of which are grey, and people pay good money for these things?

Why not buy a Seicento for half the price of the Yaris and recoup a fair chunk of the price of the Panda/Seicento?

Sei is cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, can fit tall people easily, returns a decent mpg, go down small places most cars can't, easy to park, doesn't squeak or creak.... Sei sounds nicer when opened up :cool:

colm_mcm

I like fiats, I particularly like seicentos in a sort of go-kart kinda way - but to be fair, a yaris is a very well built car, for someone starting out tax is cheaper by 2 bands (unless you get a 0.9 litre boggo spec seicento) safety is in a different league, standard equipment is good, and early ones are still making the same money they were 4 years ago.

dgt

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Yes I have worked on the lot and I am not mixing up fact with opinion, it's you that is guilty of that sir with the drivel you posted above. The Yaris is far better than you make out. You have a big chip on your shoulder when it comes to Toyota's.

the reason why the seicento straightened well for you is because it's thin sheet metal is easy to bend back. It's understandable that the yaris is harder to straighten because of it's better sheetmetal, after all it has a four star ncap rating to the seicento one and one flagged star. Perhaps if you brushed up on you panel beating skills you might be able to fix those gaps;)

As for the fiesta, they are good cars but most are rust buckets at this stage.

Oh no it's not a chip.... But does it annoy you that I detest mainstream toyotas? That someone out there would rather walk than be seen behind the wheel of one?

It's what others don't see like the extra bits replaced when serviced, the sheer price of some parts, the awkwardness and access to vital items like the oil and diesel filter in a 2.0TD, a good way to burn yourself....

Are you a panel beater? Do you know how to straighten out panels? Remove big dents paintlessly? If no then what right have you to tell me how to do part of my job....?

Do you know the circumstances of the cars I'm talking about in question? Are you mechanically minded? What if I told you the Yaris hit a tree at about 20 mph and crumpled in a fair bit.... Want me to show pics of it? How it folded up, bent out of shape at such low speeds? How that triple skinning did absolutely nothing to protect the trim and contents inside the car? And how toyota thought it was a great idea to make at least 3 different bootlids, bumpers, wiper motors, even the f*cking looms were different, just on the boot???

The Sei hit a bollard at a similar speed but I'd expect it to fold up as it's a little city car... Neither are meant to take a major shunt....

Now tell me this.... Have you got any hands on experience like I've outlined above?

As for rusty fiestas, that's easily sorted.....

Karl Stein

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlDS8SMWTf8

JohnBoy26

dgt wrote: »

Oh no it's not a chip.... But does it annoy you that I detest mainstream toyotas? That someone out there would rather walk than be seen behind the wheel of one?

It's what others don't see like the extra bits replaced when serviced, the sheer price of some parts, the awkwardness and access to vital items like the oil and diesel filter in a 2.0TD, a good way to burn yourself....

Are you a panel beater? Do you know how to straighten out panels? Remove big dents paintlessly? If no then what right have you to tell me how to do part of my job....?

Do you know the circumstances of the cars I'm talking about in question? Are you mechanically minded? What if I told you the Yaris hit a tree at about 20 mph and crumpled in a fair bit.... Want me to show pics of it? How it folded up, bent out of shape at such low speeds? How that triple skinning did absolutely nothing to protect the trim and contents inside the car? And how toyota thought it was a great idea to make at least 3 different bootlids, bumpers, wiper motors, even the f*cking looms were different, just on the boot???

The Sei hit a bollard at a similar speed but I'd expect it to fold up as it's a little city car... Neither are meant to take a major shunt....

Now tell me this.... Have you got any hands on experience like I've outlined above?

As for rusty fiestas, that's easily sorted.....

:rolleyes::P I'll leave it at that.

dgt

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

:rolleyes::P I'll leave it at that.

I'll take that as a no. No skills whatsoever...

Don't go tellin me about stuff I've seen first hand

As for the OP, choice is yours...

166man

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Yes I have worked on the lot and I am not mixing up fact with opinion, it's you that is guilty of that sir with the drivel you posted above. The Yaris is far better than you make out. You have a big chip on your shoulder when it comes to Toyota's.

the reason why the seicento straightened well for you is because it's thin sheet metal is easy to bend back. It's understandable that the yaris is harder to straighten because of it's better sheetmetal, after all it has a four star ncap rating to the seicento one and one flagged star. Perhaps if you brushed up on you panel beating skills you might be able to fix those gaps;)

As for the fiesta, they are good cars but most are rust buckets at this stage.

The nerve you must have to accuse him of posting drivel, honestly. You consistently harp on about how much experience you have of all these cars and how you have ''worked on the lot'' but we never seen any evidence of this do we? Nope we just see dgt taking engines out, rebuilding turbos and taking car's apart in his spare time.

Mainstream toyota's in general are fairly crap tbh, they have absolutely nothing going for them, even the Koreans have possibly edged them in the reliability stakes these days.

Do the Yaris not rust at all no?

colm_mcm wrote: »

I like fiats, I particularly like seicentos in a sort of go-kart kinda way - but to be fair, a yaris is a very well built car, for someone starting out tax is cheaper by 2 bands (unless you get a 0.9 litre boggo spec seicento) safety is in a different league, standard equipment is good, and early ones are still making the same money they were 4 years ago.

I have a hankering for one myself too, but while I agree that safety is in a different league, we're talking basic reliability here and cost to buy is a huge factor, no doubt the reduced price of the Sei would easily cover the tax difference for many years.

In terms of reliability, I see no reason why a well minded Yaris will go on longer than a well minded Seicento and that's what get's me really, no evidence to prove anything, just words are all I see.

FridaysWell

I know 'tis French but not a bad little runner for a few years!

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/00-clio-new-nct-clutch-timing-belt-kit/5481561

This looks clean aswell!

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/04-opel-corsa-for-sale/5482958

Some say these were built better than their cousin the Polo, get rid of those dodgy car mats though!

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/seat-ibiza/5481234

Good luck either way OP, happy motoring!

colm_mcm

166man, I think you're anti anything that isn't Italan tbh :pac:

166man

colm_mcm wrote: »

166man, I think you're anti anything that isn't Italan tbh :pac:

I really amn't, just my posting sometimes comes across that way, I don't like characterless cars! But I'm a secret BMW fanboi and I like a good Volvo. Honda's ain't bad either, I have a soft spot for a certain model though...



2007 Civic 1.8 Type S in red with those exact wheels is owned by a very close friend of the family, got driving it once and loved it, especially the seats, kind of alcantara coating on them. Looks the business on the alloys too.

Toyotafanboi

i'm not going to say i'm not a small bit biased and i don't want to fall out with my motoring buddies either but a mk1 yaris vs a 6n2 polo... the yaris is very much so better in many regards, considerably more reliable and much better kit as standard. also (and despite my joking) i don't hate fiats by any means and i wouldn't be quick to stereotype them. that said i would rather a yaris over a mk1 punto or either cinq or seichento particularly if i had to hit a brick wall at 30mph.

mk2 punto is a nice car imo particularly in 3dr, quite a looker and appears to have good standard kit, would probably chose one over a yaris, mainly because you could get one for a fraction of the price.

Noccy_Mondy

Peugeot 206, 1.1 litre, cheap motoring (well unless the electrics f*uck up :P)

Scortho

colm_mcm wrote: »

166man, I think you're anti anything that isn't Italan tbh :pac:

He's an mx5 fanboy as well after driving Cians sideways.

nowimtalking

Thanks for all of the replies. I have a better idea on what cars to look out for, albeit that it's still difficult to know whether the Yaris or Fiat Sei is better.

My dream first car would be a polo but they can be hard to find in my price range I think.

Thanks again!

colm_mcm

Also consider the vw lupo if you like vws

dgt

nowimtalking wrote: »

Thanks for all of the replies. I have a better idea on what cars to look out for, albeit that it's still difficult to know whether the Yaris or Fiat Sei is better.

My dream first car would be a polo but they can be hard to find in my price range I think.

Thanks again!

Panda or a Fiesta. Get out there, see what you like, ask us for more info