Best car on student budget?

RayRay123

Good al' mammy and daddy want to get me a car for the commute to college (saves them on accommodation and ridiculous bus fares).
But Ive been looking around and I really dont know what car to be looking for. I looked at some 98-00 Micras but MPG isnt great. Id be motorway into the city and then on to college from there. So a little bit of city driving is involved. Help please?!!

P.S. Im on a strict student budget for petrol/diesel and im limited to what I can spend in the first place. Like if I was to spend 1000euro, it needs to have NCT and Tax for the year.

Ded_Zebra

If I were you I would have another look at the cost of student accommodation. When I worked it out before the cost of fuel alone was going to be more than the rent for the room in my house. On top of the fuel cost you also have tax, insurance, servicing, tyres, parking etc etc. How far will your commute be daily?

RayRay123

Its a 35km commute. I think they would prefer me to have the car, as it would be handier for them if I was mobile...plus Im the eldest so they cant face me moving out just yet

166man

You should be working out the cost per week etc if you're to be in college 5 days a week. Just assume 35mpg or something and work it out. You could get a fright otherwise when you start commuting. College accommodation is what nearly €5k excluding what you'll spend in a week on food etc.


Work out the figures yourself then we can recommend cars for you.

blades.ofglory

RayRay123 wrote: »

Its a 35km commute. I think they would prefer me to have the car, as it would be handier for them if I was mobile...plus Im the eldest so they cant face me moving out just yet

By Yourself a pushbike, NO petrol cost, No insurgence, NO NCT, NO parking fee.

BTW, I KNOW A GUY THAT CYCLES 45KM every day

Ded_Zebra

blades.ofglory wrote: »

By Yourself a pushbike, NO petrol cost, No insurgence, NO NCT, NO parking fee.

BTW, I KNOW A GUY THAT CYCLES 45KM every day

Well the op will be going 35km each way from what I understand so...

The best cheapest option would probably be an older (pre vvti) corolla. You could probably get a good example for your budget.

Days 298

blades.ofglory wrote: »

By Yourself a pushbike, NO petrol cost, No insurgence, NO NCT, NO parking fee.

BTW, I KNOW A GUY THAT CYCLES 45KM every day

He's days he's doing mainly motorway driving.

Toyotafanboi

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

If I were you I would have another look at the cost of student accommodation. When I worked it out before the cost of fuel alone was going to be more than the rent for the room in my house. On top of the fuel cost you also have tax, insurance, servicing, tyres, parking etc etc. How far will your commute be daily?

i must agree. when i was commuting to college i was spending €80 a week in diesel, not counting the other associated running costs. last year my student accommodation was €75 a week and this year €65 a week, but there are associated "running costs" with accommodation too like ESB bills, food, heating etc...

when commuting i had the focus diesel was was a handy car on diesel. i rembember being at kilmacanogue when the fuel light came on and i drove it to dun laoire when i had 4 liters of diesel in the boot which i then used to drive to gorey perfect car for a stingy man and the tax is just a cut below the usual 1.9

Ded_Zebra

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

i must agree. when i was commuting to college i was spending €80 a week in diesel, not counting the other associated running costs. last year my student accommodation was €75 a week and this year €65 a week, but there are associated "running costs" with accommodation too like ESB bills, food, heating etc...

when commuting i had the focus diesel was was a handy car on diesel. i rembember being at kilmacanogue when the fuel light came on and i drove it to dun laoire when i had 4 liters of diesel in the boot which i then used to drive to gorey perfect car for a stingy man and the tax is just a cut below the usual 1.9

Not forgetting that you do technically have those costs at home too it just comes direct out of mammys pocket :pac:

Toyotafanboi

i couldn't believe how much spare cash i had when i came home for the summer :pac: i love my parents :P

RayRay123

Honestly Im happy to take the bus, coz its €840 for the academic year, where as a car would come in at 2700 for the academic year, taking tax, nct, parking and fuel, excl. the initial cost of the car! But my folks want to make the investment...They said keep the engine small and my fuel budget is roughly €80 a week, less if I can help it, and my initial budget for the car which should be driving, taxed and nct-ed is €1000.

power pants

Could be quite difficult finding a car with nct and tax for 1k or less

For insurance will be you insuring it in your own name or parents?

RayRay123

Im covered under my mams name for any car under 1.2L. I just have to confirm with them the car.

jimgoose

It doesn't always come down to dollars-and-cents. Your parents probably see it as money well spent for a couple of reasons. You get to start building up your NCB good and early, and you'd be surprised - that can be as good as money in the bank. You also get to live at home, with them, where they can keep an eye on you for another while, where life I presume is rather comfortable and pleasant, and not be handing over lumps of money to some shytehawk landlord in the Cit-aaah and have to argue with idiots every second week over bills, etc.

Toyotafanboi

lets face is, your own car is infinitely cooler than getting the bus.

sorry to sound biased buy if you want a half decent car for under a grand with NCT it has to be an old corolla or starlet imo.

for example my starlet costs around €55-60 to brim its very small tank when its nearly empty. and i get around 600km's to a tank which is good going. tax is €385 for the year and insurance despite the odds is cheap.

Ded_Zebra

RayRay123 wrote: »

Honestly Im happy to take the bus, coz its €840 for the academic year, where as a car would come in at 2700 for the academic year, taking tax, nct, parking and fuel, excl. the initial cost of the car! But my folks want to make the investment...They said keep the engine small and my fuel budget is roughly €80 a week, less if I can help it, and my initial budget for the car which should be driving, taxed and nct-ed is €1000.

Keep an eye on this thread. There should be things coming up there that will suit your needs.
Note that there might be good value in things with slightly bigger engines than you are looking for at the moment as very small engined cars demand a premium.

jimgoose

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

Keep an eye on this thread. There should be things coming up there that will suit your needs.
Note that there might be good value in things with slightly bigger engines than you are looking for at the moment as very small engined cars demand a premium.

Unreal value out there, but I'd say tax-and-insurance on anything with a half-way proper engine will murder her.

RayRay123

@jimgoose Jesus dont start!! Im getting a part-time job coz I really want to live out! I hope to next year. this is there way of trying to keep me home, as you say, to keep an eye on me :0 but sure its a nice way.

@toyotafanboi I never thought of a starlet! nifty little things...thanks or maybe a yaris...

Ded_Zebra

jimgoose wrote: »

Unreal value out there, but I'd say tax-and-insurance on anything with a half-way proper engine will murder him.

I'm talking about up to a 1.6 not a 4l V8

RayRay123

@jimgoose "her" not him thats why the folks are touchy!

RayRay123

@ded_zebra Im terrified to know what that might add to my insurance! mam drives a 1.3 so im covered on that but any car after that needs to be 1.2L or lower...

jimgoose

RayRay123 wrote: »

@jimgoose "her" not him thats why the folks are touchy!

Oops - my apologies! I commuted to college meself for three years back in the day, about 14 miles each way on my little red 100cc Suzuki motorbike. To each their own, but I had no inclination to live outside home that time, and the joys of motoring were only savage!

jimgoose

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

I'm talking about up to a 1.6 not a 4l V8

So am I, sham!

RayRay123

@jimgoose i know the RayRay is misleading! School nickname that stuck...:L

RayRay123

@jimgoose I would love a bike!!! But if i mentioned that, Id say my mam would have the canary islands!!!

Toyotafanboi

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/car-for-sale/5601569
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/1996-toyoya-starlet-sportif/5582642

in my opinion :P

dgt

Is the price of tax an issue? There was a Mercedes E200 I posted up in bangernomics for €1250, taxed till June.....

Would you consider a diesel? Not necessarily a floppy beret wearing cheese eating example :pac:

Indestructable

If you are on a learners permit then you will not be let drive unaccompanied nor will you be let drive on the motor way so bear that in mind!!

I would recommend a Ford Fiesta, the Ghia model. Has ABS, power steering, air con and electric windows. Can get a 00 for about a grand with NCT and a bit of tax too. Has a 1.25l engine.

RayRay123

Ill consider anything at this point!!! thanks for the links!

blades.ofglory

RayRay123 wrote: »

Ill consider anything at this point!!! thanks for the links!

You will be crippled on insurance either way, due to your age

Value of insurance can supersede the cost of the car easily

RayRay123

I know...it sucks! especially since Im a girl and before the EU went and said thats unfair for boys, it was gonna be okay! I know theres gender equality and all the stuff but you cant argue with statistics!...better stop before I rant!

jimgoose

RayRay123 wrote: »

I know...it sucks! especially since Im a girl and before the EU went and said thats unfair for boys, it was gonna be okay! I know theres gender equality and all the stuff but you cant argue with statistics!...better stop before I rant!

I agree. That blasted gender directive thing is one of the most ridiculous fiascos I've ever heard of.

djimi

Just out of curiosity, can you explain your insurance situation? What do you mean by "Im covered under my mams name for any car under 1.2L." when you say she already has a 1.3 car?

RayRay123

I dont know...she got a deal made up...i think its like a lesser version of me being covered on a third party car. I kinda zoned out if Im honest when my dad tired to explain

RayRay123

jimgoose wrote: »

I agree. That blasted gender directive thing is one of the most ridiculous fiascos I've ever heard of.

I say some irish guy in the EU went to insure his son and nearly feinted, then a drinking buddy boasted how cheap his daughter's insurance is, one thing lead to another, and BAM! girls cant be cheap to insure...

jimgoose

RayRay123 wrote: »

I dont know...she got a deal made up...i think its like a lesser version of me being covered on a third party car. I kinda zoned out if Im honest when my dad tired to explain

Let me have a go - nearly every comprehensive, and many TPFT, policy has the standard "driving other cars" extension, which allowed the policyholder to drive any other car that they don't own as long as it's engine is no bigger than 2.5l.

Your mam has negotiated a "tailored" instance of this standard extension, which includes cover for you as long as the car is no bigger than 1.2l. Right?

RayRay123

jimgoose wrote: »

Let me have a go - nearly every comprehensive, and many TPFT, policy has the standard "driving other cars" extension, which allowed the policyholder to drive any other car that they don't own as long as it's engine is no bigger than 2.5l.

Your mam has negotiated a "tailored" instance of this standard extension, which includes cover for you as long as the car is no bigger than 1.2l. Right?

Id assume thats whats she's done...thanks for the explanation!!

toastedpickles

Corollas here corollas there, wall to wall corollas

Screw that! Op get yourself an Opel Astra 99/03 model, you can pick them up for peanuts, maintain them for half the peanuts and once you look after it it will look after you, they're rather comfy too, and even though it's a hatchback it's a grand size, very nippy too! They're a 1.4 engine and probably the most fuel efficient thing from that era, (just my opinion maaaaan :pac:) insurance is handy enough on them and tax for the year is around 300, or 108 for three months, it's a car that just keeps going

Trust me I should know!

power pants

1.4 is a bigger number than a 1.2

mgbgt1978

Toasted pickles......1.4 is €385 per annum. closer to €400 than €300.
Op has already stated a few times that she doesn't want, or can't, exceed a 1.2 litre car.
Really it's an older starlet (pre '96 to stay below 1.2l)), a micra or a rough Yaris for this budget.

ps. OP, if you know anybody mechanical then there's a whole world of Fiat seicento's, Peugeot 106's/ Citroen saxo's, Renault clio's, etc out there......otherwise probably safer to stick with something Japanese.

djimi

jimgoose wrote: »

Let me have a go - nearly every comprehensive, and many TPFT, policy has the standard "driving other cars" extension, which allowed the policyholder to drive any other car that they don't own as long as it's engine is no bigger than 2.5l.

Your mam has negotiated a "tailored" instance of this standard extension, which includes cover for you as long as the car is no bigger than 1.2l. Right?

Would be a very strange level of cover for an insure to offer third party extension to a (presumably) named driver on a policy to cover a car that is registered in their name?

jimgoose

djimi wrote: »

Would be a very strange level of cover for an insure to offer third party extension to a (presumably) named driver on a policy to cover a car that is registered in their name?

Certainly would. I'm only trying to guess what the set-up is based on rather limited data!

RayRay123

I honestly dont know the extent of the cover! Im relaying second hand info to you here....f#####g cars, theyre so complicated to buy!

Thanks for all the advise here though! I really appreciate it! I think its down to myself now to go shopping...:)

granturismo

I had a quick look through the thread and couldnt find any mention of parking.

Have you checked out the cost of parking at the campus?
Is there parking available on campus or will you have to use a private carpark.

Most campus car parks are full at 11am - some at 8am depending on the college.

Parking costs also vary between colleges.

The advantage of using a decent bus service bus that you wont have to be in every morning before 10am or whatever to get a parking space if only have 1 lecture in the afternoon.

Sobanek

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

lets face is, your own car is infinitely cooler than getting the bus.

sorry to sound biased buy if you want a half decent car for under a grand with NCT it has to be an old corolla or starlet imo.

for example my starlet costs around €55-60 to brim its very small tank when its nearly empty. and i get around 600km's to a tank which is good going. tax is €385 for the year and insurance despite the odds is cheap.

60 quid to fill up a starlet? :O A 40 litre tank? Wow, it's 50 litres in the Volvo S40/V50! But we do get approximately 800kms to the tank on 46 litres of diesel, now that it's been serviced

Ded_Zebra

You could do a lot worse than this provided that the misfire isn't due to bad compression.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/punto/5631140

RayRay123

granturismo wrote: »

I had a quick look through the thread and couldnt find any mention of parking.

Have you checked out the cost of parking at the campus?
Is there parking available on campus or will you have to use a private carpark.

Most campus car parks are full at 11am - some at 8am depending on the college.

Parking costs also vary between colleges.

The advantage of using a decent bus service bus that you wont have to be in every morning before 10am or whatever to get a parking space if only have 1 lecture in the afternoon.

Yeah I have:) when I said earlier that its 2700 per academic year to run a car, I incl. parking in that. In the college Im goin to its €400 per academic year(24 weeks) and you rent a space, so hours are not important.
Its something so easily over looked though! thanks:)
Anyway Id be there all day! Im doing Engineering which is 9-6pm most days!

RayRay123

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

You could do a lot worse than this provided that the misfire isn't due to bad compression.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/punto/5631140

To many FIAT horror stories! theres a reason the unofficial moto is "Fix It Again Tomorrow"...

Ded_Zebra

RayRay123 wrote: »

To many FIAT horror stories! theres a reason the unofficial moto is "Fix It Again Tomorrow"...

Don't believe the sh*te your granddads friends tell you down the local :rolleyes:

They are very reliable and excellent driving little cars.

Toyotafanboi

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

You could do a lot worse than this provided that the misfire isn't due to bad compression.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/punto/5631140

mk2 cunto would be a good option allright. so many available though i wouldn't bother looking at one advertised with problems.

Ded_Zebra

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

mk2 cunto would be a good option allright. so many available though i wouldn't bother looking at one advertised with problems.

But with very low miles and 4 name brad tyres would you believe!:eek: I would suspect that that one has been fairly well looked after. Only going to see it can tell though.