First Car

JDM Jack

I'm looking to see if anyone has any ideas for what a good first car would be?
Exclude things like insurance and tax for the moment, as I'll sort them myself.
At the moment I'm looking at a Golf, Bora or an A4, basically something diesel (not limited to that though), reliable, good mpg but still has atleast a bit of street cred. I'm mad for anything Jap but a 180 or an Altezza is never going to be practical.

Maybe there's nothing out there but if anyone can suggest some cars or even tell me some good news such as cars like the KE70 being alright It'd be a great help!

colm_mcm

You'll find that tax and insurance are the main reason people aren't driving what they want to drive, don't gloss over them.

It seems from your other posts that you're 16/17 so insurance will be massive on anything that isnt tiny engined.

Should be also noted that a learner permit isn't a driving license, its a permit for you to learn to drive under supervision rather than rack up huge miles (diesel)

JDM Jack

colm_mcm wrote: »

You'll find that tax and insurance are the main reason people aren't driving what they want to drive, don't gloss over them.

By no means am I glossing over them but I want a few suggestion before I seriously consider buying my first car. I don't have much else in life (financially) to be worrying about so all the funds I can get will go to this.

Think of this as means to make my 'longlist', before my shortlist.

mickdw

From your choices and going by the current trend I'm assuming you are going to be slamming them and adding a few choice mods. It's not a good look.
I would go for a nice factory spec A4.

colm_mcm

JDM Jack wrote: »

By no means am I glossing over them but I want a few suggestion before I seriously consider buying my first car. I don't have much else in life (financially) to be worrying about so all the funds I can get will go to this.

Think of this as means to make my 'longlist', before my shortlist.

Just get quotes on a bora or a4 tdi for the craic anyway.

JDM Jack

mickdw wrote: »

From your choices and going by the current trend I'm assuming you are going to be slamming them and adding a few choice mods. It's not a good look.
I would go for a nice factory spec A4.

I won't be making my car look nice for others, I'll build this for myself, slammed or not, if it makes me happy I don't care.

colm_mcm

Will you be fitting an cooo generator?

mickdw

JDM Jack wrote: »

I won't be making my car look nice for others, I'll build this for myself, slammed or not, if it makes me happy I don't care.

Let me guess, cut springs, seriously out of camber suspension, a big exhaust, eyebrows, stupid wheels and tiny brakes. Cheap HID lights and a windscreen visor blocking the whole top half of the screen with the windscreen discs placed vertically at the side of the screen.

brian plank

JDM Jack wrote: »

At the moment I'm looking at a Golf, Bora or an A4, basically something diesel (not limited to that though), reliable, good mpg but still has atleast a bit of street cred.

only in ireland.

JohnBoy26

brian plank wrote: »

only in ireland.

That's not Ireland

JDM Jack

mickdw wrote: »

Let me guess, cut springs, seriously out of camber suspension, a big exhaust, eyebrows, stupid wheels and tiny brakes. Cheap HID lights and a windscreen visor blocking the whole top half of the screen with the windscreen discs placed vertically at the side of the screen.

Camber on a road car is a joke, cutting springs is the definition of retarded, eyebrows - why bother, stupid wheels ? Why would someone PICK stupid wheels and tiny brakes, I'm not looking to kill myself at all. What car enthusiasts do you hang around with?!!

brian plank

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

That's not Ireland

how observant. i was referring to the 'street cred' thing.

JohnBoy26

brian plank wrote: »

how observant. i was referring to the 'street cred' thing.

I know that scene is obviously alive and well in other countries judging from the pic though

JDM Jack

brian plank wrote: »

how observant. i was referring to the 'street cred' thing.

A person can love any car and set it up how they want but a guy who goes all out on a Corsa isn't going to get have as much attention or interest as a guy with a clean AE86 for example, 'street cred' wasn't the right phrase, I just couldn't think of what to say to describe what I mean, as I'm obviously not getting something ridiculous for a first car.

I started a thread for suggestions, obviously not a good idea.

vwhead

i was gettin qoutes on 115bhp bora sports for as little as 990 on my own policy and still on a provisional with no NCB, i done all the reasearch like your self and could wel afford it for a first car and plenty of poke to get you out of hairy situations you might find yourself in, my advice is to go down the diesel route golf bora etc for a first car as its cheaper on insurance and diesel because its your first car no point in lying that your not gunna be living in it for the first 2 months :P but anyway i ended up with a 1.4 astra there about 3 weeks nice little car few nice mods nothing silly or cheap lookin or dangerous and getting insured on it isnt looking cheap at the moment and these are the same companys that were giving me qoutes of under a grand for a bora sport!

my best advice is to go down the TDI route biggest mistake i made was not having the patience to wait any longer to get a bora, hopefully next year when insurance gets cheaper i might get a tezz for a weeknd car or that

YbFocus

mickdw wrote: »

Let me guess, cut springs, seriously out of camber suspension, a big exhaust, eyebrows, stupid wheels and tiny brakes. Cheap HID lights and a windscreen visor blocking the whole top half of the screen with the windscreen discs placed vertically at the side of the screen.

This post and ones above are silly and off topic, just running the chap into the ground. Let him do what he wants, he was only asking for ideas.
This is exactly what was talked about in the latest motors problem thread!

Realistically JDM Jack you'll be lucky to get insured on the cars you want in your first year without paying mad money.
Why not drive something mundane for a year or two and save. Then buy a proper machine when your insurance and pocket allows.
It'll seem crap for a while but it's the right way to go about it

djimi

What kind of budget do you have overall? You can make a long list of any amount of cars you like, but it'll be a pointless exercise if you can't afford to run them!

The cars you have mentioned are going to be a nightmare to insure for an unlicensed teenager. Insurance companies aren't stupid; the more "Street cred" a car has, the more they will be charging you to insure it!

You're best bet is to make your own shortlist of 3-4 cars that you like first and then go off and get some quotes to insure then. Sit down and work out all of the running costs (tax etc) and work out what you can actually afford to run, then start making a realistic shortlist.

Sobanek

Dayyysull!

In all seriousness though, I still don't have my own car after 3 years of driving, simply because I was racking up some discount and at a higher age, insurance is lower. You might want to consider!

Planning to get something fasht, I'm still under 21 and the insurance ain't bad.

JDM Jack

vwhead wrote: »

i was gettin qoutes on 115bhp bora sports for as little as 990 on my own policy and still on a provisional with no NCB, i done all the reasearch like your self and could wel afford it for a first car and plenty of poke to get you out of hairy situations you might find yourself in, my advice is to go down the diesel route golf bora etc for a first car as its cheaper on insurance and diesel because its your first car no point in lying that your not gunna be living in it for the first 2 months :P but anyway i ended up with a 1.4 astra there about 3 weeks nice little car few nice mods nothing silly or cheap lookin or dangerous and getting insured on it isnt looking cheap at the moment and these are the same companys that were giving me qoutes of under a grand for a bora sport!

my best advice is to go down the TDI route biggest mistake i made was not having the patience to wait any longer to get a bora, hopefully next year when insurance gets cheaper i might get a tezz for a weeknd car or that

Thanks

Mycroft H

Prepare to bend over for any insurance for a 17 year old. Especially in what's seen as the cool cars of today.

JDM Jack

I'm getting insured under my mothers name BUT it will still be my car, as she has one under my father and he has own under his company. The budget isn't anything high, I'm not looking to get my dream car as a first car but I made this thread to see if there were any 'inbetween' cars, but I think I'll stick with the TDI's after all.

I mean I've got quotes for Miata's at 1600 and Altezza's at 1800 but that's too much for car that will already have high costs in fuel efficiency and road tax.

Anyway, thanks for all the posts (except mickdw who jumped to a stereotype), helped me make up my mind!

Mycroft H

JDM Jack wrote: »

I'm getting insured under my mothers name BUT it will still be my car, as she has one under my father and he has own under his company. The budget isn't anything high, I'm not looking to get my dream car as a first car but I made this thread to see if there were any 'inbetween' cars, but I think I'll stick with the TDI's after all.

Insurance companies didn't come down in the last shower you know....

EazyD

Having had my license since 17, and speaking 5 years on, I'd strongly suggest the OP takes the sensible route, with a view to building an NCB and funds for what he really wants down the line. By the time your actually getting sensible quotes , you will have already dropped huge money on insurance/tax/consumables/servicing, sure it sucks but we all had to compromise at that age!

thecomedian

JDM I found that certain models were cheaper to insure than others even though they were more powerful.
A Volvo S60 was nearly half the cost of an A4 but it was more powerful.
I'd try the TDIs but I'd look at quotes for the likes of an S40 or the likes.
I'd a Volvo 940 2.3 under my parents insurance for my first few years of driving. Wasn't exactly what I'd wanted but I built up my NCB.

Sobanek

JDM Jack wrote: »

I'm getting insured under my mothers name BUT it will still be my car

You know there is a high possibility that if you crash your car (hopefully not) your insurance will be void if they find out it's your car?

I don't think a 30+ year old mother would have an A4 TDI with plenty of mods Just a heads up.

thecomedian

Mycroft H wrote: »

Insurance companies didn't come down in the last shower you know....

As long as it's in his mothers name it's ok.

Mycroft H

thecomedian wrote: »

As long as it's in his mothers name it's ok.

What now? Just cos it's in mammys name it's okay?

thecomedian

Mycroft H wrote: »

What now? Just cos it's in mammys name it's okay?

Yea, I take it that they are still living at home.

djimi

thecomedian wrote: »

JDM I found that certain models were cheaper to insure than others even though they were more powerful.
A Volvo S60 was nearly half the cost of an A4 but it was more powerful.
I'd try the TDIs but I'd look at quotes for the likes of an S40 or the likes.
I'd a Volvo 940 2.3 under my parents insurance for my first few years of driving. Wasn't exactly what I'd wanted but I built up my NCB.

A lot of it is down to reputation also; an S40 may be more powerful, but you are more likely to see a young lad flying around in an A4 than you are in a Volvo!

The OP may be able to insure something better than a Yaris, but the problem is that the cars that they have mentioned will all have alarm bells ringing for insurers!

JDM Jack

Sobanek wrote: »

You know there is a high possibility that if you crash your car (hopefully not) your insurance will be void if they find out it's your car?

I don't think a 30+ year old mother would have an A4 TDI with plenty of mods Just a heads up.

I'm not buying one already modded, whether it's an A4 or not (most likely I'll go for a Golf). I won't be spending money on any modifications any time soon afterwards either, I'm not made of money.

JDM Jack

Mycroft H wrote: »

Insurance companies didn't come down in the last shower you know....

No, they didn't. Must have been hard to work that one out.