Recommend a first car

Teachack

Hi all.

Sorry for adding another one of these threads!

Basically I'm looking to have bought a first car by September, mainly for commuting to and from college. Typical mileage will be 150/60 miles p/w. I have my full licence since January of this year. I've been driving for a few years and consider myself to be a competent driver. I have a years named driving experience on the Families 2010 1.9 passat, so that might be worth something. The premium for that was €1050. The insurance was renewed last week and I am insured for another year for €850 (since I got my test). I would appreciate some recommendations - I really love my cars and don't want to be in a Micra, yaris type car.

Budget €2500 just for the car.

Petrol/Diesel - given my mileage - do older diesel cars suffer from the DPF/DMF issues of newer cars?

Would I be correct in saying that a premium for me on my own car (named driver) would be similar to the €850 that's just being paid, or would it be more? I'm aware of the fronting situation, but I'm not in a position to take out my own policy just yet.

I'm kind of all over the place here, but basically could I have your views on appropriate cars and what ye think of the insurance situation.

Thanks

bazz26

Your budget will stretch a lot further with a petrol car over a diesel and given your small weekly mileage I don't think I'd bother with a diesel. Most diesels in your budget will have hefty mileage on them and will probably have had their better days behind them.

Moneymaker

How old are you? That will impact your insurance quite a lot.

If you are young, you'll have to avoid VAG cars for a while as you'll get slaughtered on insurance.

dharma200

If it is your first car I would honestly go for a polo. yaris ext. Get over the look of the vehicle and focus on cost of fuel running costs insurance costs etc. Every second hand car is going to chew money on you, and you want to minimise this for the first five years until you get your own no claims up...
Honestly, don't think of the car as something which people look at or something you like the style of. Think of it as a giant expanding euro sign that needs fed more and more every mile you drive.
hths

Teachack

Moneymaker wrote: »

How old are you? That will impact your insurance quite a lot.

If you are young, you'll have to avoid VAG cars for a while as you'll get slaughtered on insurance.

Sorry should have clarified. I'm 18. It's just that it's going to kill me to drop down from the passat, but if needs be.... but I'm insured on a VAG car at the moment for a very reasonable price, so dropping back to an older one and being a named driver couldn't drive it up dramatically, could it? I'm aware of the fascination with young lads and the VAG group, hence the high premiums, it's such a pity that we are all tarred with the same brush - I'm not into all this modification stuff, I like to keep cars as close to OEM as possible!

gillholmes

audi A1

JohnBoy26

Something like this would be good option IMO

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2002-toyota-corolla-1-4-petrol/7117364

Noccy_Mondy

gillholmes wrote: »

audi A1

Farce post? You get me an A1 for €2500 and I will bite your hand off!

Teachack

Ya the corolla is a decent looking car alright, what's the 1.4 like in it?

Any other views or opinions anyone?

JohnBoy26

Teachack wrote: »

Ya the corolla is a decent looking car alright, what's the 1.4 like in it?

Any other views or opinions anyone?

It's quiet good for a 1.4. While it might not win any races it has more than adequate performance and is not underpowered like other 1.4's.

Henry Ford III

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

It's quiet good for a 1.4. While it might not win any races it has more than adequate performance and is not underpowered like other 1.4's.

Quite.

Whilst I'd agree about performance a Corolla is fundamentally dull and boring. Utlilitarian exterior and a spartan interior. Equipment will be minimal too.

Toyota used to have a good rep. for build quality and reliability, but this is now toast.

JohnBoy26

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Quite.

Whilst I'd agree about performance a Corolla is fundamentally dull and boring. Utlilitarian exterior and a spartan interior. Equipment will be minimal too.

Toyota used to have a good rep. for build quality and reliability, but this is now toast.

Give it a rest dude. The E12 is a fine car and is very well made, in fact it's imo it's one of the best made car in it's class of that era.

While it may be a little dull and boring, it's no more dull and boring than most other 1.4's in that class.

It's interior is of higher quality than most in it's class and it's got one of the best performing NA 1.4 engines.

As for equipment being minimal, it's no less "spartan" than others in it's class and can be got with in a higher spec too you know, namely in Luna and the rarer Sol spec.

Your constantly spouting the same old tired stories in nearly every thread, in relation to Toyota.

Even if Toyota's reputation for build quality and reliability were " now toast", (which I don't believe it is) what has it got to do with a corolla model that came out over a decade ago? a corolla model that has an excellent reputation for reliability and build quality

Henry Ford III

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Give it a rest dude. The E12 is a fine car and is very well made, in fact it's imo it's one of the best made car in it's class of that era.

While it may be a little dull and boring, it's no more dull and boring than most other 1.4's in that class.

It's interior is of higher quality than most in it's class and it's got one of the best performing NA 1.4 engines.

As for equipment being minimal, it's no less "spartan" than others in it's class and can be got with in a higher spec too you know, namely in Luna and the rarer Sol spec.

Your constantly spouting the same old tired stories in nearly every thread, in relation to Toyota.

Even if Toyota's reputation for build quality and reliability were " now toast", (which I don't believe it is) what has it got to do with a corolla model that came out over a decade ago? a corolla model that has an excellent reputation for reliability and build quality

Saying a car is "no worse than" others is hardly a ringing endorsement is it?

p.s. I didn't mention a model year. However they're all dull and bland and more recent ones aren't good to own or run either.

JohnBoy26

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Saying a car is "no worse than" others is hardly a ringing endorsement is it?

Where did say I say it "no worse than" others"? I said it's no more dull than other 1.4's, which is true and it's better in most other departments than it's other 1.4 rivals in the C segment. That includes build quality, reliability, and performance.

Henry Ford III wrote: »

p.s. I didn't mention a model year. However they're all dull and bland

So are nearly all the other 1.4's in that class including the Golf and Focus, so your point is?

Henry Ford III wrote: »

more recent ones aren't good to own or run either.

What have "more recent ones" got to do with this thread?

also, Not that it matters but why are the newer ones not "good to own and run"? Have you owned one? What problems do they give?

Henry Ford III

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

.....While it may be a little dull and boring, it's no more dull and boring than most other 1.4's in that class.

It's interior is of higher quality than most in it's class and it's got one of the best performing NA 1.4 engines.

As for equipment being minimal, it's no less "spartan" than others in it's class .....

There you go.

p.s. You don't need to own a car to have an opinion on one.

JohnBoy26

Henry Ford III wrote: »

There you go.

Your being pedantic at this stage, That doesn't say that I said the car is "no worse"than others. I said it's "no worse" than it's rivals in two departments. It's trumps them in almost every other department. I never said the car as a whole was "no worse" than it's rivals, even though you like to make it out that I did.

Instead of going around in circles here, if you think the corolla is that bad why don't you recommend an alternative that betters the Corolla in that class for the op's criteria?

What other 1.4 in that class will do a better job of bringing them to and from college that won't be felt as a massive step down from a Passat?

What other cars in that class offers the same level of refinement, comfort, reliability, build quality, durability, performance, economy and friendly maintenance all in one package?

Henry Ford III wrote: »

p.s. You don't need to own a car to have an opinion on one.

True but how can you say that they "aren't good to own or run" if you've never had the experience of owning one?

Henry Ford III wrote: »

and more recent ones aren't good to own or run either.

I've also asked you what problems do they give? Something which you have failed to answer. But seeing as you obviously no experience with these I feel like I'm wasting my time. It seems it's just another baseless "opinion" that's been thrown out by you?

Henry Ford III

Vvti engines have an unquenchable thirst for oil apparently.

A decent Golf, Focus, Astra, or Civic are all better cars in my opinion. A Corolla is just depressingly dull.

JohnBoy26

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Vvti engines have an unquenchable thirst for oil apparently.

Apparently? You mean you don't know? Of course you don't because anyone that knows these will know that this issue was confined to early vvti's and was laregly overstated.

Most of these were fixed by Toyota. This issue didn't effect the newer e12 model corolla so your point is null and void.

Henry Ford III wrote: »

A decent Golf, Focus, Astra, or Civic are all better cars in my opinion. A Corolla is just depressingly dull.

In your opinion maybe but the reality is different.

A "decent golf, focus"? What's decent about a 1.4 golf and a 1.4 ford focus? Both are diabolically underpowered and are far,far from good to drive themselves.

It's also laughable that you would nit pick and try to find reliability issues for reason to dismiss the corolla, picking an oil burning issue that doesn't even effect the model in question.

It's even more laughable that you could then go on to reccomend a 1.4 golf over a corolla seeing as the golf is one of the worst oil burners out there itself and has a very soft underpowered engine and is dull as ditchwater to drive.

The 1.4 focus suffer from niggles like coil pack failures, rear wheel bearing failures, bcu failure( due to water ingress into the passenger foot well), instrtument cluster failures etc. A 1.4 focusd is not that economical and either and is very under powered and is just as "dull" to drive.

Astra give engine trouble and is a high consumer of oil itself. It also not that well built and can suffer a whole host of issues. Not a bad looking car though and it's got a decent safety rating. The interior is dreadfully cheap in them though.

The civic is reliable in saloon form and has a decent 1.4 engine that offers decent performance. The hatchback isn't as well made though and suffers from EPS failure ,steering rack failure, as well as gearbox bearing failure. Not a bad car to drive though but it's no where near as refined as a corolla. Insurance could also be higher on them for someone starting out.


So tell me which one of these cars will be a better than a corolla for the op's task of going in and out of college ?and state your reasons why?

Henry Ford III

Any of them are better than a rattly noisy tinny Corolla in my opinion. All are better to drive also.

p.s. What's actually kind of funny is your continued championing of the Corolla. It'd be someone saying Tesco gents suits are best buys. Sure they have arms and legs and look basically similar to better brands. They're also cheap. Beyond that though they're deeply average or worse.

JohnBoy26

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Any of them are better than a rattly noisy tinny Corolla in my opinion. All are better to drive also.

No substance of any sort in your replies. Just more baseless childish tripe.

Your bordering on trolling at this stage. It's getting very tiring and it's very odd.

JohnBoy26

Henry Ford III wrote: »

p.s. What's actually kind of funny is your continued championing of the Corolla. It'd be someone saying Tesco gents suits are best buys. Sure they have arms and legs and look basically similar to better brands. They're also cheap. Beyond that though they're deeply average or worse.

What's even more numerous is that you haven't suggested a better alternative for the op criteria backed up by reasons why.

Henry Ford III

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

No substance of any sort in your replies. Just more baseless childish tripe.

Your bordering on trolling at this stage. It's getting very tiring and it's very odd.

Attack the post not the poster please. I'm merely stating my opinion. Not my fault if you don't like it.

colm_mcm

HenryfordIII and Johnboy26, please don't contribute any further to this thread -it's not helping the OP (which is the whole purpose of the buying forum)

Teachack

Ok so, so far I have a corolla, focus and golf suggestions - these are pretty much what I was thinking. What if I said a BMW 3 series coupe, I see that they aren't too dear. 318d or 320d or ci? What's the economy like on these? Should I stay away for a few years until I get older? Do insurance companies see red when a young'in tries to get insurance on one of these, like they do with VAG cars?

bazz26

OP, unless you have a lot of money put aside for unexpected repairs then I would not entertain a premium branded car in your price range. While they may be affordable to buy these days, they have the potential to bankrupt you if something major goes wrong. Now you might get a good 3 Series but there are a lot of rough dogs out there that are money pits at this stage.

Moneymaker

What bazz said, stick with the Focuses, Golfs or Corollas for the time being.

Build up a NCB and get a BMW sometime down the line.

2,500 gets a nice 5 series(I got a mint 525 for 1400) but that's not an option for you, for a while at least. And the 316 and 318 are not pleasant driving experiences imo.