Absolute beginner not sure what to buy

Dan_K

Hi,

I know next to nothing about cars. I want to buy a car for weekend trips (say Dublin city centre to Phoenix Park, Killiney Hill or Glendalough), as well as shopping. I want to minimize tax and insurance since I won't be using the car heavily.

After doing some research on this forum, it seems like petrol is the way to go for me. I don't want to buy something that breaks down often, so reliability is an important issue. I'm thinking of buying used from a dealership for the ease of mind. Of course, I'll get a mechanic to inspect the car first.

My questions are: Is what I have above reasonable? What kind of cars to look for? I'd like to have a saloon or coupe (I don't have a family). What kind of money to expect for my requirements? Specific car recommendations would be appreciated.

Budget: 10K.

Idbatterim

a E1000 1.3L yaris...

bazz26

I would not hold much faith in a €1k Yaris. They are very popular and decent ones fetch good money. They are an excellent car and the advice is buy the best example you can afford but you will pay decent money for a good one.

Soarer

08 or newer Prius.

freddieot

3 year old Kia Ceed. You would still have a 4 year warranty left (or what is left of 150,000k) so no issues !

bazz26

The OP really needs to settle on a budget otherwise an entire spectrum of cars will be recommended.

BelleOfTheBall

1litre be polo

Dan_K

I've updated my post. My budget is 10K.

Thanks everyone.

bazz26

What sort of license do you hold, how much previous driving experience do you have? A lot of what you can buy might be determined by what you can afford to insure.

Dan_K

I've had a full licence for about a year. I rent occasionally. Mostly minis. Not too fond of the size or look to be honest. Never owned a car before.

bazz26

Well my advise is to get some insurance quotes on cars you are interested in first. With no previous insurance in your own name it may not be cheap to even insure the most modest of cars.

Dan_K

I wasn't aware of this. Thanks for your recommendation. I checked with one provider and got €415 p.a. for an Audi A4 (just a random model I picked). I can afford that.

Soarer

Again, the Prius.

Aviva do a special discounted rate for hybrids.

chicorytip

Nissan Almera. Plentiful, cheap , reliable and not bad to drive.

Thargor

Can I just ask a quick question as my situation is very similar to the OP in that I just want the car for my hillwalking hobby not for commuting or anything like that. Ive never had insurance before either and I only have a provisional license. I have been a named driver on my brothers policy for 2 years now, will that make much difference to my insurance when I do get a Micra or Polo or whatever?

bazz26

Some insurance companies will offer discounts on named driving experience but they will look for a letter from the insurance company that you were a named driver.

JohnBoy26

chicorytip wrote: »

Nissan Almera. Plentiful, cheap , not very reliable and not bad to drive.

Fyp