How much to spend on first car

Galbin

I am a learner driver and was wondering how much I should spend on a car. When I get my licence I will buy an automatic car, but for now I'll get a manual since a manual was the only car I could practice on before now.

So, how much should I spend on a car that is for learning in but also good enough to not constantly be breaking down? I know to get a small litre engine, and I do want a small car. However, that is the extent of my knowledge.

Would €2000 be enough to get a car that will last a few years? As a learner my insurance will be about €2000-€2500, so this impacts how much I can spend on the actual car.

Thanks.

glomar

2000 euro would be good on something like a diahtsu siron or similiar
the trick is 2000 is no good in a car lot .. your essentially buying somebody elses junk
try kia picanto etc .. you might get lucky .. for a 2008 - 2010 .. same with the diahastu for similar monies .
spending big money on a first car is nuts , even though you have a licence you are still learning . It takes a few years to perfect methods etc .

anyway private sale is your best best with a budget of this amount

glomar

glomar wrote: »

2000 euro would be good on something like a diahtsu siron or similiar
the trick is 2000 is no good in a car lot .. your essentially buying somebody elses junk
try kia picanto etc .. you might get lucky .. for a 2008 - 2010 .. same with the diahastu for similar monies .
spending big money on a first car is nuts , even though you have a licence you are still learning . It takes a few years to perfect methods etc .

anyway private sale is your best best with a budget of this amount

Daihatsu Kiron and Kia Picanto. Jesus lads, has it gone that bad?

I’d rather chew off my feet at the ankles and hobble around on a pair of bloody stumps than accept a lift in those cars, let alone drive them.

bazz26

Yeah, M3 all the way.

James Forde

Yaris, Micra, Fiesta, Polo.

Look no further.

DaveyDave

glomar wrote: »

spending big money on a first car is nuts , even though you have a licence you are still learning . It takes a few years to perfect methods etc

Nothing wrong with spending money on a first car. Just because someone is a new driver doesn't necessarily mean they're going to dent their car on everything.

James Forde wrote: »

Yaris, Micra, Fiesta, Polo.

Look no further.

These cars aren't necessarily cheap. People are asking €5k for 10 year old paddy spec cars with 150k on the clock that were originally €14/15k new.

Galbin

glomar wrote: »

the trick is 2000 is no good in a car lot .. your essentially buying somebody elses junk
.
anyway private sale is your best best with a budget of this amount

So, how much should one spend on their first car in order to buy from a garage and have a car that works? I truly don't know and have nobody to help me.

Wildcard7

Galbin wrote: »

So, how much should one spend on their first car in order to buy from a garage and have a car that works? I truly don't know and have nobody to help me.

The question isn't how much you should spend on a first car, but how much you should spend on a car that works for a couple years (as you asked in your first post).

At 2k it's a lottery, at least unless you're willing to look at a few cars with someone who knows exactly what to look for.

That's not to say you can't buy a car for 2k and drive it for a few years with no trouble. But you're tossing a coin.

IMHO, around the 4-5k mark is where you can start to find cars that:
- are from a somewhat reputable dealer (so you have some sort of a comeback and a warranty that's worth a damn)
- are a somewhat reliable make/model
- are less than 12 years old
- have less than 150k km on the clock

2k gets you something like this:https://www.carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=2048586&r=s.php%3Fm%5B%5D%3D88%26o%5B%5D%3D758%26e%3D2000%26g%3D0%26z%3D-7

11 years old, 207k km, "dodgy" dealer (dodgy = I have no idea about them, but they're not a dealership, they're someone who buys/sells, and my experience with that sort of thing is not very pleasant), no number plates in pictures so you can't even check online. Contains a warranty that will not be worth the paper it's printed on.

Might be a brilliant car, might as well be a write off from the UK that was cobbled back together with chewing gum. The dealer could be sound as a pound or have ties to the mafia. I have no clue, and chances are neither do you.

Buy privately or from any kind of dealer if:
- You or someone you know (or someone you're willing to pay for it) can inspect the car thoroughly and make sure there's nothing dodgy, like an unprofessional repair job (or any repair job after the seller said the car had never been in an accident).
- You are prepared to walk away if your gut feeling or facts indicate that you should.
- You are prepared to throw money after this car if something unexpected comes up even if that happens after two weeks of ownership, as you won't have a warranty (that's worth anything).
- You have time to look at a few cars.

Otherwise buy from a reputable dealer, and you'll need to shell out at least 4k.

LD

With that price range, the best value is in buying privately, although there is always the risk too. The best advice would be to get any car you're thinking inspected by a mechanic. Have a look at some youtube videos to get an idea what to look for yourself - basic things - then if that looks ok then see if the seller will meet you at a mechanic's place for the inspection. It'll only cost you about 100 euro. If you're not knowledgeable on cars, getting a bit of help like this is probably the best thing you can do.

The other thing to look for is if the seller is selling other cars - just my opinion, but at that end of the market a good honest private seller who's had the car a few years is probably the best bet. There's lots of guides online with advice like this.

I spent 2600 on my first car - that got me an 11 year old 1 litre micra. I had it for 3 and half years with only wear items that needed doing. It was going strong when I sold it to get a different car. For 2000 euro I'd be looking at the Yaris and the Micra. If you need a part they're cheap and there's a lot of them in breakers yards around the country.

Kintarō Hattori

Poor ad but looks decent:

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/fiat-panda-1-2-hatchback-low-km/18972579

Low mileage:

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/fiat-panda-2007-new-nct-low-miles/18966828

Low price and mileage:

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/fiat-panda/19268652

PGE1970

My wife has a 2005 Almera at home. 95,000 miles done and not a bit wrong apart from usual wear and tear items.

It's not exciting to drive (I drive a 3 series but use it to carry my bike from work, carrying loads for recycling etc) but it has what you need.

My point - if we were to sell it now, we might get €500.There are good cars out there under €2000. My first car was a Mark II 1 litre Fiesta. It was early 1990s and I thought I was the dogs in it because it was mine and it had a radio/cassette.

Best of luck OP, you'll find something and the list re Fiesta, Micra, Yaris & Polo is a good call. I'd throw a Seat Ibiza in there too. No matter what it is, you'll remember it fondly because it was your first car.