I'm hoping to have my driving licence soon, and I'm starting to look at what car to buy. I've previously owned a couple of cars which I used for messing around in (on private land, obviously), and more recently for learning to drive in. However I have a couple of grand put aside for buying a proper car.

So in my position, what car would you buy? What do you think is the best value for money on the market at the min? I really don't have a clue, I was thinking of maybe a Peugeot 306, they're cheap, look tidy, and on insurance a '99 1.4LX is £1092 via the RAC for 3rd party with rescue.

Good choice - they handle very well.

Alfa 156s are very cheap and you could get yourslef an s reg for about £2k. Insurance might hurt though.

How about an Alfa 33 with the boxer engine - it would make you smile everytime you start it.

As you can tell I'm alfaman!

My first car was a Fiat 126 (if you remember it you are probably thinking of the 127 - which was about twice the size!). It had a 650cc air cooled engine, handled like a lorry, had drum brakes all round, and had a canvas roof held together by some camping rope and flew open over 50mph. Thankfully it was slow enough to stop me from killing myself before I calmed down. It makes sense to get something that is a wreck to begin with to be honest, I had a knock in my first week which would have been tears if the car had cost me a few grand (it was not my fault, but if it happened again now I would easily have avoided it).

Very tough question, to start with I would say something small, low capacity and cheap, screw image till you get some NCB behind you.

BTW, Alfa's are VERY high insurance, I looked at a 156 JTD and it was group 16!!!.

Dan,

Quote from danowat :

Very tough question, to start with I would say something small, low capacity and cheap, screw image till you get some NCB behind you.

BTW, Alfa's are VERY high insurance, I looked at a 156 JTD and it was group 16!!!.

Dan,

My first was a mk2 escort, £300 to buy and the same to insure (in 1989) it was dead simple to repair because it was a dead simple car. Unfortunately today, most cars these days are much more complicated to repair and run!! But its the insurance which is the killer, so you need to check that first

Alfa's are a tad more expensive on the insurance than I can realistically afford - still in full time education so only working weekends. I'd probably end up nailing it into a tree anyway

Really all I want is something simple, safe and mostly cheap. I would prefer one that handles reasonable and isn't too small which is why I am looking at a 306, of course speed isn't something i'm worried about. Insurance is a funny thing, in my 306 example, its actually £1,600 where I currently live, so when I move in 2 weeks I save £500 on it. Odd thing is I ran an old 1992 Nissan Micra 1L through it as well, the cost was £60 a year between that and the 306 down in Devon. Where I live now, the difference was a couple of hundred.

had a 1998 306 1.6 Petrol, and it was fine. It handled quite well (although it understeers massively compared to the MX-5). The ride was a touch soft, as on winding hilly roads the standard tyres could be heard touching the wheel arches, but I didn't want to ruin it by fitting stiffer springs and then having to buy a stiffer rear torsion bar etc, so I put up with it. It's economical, cheapish to insure, and not bad for a first car. Occasionally the electrics give problems (it's French, what did you expect), but if you beat it with a branch it usually plays again for a bit.

Oh, and I think my radiator started leaking (but I patched it up very early), and I'm convinced that as the rear suspension bushes aged it developed a form of uncontrolled passive rear wheel steering, but least it countered the understeer a bit

If you get one you'll probably enjoy it. Get one with aircon as the sunroofs are rubbish on small peugeots, and with round (not shaped) front fog lights (but don't turn them on at every opportunity as it actually lowers your IQ by 50). The shaped ones have a sealing problem that means the insides corrode, and can actually start blowing fuses as the moisure collects...

Thanks for the info on the 306's Tristan, and the advice on the dodgy seals on the shaped fog lights, i'll be sure to follow your advice if I get one.

Anyone know of a good cheap insurance company? So far I've just been using the RAC for quotes, I'm sure they're not the cheapest though.

Quote from Becky Rose :

My first car was a Fiat 126 (if you remember it you are probably thinking of the 127 - which was about twice the size!). It had a 650cc air cooled engine, handled like a lorry, had drum brakes all round, and had a canvas roof held together by some camping rope and flew open over 50mph. Thankfully it was slow enough to stop me from killing myself before I calmed down. It makes sense to get something that is a wreck to begin with to be honest, I had a knock in my first week which would have been tears if the car had cost me a few grand (it was not my fault, but if it happened again now I would easily have avoided it).

Mine was a Fiat 127! I went faster in 3rd than in 4th. Think the valve seats had had it. Spent hours filling, t-cutting and polishing. Loved it.

And I've seriously thought about buying a 126 and putting a Busa engine in the back!

I'm amazed yours handled badly. DO you know anything about the suspension setup? Macpherson strut front, leaf spring back?

Quote from Rtsbasic :

Thanks for the info on the 306's Tristan, and the advice on the dodgy seals on the shaped fog lights, i'll be sure to follow your advice if I get one.

Anyone know of a good cheap insurance company? So far I've just been using the RAC for quotes, I'm sure they're not the cheapest though.

I always use confused.com for insurance, just got a qoute of £400 FC on a '02 Alfa 156 JTD

Dan,

Quote :

I'm amazed yours handled badly. DO you know anything about the suspension setup? Macpherson strut front, leaf spring back?

It was so long ago, but I think it was corroded leaf sprung front and rear.

Quote from thisnameistaken :

Other than that, just don't get a Micra. I know a lot of people who start frothing at the mouth every time they see a Micra on the roads and develop a strange temporary form of tourettes.

No mate, it just the vast majority of road users in general are like that regardless of car type illepall

Dan,

Quote from thisnameistaken :

Other than that, just don't get a Micra. I know a lot of people who start frothing at the mouth every time they see a Micra on the roads and develop a strange temporary form of tourettes.

The missus has an old micra. Seriously, dont buy one.

I'm currently running a '97 Clio 1.4RT - theres quite a few around, which are still in reasonable condition, yet relatively "cheap" on the insurance.

Quote from Becky Rose :

It was so long ago, but I think it was corroded leaf sprung front and rear.

Maybe I'll forget about the FIAT 126 Busa project then.

Hopefully I'll get a Mini 1000 as my first car. Insurance isn't that cheap but probably less than a 306 would be. I've been helping to do a full rebuild on a mate's Mini and he's going to put it back together bog standard for insurance.

I have another mate whose paying £2000 insurance on a Mini 850, new seats, exhaust and Minilite alloys.