Since I will be 17 soon, I will be wanting to purchase a car after I've got my licence.

I have got a few ideas on what I would like but the problem is insurance and tax.

Here are some of the ideas that I have in mind for a first car, please feel free to add any more suggestions or tips on how I can save money and what car to buy, and also how much they cost used.

1st: FIAT Grande Punto 1.4
2nd: Vauxhall Corsa VXR 1.6
3rd: Opel Ascona A or B 1.9 SR (1975)
4th: 2012 (62 reg) VW Golf MK6 1.6 TDI
5th: Ford FIESTA HATCHBACK 3-DOOR 1.25 Zetec
6th: Renault Clio 1.2 16V Extreme 3dr
7th: Volkswagen POLO MK5 HATCHBACK 5-DR 1.2 Moda
8th: Vauxhall Astra 1.4i 16V SXi 5dr
9th: Opel Manta SR Berlinetta 1.9

NOTE: Out of all of these, I love the look of the Opel Ascona A and B (in red) and also the Opel Manta SR Berlinetta 1.9, the Vauxhall Astra 1.4i is a close 2nd and 3rd has to be the VW golf mk6 1.6.

Any advice on these cars? Which one should I buy used, which one is cheapest to insure and finally which car is the most reliable?

Thanks,
Edward.

Opel Manta is definitely NOT a good car for beginner driver. Get a saxo with smallest engine or any other shitbox UK teenagers drive, as you're going to put all your savings into insurance anyway.


Don't think much about your first car as you're going to crash it anyway.

Quote from KiRmelius :

Opel Manta is definitely NOT a good car for beginner driver. Get a saxo with smallest engine or any other shitbox UK teenagers drive, as you're going to put all your savings into insurance anyway.


Don't think much about your first car as you're going to crash it anyway.

Any thoughts on the other cars that I mentioned? Such as the other Opel?

It depends on condition as well.

Something turbo, RWD, with lots of POWAH

Boring wrinkly answer.

What's the cheapest piece of crap that costs the least for insurance, as from my understanding that's stupidly expensive in the USSGB.

Driving a piece of crap at the limits, ie 60 mph, is far more fun than some expensive set of wheels that costs bulk money.

A key point that most people completely fail to understand is that, unless you run a business, a car is a LIABIITY, NOT AN ASSET !!!

(Accounting 101)

You will crash, ding it, have it stolen etc etc etc

I'm also supremely confident you won't listen to this so do what you like

Quote from KiRmelius :

...Don't think much about your first car as you're going to crash it anyway.

Losers consolation

I agree though, get a shitty fifth hand car and emjoy it until you desintegrate it.

Edit: Suzuki Cappuccinoi FTW

Quote from KiRmelius :

Don't think much about your first car as you're going to crash it anyway.

My first car is still going strong after six years, do I still have to?

But regarding the crazy insurance situation in the UK, look up all kinds of cars. Maybe you find some oddball car you can finance. Keep away from the hot-hatches, they're expensive to insure for a reason

Out of those: The Fiesta is likely to be the only one you'll get insured on for less than £3000.

As a comparison: I got my first car 4 years ago, a 1.8l Focus estate. It cost me £1400 to insure and I was a 31 year old married man with a kid. Now think what a 17 year old in a hot-hatch of similar engine size would cost.

Get a rusty old CHEAP shitbox, learn 2 drive and love your shitbox.

if you want a fast car in UK with the insurance situation, look for lightness not power.

Now considering every teenager that gives a crap about cars is going to think like this its the logical option.

tell your dad to put u as a co driver on his insurance,and keep saving money,than u get to 25 and buy your own car and insurance

I say, all the cars what you have thought are rubbish, the only car what I would take if I had to select is Renault Clio...


But of course, this is my opinion only, and my experimental thing, I just tried to help on radical way.


EDIT: and do not take rear wheel drive car, it sucks.

Quote from UnknownMaster21 :

EDIT: and do not take rear wheel drive car, it sucks.

?

1.2 3 cylinder Polo

I've found the smaller engined cars are not the cheapest for insurance, this is because basically every young person drives one and crashes it.

My first car was a 01 Vauxhall astra 1.6 which was around £900 to insure. Look for something like that

Quote from Racer X NZ :

Boring wrinkly answer.

What's the cheapest piece of crap that costs the least for insurance, as from my understanding that's stupidly expensive in the USSGB.

Driving a piece of crap at the limits, ie 60 mph, is far more fun than some expensive set of wheels that costs bulk money.

A key point that most people completely fail to understand is that, unless you run a business, a car is a LIABIITY, NOT AN ASSET !!!

(Accounting 101)

You will crash, ding it, have it stolen etc etc etc

I'm also supremely confident you won't listen to this so do what you like

Yeah, that....
LOL I remember my "first" car. A 1974 Buick Electra with power everything. It was as big as the UK. For 250 bucks, It drove like a dream til I got it home and parked driveway after buying it. Then it had a massive electrical short. that was an expensive fix. Sold it for 300 dollars and bought a 1970 chevy malibu. It ran good, but looked like crap. God I had all sorts of fun in that car.

Hmmmm.... I really don't know anything about the cars you mentioned, kid.
My best advice is to decide exactly what you want from a car.
Are you just trying to get from point A to point B?
Do you think that you'll mutate into a gear head and want to customize or tune this car later? If so, then I'd suggest getting the model that has the most aftermarket support.
But personally, i'd just be concerned with just getting from point A to point B.
You have your whole mid-life crisis ahead of you for a sports/muscle car.
Another thing, don't just look for a car. Look for friends that can work on cars too. Try and take them or some sort of mechanic with you when you look at the car you're interested in buying.
ROFL going by current car commercials, you ought to pay attention to the most important part of the car. Does it have a good sound system?

Something to remember, if you get a nice car, and spend a lot of money on it, in only a few years you will have lost about half of that value and have paid insurance and gas into it as well.

If you get a lower vaule, older car (but reliable!) you'll not lose much money in depreciation, spend less on insurance, and maybe not lose money on interest either if you've saved up a bit of money .

I bought my first car this summer and only spent $2,450. As long as I don't crash it or something like that I'll be able to sell it for about $1,900 three years from now.

If I'd spent $7,500 on a vehicle that was newer, I'd only be able to sell it for around $4,000-$5,000 three years from now

Something to consider.

Quote from Cornys :

I bought my first car this summer

Here,now!

My first car was relatively huge one - '88 Mazda 626 2.0,then again,I lived in country where you could buy insurance almost for price of sandwich back then. Every next car has gotten smaller then previous,now I'm driving a relatively tiny MR2 (and still awaiting my biggest insurance bill).

Anyway on topic - you should really point out for what do you need car,is it just a weekend car or you need it on daily basis. If it's a weekend car,it's less problem to buy an older (cooler,clasical) car,if you need it every day,it would be wiser to look at something fresher and more basic. In that case I would suggest to look at some Hondas/Toyotas too as they are leading reliability charts for reason!

In my experience, you want a car so shit it doesn't even deserve maintenance. That way you can beat the living shit out of it every day until it dies and you won't even care.

I miss my crap wagon.

Quote from e2mustang :

tell your dad to put u as a co driver on his insurance,and keep saving money,than u get to 25 and buy your own car and insurance

I thought this was common knowledge. I pay about half of that I would pay if I insured cars myself. And I would pay even less, if my father wouldn't have crashed all that stuff with his passat earlier lol.

6 years ago I got an Astra Mk4 for my first car, 1.6 so a little more power than your average breathless 1 litre, cheaper insurance, 5 doors and a bit more room than your average. Done me very well, cost me about £200 over 6 years and built me up a shit load of no claims, letting me now get something decent. It sounds a bit mental, but usually a 1.6 "family car" will be far cheaper to insurance than your usual first driver cars, clios corsa fiestas etc.

Going on as a named driver isn't clever, it may save you a few quid now but it will cost you more with the lack of no-claims. Instead, put your parents on as named drivers on your policy, knocked mine down by a good bit.

Quote from Eclipsed :

Here,now!

When I get the time to take a photo, I will

Bigger cars (i.e. Mondeo sized etc) will be slightly cheaper to insure.

No way will you get insured on any VXR without selling a kidney.

My first insurance premium was £2k on a 1.5L Proton shitbox.

Get a quote first...

Lol, it's the complete opposite in America.....