So I passed my driving test last week, and I'm looking at options for a car.
The maximum amount that I'm looking to spend is £2000, since insurance is expensive in the UK for younger drivers.

Something with 60/75bhp or more that is cheap to insure (as in under £3000) would be ideal.People have told me to possibly consider purchasing a VW Lupo, Vauxhall Corsa C/B or a Nissan Micra K11 however, personally I do not like the look of them (sorry to anyone that does own either of these cars).

So if anyone could give me some advice on what car to get that is somewhat good looking and most importantly cheap to insure and reliable, I would very much appreciate that, since I've been looking, but nothing seems to 'wow' me.

Thanks,
Edward.

Buy the most powerfull rwd for that $
edit: ah.. you live in the wrong country

First of, concrats.

Have you thought of older volvos ? like 240/740. Maybe not the best looking cars, but they are reliable and easy to work with if something would come up.
Have no idea of what they cost for you and how much the insurence is there.

Quote from Mr_Lonely :

First of, concrats.

Have you thought of older volvos ? like 240/740. Maybe not the best looking cars, but they are reliable and easy to work with if something would come up.
Have no idea of what they cost for you and how much the insurence is there.

I've tried getting a quote, but the companies are asking for £4000 or more..

I like the look of a 2005 Toyota Corolla vvti 1.6/1.4 , 1.4 you get 90bhp and with the 1.6, you get 101 (I think) bhp.

The strange thing is that from the Corolla, it's only a tad more expensive to insure than a 1.0L VW Lupo.


Thoughts on the Corolla, or a VW Golf 1.4?

Buy whatever results in the cheapest insurance. Then, in a year or so when you have some no-claims-bonus and your insurance has halved, get something you actually want.

Expect insurance for the first year to be two or three times what the car is worth, especially as a young driver.


I came into driving late; my first car was a 1.8l estate, and as a 30 year old, with a job and a young child (so not likely to wrap it round a tree racing my friends) my first year's insurance was £1400, three hundred pounds more than I paid for the car.

1.2 3 cylinder Polo!

What about BMW E36? 316i compact 1.6l, 105 hp from 98 (the facelift model with updated engine)

Try something bigger, less typical first car.. often results in cheaper insurance (and you get a nicer car!) - something like a Mondeo or similar

Quote from Timo1992 :

What about BMW E36? 316i compact 1.6l, 105 hp from 98 (the facelift model with updated engine)

not a chance

Don't get any RWD...

And I suggest to sacrifice at least slightly about your favourite of car's look. Sometimes an ugly car might be a treasure as reliability.

I drive sometimes Nissan Micra ( March ) '99. 1 litre engine green color, it looks terribly ugly yes, but man... very good car. ( Though there are minor flaws though )

Be sharp to look it's condition and remember to use common sense!

Quote from kars19 :

Buy the most powerfull rwd for that $
edit: ah.. you live in the wrong country

absolutely no!

http://www.topgear.com/uk/jeremy-clarkson/jeremy-clarkson-ford-fiesta-2012-01-06

Why is car insurance so expensive? I think mine in the states cost <$1000 a year and it's for a 2013 Civic.

Probably not even a $1000, I don't worry too much about it I just pay it when I have to.

Quote from Timo1992 :

What about BMW E36? 316i compact 1.6l, 105 hp from 98 (the facelift model with updated engine)

bahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahaahhahahahahaah about covers it.

Quote from Bmxtwins :

http://www.topgear.com/uk/jeremy-clarkson/jeremy-clarkson-ford-fiesta-2012-01-06

Why is car insurance so expensive? I think mine in the states cost <$1000 a year and it's for a 2013 Civic.

Probably not even a $1000, I don't worry too much about it I just pay it when I have to.

I'm pretty sure it would be cheap to insure a 2013 Civic in the UK too but not every 17~ year old is rich or stupid enough to take out a massive loan for a brand new car

Get some cheap chav material... Civic, Saxo, Corsa.

Quote from Crashgate3 :

Quote from Timo1992 :

What about BMW E36? 316i compact 1.6l, 105 hp from 98 (the facelift model with updated engine)

bahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahaahhahahahahaah about covers it.

What's the matter with the E36? It's a good and reliable car, I also have one E36 Touring because of our dog.

The insurance is here in the UK Timo, I just tried putting an e36 316 through one of the insurance comparison sites, used the details of an 18 year old student & new driver in a low crime area... cheapest quote £2,500.00, highest quote £8,300, 96 out of ~130 companies wouldn't even give a quote.

Edit seems £2500 is not too bad re reading the opening post.. Crazy

Quote from Bmxtwins :

http://www.topgear.com/uk/jeremy-clarkson/jeremy-clarkson-ford-fiesta-2012-01-06

Why is car insurance so expensive? I think mine in the states cost <$1000 a year and it's for a 2013 Civic.

Probably not even a $1000, I don't worry too much about it I just pay it when I have to.

well for beginners its expensive in almost all countries.
over here i wouldve paid for my ´12 fiesta 1450€/year....insured via my mother (which hasnt had any claims yet) and voila...its 420€/year.

Quote from Timo1992 :

Quote from Crashgate3 :

Quote from Timo1992 :

What about BMW E36? 316i compact 1.6l, 105 hp from 98 (the facelift model with updated engine)

bahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahaahhahahahahaah about covers it.

What's the matter with the E36? It's a good and reliable car, I also have one E36 Touring because of our dog.

In UK insurers consider e36 1.6l as super dangerous widovmaker rwd sports car, that's why the claim is so high.

I see guys, but you just need to tell me Otherwise I'm asking myself what I did wrong with my post.

A shame that the insurance of an BMW is so high in the UK, it's such a great car to drive especially because of the RWD.

Well certainly the civic has double the horsepower the Op was looking at and even still way less to insure than a PoS in the Uk. That was my point, not that the Civic is expensive in particular to insure. And in the US it's not an expensive car. $17,000 new. A BMW cost $60,000

Corolla is a good shout. I went with a mate who picked up a 1.6 for 700 quid. Nice car, apart from the very faded red paint. Insurance for him (he's 23) went up 60 quid a year compared to his Clio.

Toyota Corolla 1.4 vvti 2002-2005 Insurance Quote with a black box: £2658 (I would get this car but I prefer the 2005 models, since they have a new shape, but they are harder to find, plus they're slightly more expensive to buy)

Vw Golf 1.4 2002 Insurance Quote with a black box: £2869 I would get but the mileage is always high on golfs, plus I wouldn't like to keep the car for more than 3 years

Vw Polo 1.4 2001 (60bhp puts me off..) Insurance quote: Similar to the Golf, £2800. I would go for the Polo but 60 bhp puts me off, and I prefer the 2001 or 2007 Model with the facelift, but the 2007 models are harder to find.

Also, if I were to get the 2007 model, I would go for the 1.4 80bhp one, but again, they are hard to find, and go slightly above my budget.

Vauxhall Corsa C 1.4, Honda Civic 1.5 and a Citroen Saxo 1.1 upwards were all above £2800 to insure.

I haven't tried to insure the BMW since parts will be expensive if something goes wrong, and insurance will want something stupid like £5000.

So I guess it's a choice between a:

VW Polo 60bhp older model/80bhp newer but more expensive model

VW Golf 1.4 2002

Toyota Corolla 1.4 vvti 90bhp

OR just pay slightly more on insurance for a Corsa/Fiat Punto/Seat Ibiza 1.4 2002.


If anyone has anymore cars to suggest or what car I should go for on the ones that I have mentioned above, then please say.


See, I wouldn't be so picky about my first car, since most people only keep them and wait for their no claims bonus to kick in, and then buy a new car. However, I want to keep my first car for a lengthy amount of time, like I did with my first push bike.

That's a motorbike. He's not looking to become an organ donor as far as I know.

Quote from Storm_Cloud :

That's a motorbike. He's not looking to become an organ donor as far as I know.

Don't ride like an idiot, be aware of your surroundings at all times, and the chances of dying on the road drop dramatically.