First car for boyfriend...totally confused!!

sillylittlejill

Hi everyone

Well my gorgeous wonderful boyfriend is turning 21 in october and I really want to save up and get him a 2nd hand car. He passed his test just before his 19th birthday but has never had a car himself.
I know that this is MSE but I am determined to do this for him. I can pay my debt off quite easily when I start working again- next few weeks.

My aunt who has came into money has offered help if I find something special but would much prefer to get one myself so I don't owe her anything.

Basically I want a car that is not too expensive (budget of between £500 and £1000 depending on car) but more importantly cheap to run (relatively, I know the insurance will probably be high cos he's a young guy!!)

What kind of car should I get him? He likes cars and knows them quite well-we're both avid Top Gear watchers, although I watch Hammond more than the cars!!!


Any suggestions????

xxxx

s_michaels

Corsa's are a good little car that is cheap to run, I only know as I have one but I don't know much about cars. I'd always reccommend one as a first car

BillScarab

If he likes cars and knows what sorts he likes I'd buy one with him rather than trying to guess what he wants.

Havign said that if your budget is £500-1000 I wouldn't bother trying to find a specific model just buy the best cheap car you can find regardless of what it is.

Hintza

Don't do it.

You could put money towards a car and go with him. Don't go and buy a car for him.

Personally I think this is not a good idea all things considered, if a girl started offering to buy me car at that age, I would be over the hill and gone.

(I don't know your circumstances but please think this through before you do it, my comments might be harsh but please take them as constructively as you can)

Dave101t

yes just let him choose the car, afterall he will know more.
my 1st car at 21 (5 years ago) was an L reg astra for 500 pounds. astra/corsa from L to P reg should be that value and reasonable to run/repair.
never buy french, cant do any diy on it easily

sillylittlejill

hehe I know I sound like a lovestruck teenager but we live together and have been together since he just turned 18. Like an old married couple! It's mainly because we live a couple of hours away from his family and we are wanting to travel round the country a bit. It's just another bit of independence and he really wants one.
thanks everyone
xxx

Pssst

Hi Jill, I'd tend to let him choos and if you really want to,pay part towards it not all of it. As someone else said and i know it sounds absolutely crazy and illogical,if you buy him a car or otherwise shower him with gifts,he may well do a runner...not right now..but it might just tip the balance.

sillylittlejill

no trust me, he's much worse with spoiling me than the other way round, so much so that I feel guilty about it, we don't normally spend stupid amounts of money on each other, its usually a book or a dvd (we are geeks you see) but as its his 21st I want to do something special. I think letting him choose is a good idea. I would probably end up choosing something he would hate!

thanks for the advice
xxx

Sirbendy

ditto - never buy french. Expensive. I had 2 Renaults..never again. Vauxhall bits are cheap and mechanically they're quite simple and tough. Corsa B's go down to 1.2 litre, and are cheap to insure. Astras of that age only go down to 1.4.

Toyota seem to be well liked and bulletproof too. Not sure on cost of bits mind.

There's "what you like/want" and "what you can realistically do" with a first car/young age. I was a bit penalised as I can only have automatics..1.4 was the smallest I could have. Quite hefty insurance, and I was 3rd party until last year.

Now at 32, I'm happy with my boggo basic 1997 Astra Automatic 1.6. It's no tarmac burner, but its practical, cheap, economical and easy to fix. Wouldn't mind a 1.4 Astra or Corsa next, or a Yaris 1 litre auto. Nearly bought a 1.8 Audi A4 auto for pennies, but it had tinted windows etc..looked VERY nice indeed, but had probably been thrashed to death. The Astra had been well cared for, and it shows.

Also, bear in mind that if it's a first car, it may get dinged a bit..so cheap parts and repair may be worth bearing in mind.

Hintza

Buy him a nice watch?

http://www.christopherward.co.uk/

How much is £3,700 in debt costing you a month? If you are planning a life together you will not be going anywhere fast until that is all paid off.

sillylittlejill

thanks. The watches he wants are a few thousand pounds, basically it would be cheaper to buy a new car and a deposit for a house! He doesn't wear watches normally but the ones he likes are the Lewis Hamilton ones, tag heur i think.

The debt is getting taken care of, havent updated my sig recently but its being sorted.

xxx