Need Suggestions For First Car; Punto, ,Corsa etc ???

strawberries1

Hi all,

I'm looking to buy a small used car for my first year's insurance.

I hardly know anything about cars but my priority is of course safety, insurance, cost (fuel, maintenance etc), reliability etc.

I like the Fiat Punto cos it's pretty but just seen a couple of reviews and it was on watch dog last week so not so sure anymore. I was considering a 2002 model.

I like the shape of the Punto and Corsa. I dont like the KA.
My budget is about £1500 max £1700. I use the train to work so it'll mostly be for weekend driving.

I'll be very grateful for some informed suggestions re what cars may be ideal. Also, should I look to buy it at an auction or autotrader private seller?

Thank you.

jaydeeuk1

Walk away from the corsa. Run away from the punto. The ka will probably be a rusty heap - check the spark plugs too. Your budget is well under 2000, look at something Korean or Japanese, will be newer and better. Daihatsu sirions, Suzuki altos, kia Rio, Daewoo kalos etc

Reason being the small cheap economical euro car is the most popular for buyers, so prices higher and lots of crap if you don't know what you're looking for. Take a friend to check it out, or if you don't have any mechanic mates, only buy from a garage, at least if it blows up on way home you have some comeback

adamc260

My dad had a 2000 Fiat Punto for 4 years and never had to do anything bar Service/MOT each year. People tar FIAT with an awful name but they did make some decent cars lol.

The bit you saw on Watchdog was about newer puntos about 2006-2008 I think it was.

jaydeeuk1

I had a fiat tipo as my first car. Loved it. But it was also a piece of unreliable crap.

getzls

Hyundai Getz, hence my user name. O.K., not to fancy inside but will last. Hired a Corsa once and was glad to give it back.

grizzly1911

Toyota Aygo/Citroen C1/Peugot 107? if you could increase the budget a little. Fiat Panda.

Take care with the Korean/Indian stuff quality and resilience not necessarily that good, although cheap to buy not necessarily cheap to maintain either.

King_Nothing

First thing to do is to get insurance quotes for the types of cars you're looking at, and take it from there, under no certain terms go and buy a car, then sort out insurance for it after the fact.

worried_jim

grizzly1911 wrote: »

Toyota Aygo/Citroen C1/Peugot 107? if you could increase the budget a little. Fiat Panda.

Take care with the Korean/Indian stuff quality and resilience not necessarily that good, although cheap to buy not necessarily cheap to maintain either.

I didn't realise Tata had flooded the market with Indian cars just yet!

op- I would forget about the cars that you have listed and go Far east, Euro eco boxes are over priced and many will have had loads of teenage owners so will have been thrashed and scrapped already. Don't forget the Toyota Starlet.

interstellaflyer

Forget going for the cool stuff if money is an issue, you could get something like a Chevrolet Matiz that is fairly new and low miles, we've just sold an 09 plate 5000 mile example for £2200, ok not the coolest car in the world but it will get you from A-B cheaply, also you may be supprised at how much it is to insure larger family sized cars, ok, I'm 50 and have 30 years driving behind me but, the 08 plate 1.9CDTi Vectra C I now have is cheaper to insure than the 06 plate Astra H 1.3 CDTi I had before it (same insurance company)

System

adamc260 wrote: »

My dad had a 2000 Fiat Punto for 4 years and never had to do anything bar Service/MOT each year. People tar FIAT with an awful name but they did make some decent cars lol.

The bit you saw on Watchdog was about newer puntos about 2006-2008 I think it was.

same here , ive had my punto since 05 and had no issues .my oh has a citroen c3 and only pays £20 tax !

mikey72

grizzly1911 wrote: »

Toyota Aygo/Citroen C1/Peugot 107? if you could increase the budget a little. Fiat Panda.

Take care with the Korean/Indian stuff quality and resilience not necessarily that good, although cheap to buy not necessarily cheap to maintain either.

On a max of £1700? Of choice the Punto is good, but probably too expensive to insure. Same for most of the cars listed. The corsa is good as well, but you need to find one with a reasonable history, as they're popular with younger drivers who'll tthrash them as second/third owners. Again, check the insurance on the model first. Depending on your age, a micra would be a fair bet, they are incredibly boring, unlikely to have been owned by anyone other than your grandmother, but cheap to buy bits for, and cheap to insure. Ugly though. Another one is the Peugeot 106, diesel, last forever, bit dearer to insure, but a better engine than the petrols