first time car buyer

snailmail

I hope I'm asking in the right place!

I have just passed my driving test and I'm going to be taking the motorway lesson too, which will help keep insurance down a tad. I'm a bit of a late bloomer at 30years old!

What I wanted your advice on is...what type of car to get? What I'm most interested in is keeping the insurance/mot/petrol costs/etc down. I don't really care what car it is.

I don't want a brand new car---can't afford it; something that will get me from a-b safely and cheaply would do the trick lol! but then I need to be able to keep it on the road.

I literally have no clue when it comes to cars. You could say a make to me and I wouldn't know what it was; which is why I thought I'd ask some people who know a bit more than me!

Any suggestions or ideas?

thanks in advace!

111KAB

Anticipated annual mileage and likely number of passengers would be a good start. Add to this the liklihood of carting things around (hatchback/estate) and I'm sure you will start getting some answers!

gingeralan

I think a good idea would be a 5 door clio, diesel 106HP. This one has 6 gears so will be much better with fuel on the motorway. I have the 86HP but this one only has 5 gears and fuel consumption at high speed suffers because of this., but it is still over 50mpg, the 106 will achieve nearer 60.

You could get one from 07 or 08 for less that 5k quite possibly around the 4 mark if you shop around. Don't get anything too big, a five door clio could serve quite adequately as a families only vehicle, you may need a roof box for holidays but other than that it would be fine.

maninthestreet

What is your budget for this car?

snailmail

i don't have kids so day to day use would just be me getting to and from work which takes about 25 mins. I won't be lugging around lots of things.

My folks have offered to help me with the cost of a car as they've recently helped out my brother and sister; but they've not said how much...personally I don't want to spend too much as I'm a first time driver and I'm having images of me bumping into things!

When I say I know nothing about cars I really mean I know less than nothing. Cars go completely over my head!

Thanks to all who have commented I will do a bit of research!

MX5huggy

What car did you learn in? Is it too big, too small? Difficult to see out of the rear?

In the end almost any car will do, so get a red one they go faster.

snailmail

MX5huggy wrote: »

What car did you learn in? Is it too big, too small? Difficult to see out of the rear?

In the end almost any car will do, so get a red one they go faster.

It's not about any car...it's about one with low running costs; lower insurance, etc.

I learned in a mini, it was a nice drive, but i found the mirror got in the way slightly

londonTiger

get a 2002 vw golf tdi.

the petrol models are pointless unless you're going GTI. But the Diesel ones are the ones to get. They're big and can fit 4 adults comfortably and great on fuel economy.

The 2002ish (mk4) diesels do around 50mpg, the newer models are obviously even more economical. But the huge retail price differece of mk5 and mk6 obviously don't make up for the extra 5 or 6 mpg cost.

So mk4 golf is perfect.