First car for 20 yr old male

OddballJamie

mattyprice4004 wrote: »

A rather amusing story involves my old Rover 75 and a Ford Ka that couldn't use a roundabout properly - they veered into my lane and I ploughed straight into them with a speed difference of about 25MPH.

The Ka was destroyed, and I only needed a dent pulling out of my wing and a dab of paint.

I wouldn't advise small cars for this reason alone - a second of mind-slip and you could be toast. In a bigger car you have a better chance of getting out OK.

Really not surprised, KAs were designed in the early 90s and when they were released in 95/96 they weren't exactly ground breaking for safety, just very cheap. Although quite fun to drive.

OddballJamie

wba31 wrote: »

This is why I bought a Bora, I had the 150BHP diesel model, the same kinda thing in a golf was £1200 fully comp, I was paying £750 for the first year in the Bora...

unfortunately I went into the back of someone during year 2, bought a 2.2 diesel Accord, had major issues with my insurance company who lost all evidence of the 3 years no claims i had (reduced to 1 for accident) and I paid £2500 for the year on the Accord.

Currently paying £900 on a 2.2 diesel Civic, with 4 years no claims. next year the "any accidents in last 5 years" will hopefully be a "no" answer...

That's still quite alot, try a quote with Tesco and use the Clubcard discount, they seem to view Walsall as low risk at the moment.
Quite a few of my family and friends are with them now due to this. This year mine is £231 and my partners is £450 (she's a new driver with 1 year NCD).

westwood68

My old w124 diesel Merc cost me £180 a year on classic insurance. It's so low down on accident statistics it almost doesn't exist.

Used it for 2 years and sold it for what I paid for it.

Might be an option if only to run through a comparison site. Either that or ring someone like Adrian Flux and see if they would cover a young driver on classic insurance on a low risk car

Weird_Nev

Classic insurance tends to be available to the over 25's only, and doesn't accrue no claims so it's not ideal for a young driver.

TerryPalmer

Have you considered something like a Clio - not too old so it has any safety concerns, but can pick them up fairly cheap and insurance isnt too bad for them.

KTurner

Thanks for all your posts! I do consider myself a safe driver (although less experienced).

I do fancy a smaller car, but I do understand the point about larger cars being less expensive to insure but I can't see the ladies loving me turning up in a large grandad car!

KTurner

Weird_Nev wrote: »

I've focused on "Cool" at least a little bit. You're 20, not 17, and so past the prime age for wrapping cars around trees. Plus, cars are expensive, may as well have one you enjoy whilst you're young.

You don't sound too sure about your £2000 budget, so what I've done is this: Halved it. You can get a perfectly decent car for £1000, and save the rest for maintenance, keep it as a contingency or waste it all on wine women and song.

Thanks for your suggestions Weird Nev of cars under my budget, I'll definitely have a further look at them! Maybe lowering my budget on my car will help out with insurance etc!

westwood68

My old Merc might have been a old Grandad car but it had leather seats and plenty of room in the back...

atrixblue.-MFR-.

KTurner wrote: »

Thanks for all your posts! I do consider myself a safe driver (although less experienced).

I do fancy a smaller car, but I do understand the point about larger cars being less expensive to insure but I can't see the ladies loving me turning up in a large grandad car!

in my younger days i had no issues with picking up the ladies in a old 95 rover 218SD Wedge even met my wife in it i could out perform a fiesta citroen AX's escorts astra's and other pimp mobiles going round

TradePro

KTurner wrote: »

I can't see the ladies loving me turning up in a large grandad car!

We've already covered this - the ladies' knicker elastic isn't going to 'ping' at the sight of any £2k car