first car for new driver? help please

chazandant

Hi I am yet to pass my test but was wondering what would be a good car for me to start out with,I am 27, I have a girlfriend and two young children that i would be transporting about. I also have a fairly tight budget, so I'd be looking for a car that was reasonable to run, maintain, insure and get taxed. I know running a car can be really expensive, but being new to car hunting I am clueless
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Thank you
Anthony

arcon5

What about a VW passat or ford mondeo?
Although more family car than first car... So maybe a focus?

chazandant

arcon5 wrote: »

What about a VW passat or ford mondeo?
Although more family car than first car... So maybe a focus?

Yeah I was actually looking at a focus earlier, how are they for reliability?

DUTR

chazandant wrote: »

Hi I am yet to pass my test but was wondering what would be a good car for me to start out with,I am 27, I have a girlfriend and two young children that i would be transporting about. I also have a fairly tight budget, so I'd be looking for a car that was reasonable to run, maintain, insure and get taxed. I know running a car can be really expensive, but being new to car hunting I am clueless
.
Thank you
Anthony

After you pass your test obtain as much driving experience so that you learn to drive as soon as possible. You really don't want to be putting your loved ones to extra risk.

forgotmyname

Mondeo can be cheaper to buy than a Focus but with simialr running costs.

Reliability depends on the engine and year. Are you spending £300 or £20,000.

Petrol models tend to be a better buy than diesels, Too many things to fail on a diesel these days. Used to be the opposite.
But if you do enough miles then a diesel will pay for itself.

I have a 2004 diesel Mondeo and i can get close to 60mpg on a run.

Midlands to Skegness and back averaged 57mpg. Some traffic at either end. Clear in the middle.

LandyAndy

You need to tell us the sort of driving you do. It makes big difference to what might be an appropriate car.

So

Likely annual mileage. Typical length of journey. How inconvenienced you'd be by the vehicle being out of action etc etc

chazandant

With regards to budget I could probably squeeze £800 Max and my mileage would be very low until my confidence gained, and as I don't drive yet I wouldn't know how inconvenienced I'd be. My aim for driving is to improve my chances of employability and to take my family on days out

arcon5

In that price range you'd be looking for anything with at least 9 months mot left and if it outlived the mot and you sold it on for couple hundred quid then you've achieved some cheap motoring.

Or buy at auction - could pick up an old focus for a few hundred quid. There's a risk there is a problem though and it'll conk out the next day - but you can afford to take a risk at such low prices.

Our current car is a £300 fiesta (hate it - we bought it in a hurry when out mondy passed away), had 5 months mot, month and a half left, probably sell it for maybe £150 without a month left on it (want rid of it sooner rather than later) so that's less than £40 per month of motoring.

Just make sure you have breakdown cover and always have spare cash for replacing them.

At this level cars are as disposable as nappies.

cootuk

Rover 75 springs to mind as £800 is bargain basement.

Ultrasonic

chazandant wrote: »

With regards to budget I could probably squeeze £800 Max and my mileage would be very low until my confidence gained, and as I don't drive yet I wouldn't know how inconvenienced I'd be. My aim for driving is to improve my chances of employability and to take my family on days out

Have you looked into insurance costs yet? If not I fear that if you're stretching yourself to find £800 to buy a car you could find you can't afford to afford to insure it . Insurance may cost more than the car.

GwylimT

Ideally what would be your entire budget for both the car and the first years insurance?

Looking at your vehicle budget a fiesta, micra, 206, fiat panda, clio or corsa's would probably suit. The running costs shouldn't be too bad depending on your driving type (e.g. town driving, a roads etc), but of course they wont be as efficient as more modern cars, so you would have slightly higher fuel costs and road tax.