Budget used first car

Quicklite

Hi guys,

Hoping to get my first car at some point later this year - would appreciate some ideas.

Keen for a small, reasonable used budget car (something in the economical insurance group, would be mostly just me driving, though rear seat might be useful; decent fuel economy would be great too - thinking a budget of £1.5k-2.5k range)

After a year or two, once my driving gets a bit better, then get something I'd like. What sort of option do people generally go for for the first car?

Also re: petrol / diesel - not wanting to speculate - though getting a sense that diesel might be marginally more costly to run (be it road duty / more cities charging tax to enter?) I don't expect this to be something to worry about in the short run / provided the overall emission is low?

Ideas welcomed.

waamo

You might get a good deal on a Micra if you read this https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5646681

walwyn1978

C1/Aygo. 5 door version if you plan on carrying passengers in the back semi regularly, 3 door version (slightly cheaper, although usually not by very much at all) if not. Cheap to insure, decent MPG, cheap as and when you bend it/cost of parts.

Petrol vs diesel - unless you're doing 14k per year plus in miles I'd go petrol. If you are going 14k in mikes then you may choose to ignore my c1 suggestion, it's not a great motorway mile muncher.

liltzero

Up your budget and get something German

waamo

walwyn1978 wrote: »

C1/Aygo. 5 door version if you plan on carrying passengers in the back semi regularly, 3 door version (slightly cheaper, although usually not by very much at all) if not. Cheap to insure, decent MPG, cheap as and when you bend it/cost of parts.

Petrol vs diesel - unless you're doing 14k per year plus in miles I'd go petrol. If you are going 14k in mikes then you may choose to ignore my c1 suggestion, it's not a great motorway mile muncher.

If you want a newish car that's a great choice. Being a new driver you might want a bit of a banger till you clock up some experience but that's up to you.

Unless you do motorway mileage avoid diesel.

walwyn1978

First ones of those are 55/06 plates so into banger territory now.

Quicklite

waamo wrote: »

If you want a newish car that's a great choice. Being a new driver you might want a bit of a banger till you clock up some experience but that's up to you.

Unless you do motorway mileage avoid diesel.

Definitely keen to get an older car - practice, etc - then upgrade - definitely sensible.

Toyota Aygo 2006 - just looked up the insurance. Pretty good.

waamo

Quicklite wrote: »

Definitely keen to get an older car - practice, etc - then upgrade - definitely sensible.

Toyota Aygo 2006 - just looked up the insurance. Pretty good.

Very sensible. The Aygo is generally reliable and pretty well specked for its age. Do not travel hundreds of miles or buy one without looking at it. Those seem to be common themes here.

force_ten

liltzero wrote: »

Up your budget and get something German

like your car

liltzero wrote: »

Corsa vxr in limited edition black

or is it back to the

liltzero wrote: »

My Golf is 4 years old (45k miles) and today I took it to a VW dealership for a Major Service.

or has daddy put all the dinky toys away for the night

forgotmyname

His Golf must be at least 14 years old now and its a nmeglected dog of a motor.

The scrappers rejected it.

Mercdriver

liltzero wrote: »

Up your budget and get something German

OP - You can discount anything liltzero or his mate palgrean say. He is a fantasist whose closest experience to cars is the miniature model car section at Toy's "R" Us. His parents say that if he behaves himself he might be allowed the latest Hot Wheels set, though they say that if he keeps coming on here and annoying the adults he will never be allowed a Scalextric set.