First Car Tips & Insurance – Uk – 17 Years Old?
Hi there!
I am looking to purchase my first car and honestly do not have a clue about them!
I am a 17 year old student on a sponsorship in the Merchant Navy, so a kind of cross between Student and Employed!
I am looking for my first car – basically in a decent insurance range and cheap to run. I will be using it a lot mostly for college and traveling to and from shifts with a voluntary organisation!
Around 20k-25k miles per year
I really don’t know which types of cars i should be looking at, due to do my weeks driving (crash) course in the next few weeks.
From random searches of cars like older Ford Focus models and VW Polos (1.4) i am getting the same price of around £1300 with Quinn Direct (which is strange as they quote £1300, the next insurer above it quotes £3000!).
It will get used well!
I’m not looking to start messing around with it, customizing this and that. But i still want it to look a little decent if its (hopefully) going to last a good while!
My limit to buying the car will be around £2k!
Any advice would be brilliant! Cheers
September 13th, 2009 at 10:58 am
autoinsurance.undonet.com – check this one. As I remember they have lowest car insurance rates for teens and young drivers.
September 13th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Personally I’d get a small engined Corsa, Astra or Fiesta as they’re reliable, cheap to run and insure and are decent cars.
Stick well away from the Ka though, truly dreadul cars that will give nothing but trouble.
Incidentally five door cars generally attract a slightly lower premium on insurance due to being seen as more family orientated.
September 13th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Don’t rely on only one insurance quote. Get car insurance quotes from different insurance companies online and then decide which one is best for your needs and budget. You can visit the sites and cheap insurance tips in following site for more cheap quotes and tips:http://car-insurance.tipsvilla.com
September 13th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Get a quote from Churchill, they seem to be the cheapest!
And i would suggest something like a corsa, fiesta for your first car. Cheap to insure and cheap to run.
September 13th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
£1300 for a 17 yo on a 1.4? Are you sure?
September 14th, 2009 at 3:42 am
Like some other answers you’ve had already, I find the Quinn’s quotes too good to be true – I’d check again, if I were you.
The MoneySavingExpert link below should help you find out how to find the cheapest car insurance.
Have a look at the Toyota Yaris and Skoda Fabia as they’re both within your budget and will be as reliable as you can get.
The ur1stcar link below should help you find the best car for your circumstances.
Good luck.
September 14th, 2009 at 5:05 am
Bill W – what on earth are you talking about?! The Ka is one of the most reliable, cheapest to run cars you can get. You say it is awful and then suggest a Fiesta, but the Ka is based on the Fiesta!! Basically the same chassis, 70% shared parts, etc etc. So by dismissing the Ka you are dismissing the Fiesta too!!
Any expert car reviewer – Glass’s Guide, CAP, What Car, Autotrader, Honest John, Autocar’s James Ruppert, etc – would recommend the Ka and it is well know for being super reliable, hence the fact that they sold half a million of them!!
My choice would be the Ka or the VW Polo if you can afford it. The Polo will be more expensive in all areas – price, maintenance/servicing, etc – but might hold its value better. Obviously it is bigger as well and would be better suited for long drives on A roads and Motorways. But if size isn’t an issue, don’t ignore the Ford Ka based on the silly comments above! Good luck, whatever you choose!
September 14th, 2009 at 5:41 am
I’ve just answered a similar question from a first time buyer, where I said: “It really depends on your budget, but given that most first time drivers are young and looking for something that is cheap-to-insure, reliable, looks good, not too old and with a decent image, the Ford Ka isn’t a bad starting point. Its also great fun to drive and holds its value relatively well.”
The Ka would be considerably cheaper to run in terms of fuel economy, maintenance and insurance than a Ford Focus. However, the Focus would be more comfortable for Motorway use and long distance driving. It really depends what kind of driving you will be doing between college and voluntary work.
More importantly, it should be considerably cheaper to insure. On-line quotations show that a basic 8 year old Ford Ka should work out at around £800 per year, based on the car being parked in a driveway in London.
Good luck!