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Help me pick a car! [UK]

Shaun.P

Shaun.P

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 14, 2003
1,601
24
Omicron Persei 8
Hi,

On Monday I passed my driving test and I have been looking at cars online. For a T reg Fiat Punto, it is costing me like £2500 to insure it for the year!!! (I am 18). I was wondering if anyone could assist me with giving me makes and models of cars which are 3 doors, small engine and generally low on insurance?

Also, recommendations on insurance companies would also be greatly appreciated.

Cars I have looked at:

Volkswagen Golf/Polo
Fiat Punto

Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
FearFactor47 said:
Hi,

On Monday I passed my driving test and I have been looking at cars online. For a T reg Fiat Punto, it is costing me like £2500 to insure it for the year!!! (I am 18). I was wondering if anyone could assist me with giving me makes and models of cars which are 3 doors, small engine and generally low on insurance?

Also, recommendations on insurance companies would also be greatly appreciated.

Cars I have looked at:

Volkswagen Golf/Polo
Fiat Punto

Any help is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Clio's
Fiesta's
Cinquicento's (or however the f**k you spell it)
Seat Ibiza's




I finally started to learn to drive a month ago. I love the instructor's 1.4 Fiesta. It's so damn easy to drive!
But now I've got the hang of the 2.0l Alfa:D :D
 
Biggest question for insurance is where do you live?
London, or big cities, are more expensive than the Shires. Is it garaged? Off street parking?
You might consider taking an Advanced Driving Course - not only will it make you a better driver but it will knock 10 - 15% off your premium.
 
What about a Fiat Panda?

I'm not much up on the costs of owning a car in Europe...would a Focus be too expensive?

I learned to drive in a Toyota Pickup, but took my driving test in a Ford Crown Victoria: two tons, 4.6L V8 and 17 feet long. The parallel parking was fun. :D
 
I love the small cars and wish that the U.S. car makers would start suppling more small hatchbacks and the likes. Heck I would even buy a Ford if I lived in Europe, but not here in the U.S.
 
I had a Ford Fiesta 1.2 and my insurance was £1800 for a year, and I did a lot of research to get the best price.

get a bicycle, theft insurance is a lot cheaper, and you would look pretty cool as well!


seriously, you may be ending up paying a lot!
 
FearFactor47 said:
Hi,
I was wondering if anyone could assist me with giving me makes and models of cars which are 3 doors, small engine and generally low on insurance?
Click to expand...

Ford Ka. About the cheapest to insure, but also a lot of fun to drive, too. And girls think they're cool!
 
£2500!!! Way way too much. If you still live with your parents you should try and get on their insurance until you're 21, then start thinking about building up your own no-claims.

Either that or forget the car idea and get a scooter. £2500 is nothing short of robbery.
 
The MINI One/Cooper is a nice car. Don't know how much you want to spend or how much insurance is on those, but a cheap nice looking car.

EDIT: The MINI might be out of your price range (maybe), but its still worth the money IMO.
 
Suggestions for reducing insurance costs:

Do the advanced driving test.
Wait until you are 19 ... or 20 ... or 25 :rolleyes:
One of the car magazines lists all the models and insurance ratings.
Park it off-street, behind locked doors.
Don't use it for commuting.
 
Having worked in an call centre for Axa Direct many moons ago, the only advice i'd give is to call every car insurance company in the yellow pages and get quotes from them. Quotes can vary a hell of alot between companies.
 
Shortly after passing my test a couple of months ago I bought a Clio and insured it with elephant.co.uk for about £700 (although that is for only 10 months).

For some reason I think it makes a difference that I'm 23 even though, like you, I didn't have any driving experience.

Also, it would be easier to recommend a car if we had an idea of how much you are looking to spend. The cars I was looking at were small cars like the Clio, Polo, Fiesta, 106, 206, Ibiza etc

Oh yeah, congratulations on passing your test! :)
 
Takumi recomends the 'Toyota Trueno AE86 Corolla GT Apex'
trueno.jpg

or any later model corolla/yaris/echo, they're all econo boxes.

for someting with a little more poke get a GT4

Takumi
 
I live in a town in the west of Scotland. I was thinking of getting put under my parents insurance - would it be much cheaper for me?

I am at uni and have a part time job (19 hrs/week / £85/week) and it is really bothering me that I have spent over £1000 on driving lessons, had to sit my test twice and spent a year learning how to drive that insurance companies, how probably earn billions a year want to take advantage of me.

I think it is completely unfair that there is a difference in insurance between genders - it is sexist. If they go along those lines, should I not getting cheaper insurance for getting good grades in school? It all comes down to 'boy racers' in the UK (aka Chavs/neds) who pass their test at 17, speed constantly and cause accidents and it gives the insurance companies an excuse to charge non chavs/neds a fortune.

Insurance companies are stereotypical and sexist. Why are they allowed to do what they do?
 
I'm in London and I'll be getting a cheap runaround later this year - really only to get me to the golf course and back (30th birthday present that I'm trying to get into!!). As it is London and transport links are generally excellent, I'll be spending only around £2500 on the car. The cars I've looked into are:

Ka
Fiesta
Punto
Clio
206
Corsa

All under 1.5 for tax reasons. Some bargins to be had out there!
 
onemacmini said:
Here in london my bro just bought a citreon saxo 1.1 and cost him £1500 and just £400 to insure it. now thats cheap insurance
Click to expand...

What age is he, what insurance company is he with and what reg is the car?
 
FearFactor47 said:
I think it is completely unfair that there is a difference in insurance between genders - it is sexist.
Click to expand...

It's actually good sense mathematically. Women on average do less miles a year than men, and when they are driving they tend to do more local journeys at lower speeds. So not only are they on the road for less time, if they are involved in an accident there's less damage to repair.
 
If you can get on your folks insurance as it would be way cheaper.

I passed my test at 18 and got a 1.3l D Reg Polo (7 years ago now) which cost me £300. Cheapest insurance I could get anywhere was £1900!!! :eek: Went on my folks and stayed on it till I was 22 as it just didn't get any cheaper.

Sucks big time insurance companies. I have 4 mates who have never bothered to get insurured or even tax there cars! Makes me sick!
 
Takumi said:
Takumi recomends the 'Toyota Trueno AE86 Corolla GT Apex'
trueno.jpg

or any later model corolla/yaris/echo, they're all econo boxes.

for someting with a little more poke get a GT4

Takumi
Click to expand...

Man that car is ugly.

Of course it will last forever, but Japan has been making good looking cars for a long time, so no point in that.

Toyota Yaris, Nissian Micra (from Sunderland but still last forever)

Skida Fabia's are good too.
 
Get yourself down an auction. ;) though take someone with a reasonable knowledge of cars with you. ;)

Keep it cheap, and that way you can get away with 3rd Party or at least 3rd Party, Fire and Theft because they'd be little point in claiming against the car. ;)

I'd probably look for a late '90's Fiesta, in 1.25 guise, great chassis, and it comes with an airbag and ABS, both are usually employed by young male drivers at some point. heh.
 
Has anyone mentioned "Pass Plus"?
If you take that after you've passed you normal test there are a few insurance companies that'll 1 years no claims (providing you pass it of course).
It's a kind of middle step between normal and advanced driving tests.

I'm 33 and learning now. I'm a named driver on my wife's Diamond policy.
I've only added about £12 a month to the premium.
 
FearFactor47 said:
It all comes down to 'boy racers' in the UK (aka Chavs/neds) who pass their test at 17, speed constantly and cause accidents and it gives the insurance companies an excuse to charge non chavs/neds a fortune.
Click to expand...

Not forgetting the fact some are not insured or they've voided their insurance by sticking a load of plastic sh*t onto their cars and not told the insurance company.
 
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