Choosing a new car tips

[Ricky]

Hi

So I’m 18 and I passed my test at Christmas and I don’t have a car yet but I’m dying to get one as I haven’t driven since my test! Have to wait until I finish school though as I need a part time job to pay it.

I have a few questions about it though;

1. What type of car should I get? I like Vauxhall Corsa’s, I had my driving lessons in a Corsa. Astra’s seem too expensive and so do Fiesta’s and Clio’s etc.

2. How old should my car be? I’ll be getting a second hand car, I don’t think it should be too old, e.g is having a car from 14 years ago too old? I don’t want a recent one either e.g 2016/2017/2018 as it’s too dear to finance.

3. Should I get a tax free car that’s in insurance group 6 or get a car that’s in group 2 but has £30 tax a year? I know my insurance will be dear anyway but I genuinely think insurance group 2 cars are enough for an 18 year old but I’d love a tax free one too but their insurance seems to be higher.

4. How do you find a cars MOT history? The DVA don’t seem to offer this service in NI.

5. If I get a car from a dealer, do I need to check the V5C, the MOT cert and would I need to bring a mechanic with me or is that only really for cars sold from a Private seller? Would a car sold by a dealer be faulty, e.g hand brake not working?

 

[chris_b]

Welcome and good post ! Not quite sure I’ll be able to offer any input, too old!, but I’m sure some of our younger members may be able to. Insurance is obviously going to be the big factor as is how much you want to spend etc

 

[Ricky]

Welcome and good post ! Not quite sure I’ll be able to offer any input, too old!, but I’m sure some of our younger members may be able to. Insurance is obviously going to be the big factor as is how much you want to spend etc

Thanks for the reply,

Yeah the insurance is the main problem but I’ll bring it down as I’ll have my mum and dad on the policy as well as using telematics and stuff and I’m not a “boy racer” and I want to be sensible on the roads so I see no reason as to why I won’t Have discounts.

I do like the idea of not having to pay Road tax but I don’t want my insurance group to go beyond group 3 but all the tax free cars seem to be in a higher insurance group

 

[gizmo98]

Buy a £1000 banger that’s easily insured to do you a year,then put your money into something better in a years time

 

[Ricky]

Buy a £1000 banger that’s easily insured to do you a year,then put your money into something better in a years time

Yeah I’ve thought about doing something like that but would it be a good idea for me to spend that amount of money on an oldish car or buy a more modern one but take out a finance policy?

 

[Ricky]

Buy a £1000 banger that’s easily insured to do you a year,then put your money into something better in a years time

Yeah I’ve thought about doing something like that but would it be a good idea for me to spend that amount of money on an oldish car or buy a more modern one but take out a finance policy?

 

[big_pete]

Don't just base the insurance on the cars grouping. You might find that something on a higher group actually has a lower cost because of statistics in regards claims against that car etc. So get a few real world quotes and see where it takes you

Have you any particular budget in mind?

 

[Ricky]

Don't just base the insurance on the cars grouping. You might find that something on a higher group actually has a lower cost because of statistics in regards claims against that car etc. So get a few real world quotes and see where it takes you

Have you any particular budget in mind?

I am going to be financing a car monthly instead of actually buying one outright but I’d say no more than £100 a month

 

[Eamo_vxr]

Save up as much as you can and buy a banger outright and get used to driving for a year or two. There will be knocks and bumps etc

 

[paddyirishman]

Corsas, Fiestas and Clio's will be hard to insure, most people buy these when they pass their tests so they are deemed a high risk car by insurance companies. Something like a Fabia would be a better bet. I was able to insure an R26 Mégane cheaper than a Peugeot 207.

 

[DriftnSlide]

My youngest son past his test in December he is 18 like yourself.
We/he went for a 2007 Seat Ibiza 1.2............a Clio 1.2 8v was on the cards aswell, but the Ibiza turned up at a good price. The cheapest insurance we could find was through AXA or Autoline at £165 per month with a phone app to monitor driving, there is money back on that after 9 months I think it is, if you don't drive like a boy racer. He pays it with a part time job (he's still at school like yourself).
There are cheaper cars to insure Citroen C1 etc, but you sacrifice space, comfort and looks.
Ibiza is £77 for 6 months tax.

 

[Ricky]

My youngest son past his test in December he is 18 like yourself.
We/he went for a 2007 Seat Ibiza 1.2............a Clio 1.2 8v was on the cards aswell, but the Ibiza turned up at a good price. The cheapest insurance we could find was through AXA or Autoline at £165 per month with a phone app to monitor driving, there is money back on that after 9 months I think it is, if you don't drive like a boy racer. He pays it with a part time job (he's still at school like yourself).
There are cheaper cars to insure Citroen C1 etc, but you sacrifice space, comfort and looks.
Ibiza is £77 for 6 months tax.

Very true. Yes I’m not a boy racer either, don’t see the point in breaking the law, risking fines, points and losing my licence. So it’ll be helpful getting discounts on my insurance.

I’m just worried about getting an Old car and it not working properly and then having to spend loads money getting it fixed but then old cars have a lower selling price than what a newer one would have

 

[chris_b]

Don't just base the insurance on the cars grouping. You might find that something on a higher group actually has a lower cost because of statistics in regards claims against that car etc. So get a few real world quotes and see where it takes you

Have you any particular budget in mind?

That’s a very good point actually, more modern cars are so much safer they are often cheaper to ensure

If you’re still at school presently I’m not sure I’d be rushing into a finance agreement of any kind. That’s a total minefield on its own and almost a separate topic.
Also I’d be planning on a petrol car unless you are planning on doing big miles, so much less to go wrong with them as opposed to an older used diesel

 

[Ricky]

That’s a very good point actually, more modern cars are so much safer they are often cheaper to ensure

If you’re still at school presently I’m not sure I’d be rushing into a finance agreement of any kind. That’s a total minefield on its own and almost a separate topic.
Also I’d be planning on a petrol car unless you are planning on doing big miles, so much less to go wrong with them as opposed to an older used diesel

Yeah that’s a good point, financing a car might seem better than buying one outright but yeah you’re right I don’t know if I want to enter an agreement like that that could potentially go disastrously wrong if I was for whatever reason not able to keep up with the payments.

I have no idea how people my age can afford cars, even with a part time job. My mum and dad wouldn’t buy me a car anyway which I completely agree with, things shouldn’t be handed to anybody on a plate. Extremely tempting for me to want them to buy me a car but it wouldn’t feel right as I would know myself it wasn’t my money nor had I worked for it

 

[Artoir]

Don’t tie yourself into any sort of finance, not at that age. I don’t care how well anyone thinks they did in their test, you will be kerbing wheels, reversing into bollards and clipping things especially if you haven’t driven since the test.

 

[Ricky]

Don’t tie yourself into any sort of finance, not at that age. I don’t care how well anyone thinks they did in their test, you will be kerbing wheels, reversing into bollards and clipping things especially if you haven’t driven since the test.

Absolutely. Will take me a while to get used to it again considering it’s been nearly 4 months since I’ve been behind the wheel

 

[DriftnSlide]

Very true. Yes I’m not a boy racer either, don’t see the point in breaking the law, risking fines, points and losing my licence. So it’ll be helpful getting discounts on my insurance.

I’m just worried about getting an Old car and it not working properly and then having to spend loads money getting it fixed but then old cars have a lower selling price than what a newer one would have

Whatever car you buy, there will be something that needs fixed. Just take someone with you. Brakes, a knock over bumps etc, are usually cheap fixes. If the engine and bodywork is good, the rest can be sorted as you go. Look for something with at least 6 months MOT. Any wee problems you find on a test drive, can and should be used as a bargaining tool.

 

[Big Pimp]

Just get something with a handbrake.

Statistics, The Grand Tour and Top Gear have proven that nothing loosens a girls inhibitions quite like someone who can pull a decent handbrake turn


In all seriousness, don’t tie yourself into something financially for the time being.

Speak to a couple of different insurance companies with a few car choices to see what they come back with. They may even be able to give you some advice.

 

[Gavlar]

Member on here had a bad experience with those telematics insurance cover with their son or daughter, can't remember for the life of me who it was though

 

[JH86]

Buy something basic and diesel as you'll be driving round the world as all r platers do and diesel is very cheap

90hp mk4 golf or the likes

 

[Paddy_R]

Member on here had a bad experience with those telematics insurance cover with their son or daughter, can't remember for the life of me who it was though

I would put money of it that it was Hastings. Guy in work had a nightmare with them.

 

[Gavlar]

Found the thread, it was @Gambit

Young drivers insurance with blackbox tracking

Anybody else had experience of these? My 17yr old niece has just recently passed her test and bought herself a car, insured it etc which cost her a hell of a lot which shes been working/saving since shes been 14yr so fair play to her Anyhow part of her £2000 :worried:insurance with Hastings...

rmsmotoring.com

 

[Ricky]

Found the thread, it was @Gambit

Young drivers insurance with blackbox tracking

Anybody else had experience of these? My 17yr old niece has just recently passed her test and bought herself a car, insured it etc which cost her a hell of a lot which shes been working/saving since shes been 14yr so fair play to her Anyhow part of her £2000 :worried:insurance with Hastings...

rmsmotoring.com

Hmmm, interesting read. Never even thought about some of those things mentioned on that thread e.g car pulling out in front of you and you having to slam on the brakes and then the black box thinks you’re driving badly.

This insurance system can be quite hypocritical

 

[DriftnSlide]

My son has the Drivesafe app through AXA. Most insurance companies use this now.
You need to do 250 miles per month, turn it on, on your phone every trip and it scores your driving out of 100. It doesn't punish you for creeping over the speed limit the odd time or for the odd harsh braking. It seems to work well, although occasionally it hasn't recorded the full mileage, due to mobile signal being lost in certain areas, where it thinks you have stopped the app at the end of your journey.
The black boxes wired to the car, like Hastings use, are much less forgiving.

 

[Nickyyy]

Wouldn’t be going near finance at 18. No way Jose.