First / Learners Car

Deezer-D

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Looking for something small, easy to insure and in good mechanical condition for my daughter.
We’ve a new Mini coming in January and as it’s electric it’s auto. Need a manual for her to continue learning in. She’s currently using our Cooper but it’s getting traded in.
Thought I’d try here first before Gumtree etc.
Needs at least 6 months MOT. Also needs to be in safe mechanical order.
Budget around £1500
Cheers
D
 

davyk31

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Have you looked into insurance quotes for her on the Mini electric. My daughter is 17 in a few months and I bought a really nice 2010 Cooper for her but people are telling me at group 18 it will be steep to insure.

Kinda thinking of buying a newish Polo for her as the groupings on them can be very low.
 

Deezer-D

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Deezer-D
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Have you looked into insurance quotes for her on the Mini electric. My daughter is 17 in a few months and I bought a really nice 2010 Cooper for her but people are telling me at group 18 it will be steep to insure.

Kinda thinking of buying a newish Polo for her as the groupings on them can be very low.
It’s about £200 for her on our current Cooper (1.5 3 cylinder turbo) as a learner. No idea how much it will be in the Mini Electric but as it’s auto it’s a moot point as she needs to pass in a manual so can’t put her on the new car until she pass s her test
 

Deezer-D

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If you’re not precious, a wee C1/108/207/C3 etc should be easily bought for the money.

Yaris/Auris also worth a look, cheap and reliable.
Not at all precious and this is the range I’m looking at. As long as it’s mechanically sound and has an MOT I’ll be happy. Needs to be a straight motor, her safety is my priority. Don’t give a sh1te if it’s not original paint 😜
 

DaddyCC

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You really won’t get a whole lot for £1500 now that you could be sure is reliable.
I picked up a wee k12 08 Micra for her to learn/start driving career in for not much more than that with 53k. Have to say I love the wee car lol. Sips fuel, reasonable VED, cheap insurance, tons of visibility around you, very tight turning circle, nimble jap suspension and nippy enough for short journeys about the place with a mighty 68bhp. Air con, leccy windows and bunged in a double din with Android auto, jobs a good un 😃 The other half wanted a beetle originally but she loves this now.
 

davyk31

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Depends a lot on the daughter and what she likes 😜. My daughter has unfortunately inherited my car bug so nothing too granny like will do and nor would I buy it anyway I guess.
 

Deezer-D

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Depends a lot on the daughter and what she likes 😜. My daughter has unfortunately inherited my car bug so nothing too granny like will do and nor would I buy it anyway I guess.
She doesn’t care what she drives. She’s just grateful for whatever we get her. She’s plenty of time ahead of her to own something nice. As long as she can get to and from school and not have to rely on us to run her to places. To be fair to her she will moving from a nice F56 Cooper with decent spec and heated leather to a very basic city car but it’s free to her. Will be easier to build up her no claims on something like a C1 or 107.
I’ll likely have to sort something to stream music for her though.
It’ll not be in the driveway either so really don’t want to have the added worry of something nice being clipped while parked on the street
 

billyboker

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Its better to get something not to fancy. My wife her first car was nice with all the bells and whistles which made her very nervous and she had a small crash.
Now she drives a £5k citigo basic but gets her from A to B and more confident.
 

purplea4T

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I bought my eldest a Golf mk5 1.4 and stuck a double din in it so she has blueteeth and what not, has AC, abs, leccy windows, £224 to insure for a year as a learner, jumps to £1200 when she passes but thats with a years no claims.
Granted I'd to put a pair of wings and paint the bonnet but she loves it, 40 to the gallon, plenty being broken so always plenty of cheap spares.
IMG_20210731_170533.jpg
 

billyboker

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The sweet box with nuts in my son always thinks theres sweets when its out. Nice Golf
 

Deezer-D

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Its better to get something not to fancy. My wife her first car was nice with all the bells and whistles which made her very nervous and she had a small crash.
Now she drives a £5k citigo basic but gets her from A to B and more confident.
She finds the Mini quite hard to drive. It’s heavy, clutch isn’t the nicest, gearbox is clunky and hard to select gears. I think she’s nervous driving it. 5K is out of my price range unfortunately or I’d be looking for an up, mii or citigo
 

Coog

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Wee girl next door was given a Citigo a few months back. Lovely immaculate low mileage 2015 Monte Carlo edition. Absolutely breaks my heart to see the way she’s treating it. Was parked in a hedge at the house last night and the noises it made being scratched to bits!

Sorry nothing else to add, though if you’re looking reliability have a look at the Mazda 2. Not many about, reliable, look well and are cheap. An old one still looks pretty fresh in the right colours too.
 

Deezer-D

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I know nothing about it but unless it has timing chain issues its probably worth £1000
Cheers, would prefer something a wee bit fresher but at the minute Aygo, C1 and 107 are all I’m really looking at
 

stevieturbo

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I always thought those Fiat 500 and wee 107 etc would not be the safest for in a crash

What does Euro N-Cap say ?

I'd think likes of a Citi-go would be very poor. Big jeep hitting any small car is going to make a mess.

Bound to be plenty of cars out there for £1500 that could be cheap and reliable ok ? Likes of a basic old Golf, Polo, Fabia or something ? How old a car does it need to be before insurance doesn't like them ?
Toyota Corolla/Auris/Yaris ?
I always thought those Fiat 500 and wee 107 etc would not be the safest for in a crash

Oldish one ? not bad.

 

davyk31

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I think the Fiats fare better than you would expect but still couldn’t bring myself to consider one for my daughter.
 

Steve750

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Driving a 1.0 aygo over the winter atm and it's starting to put me off cars. It's such a miserable experience. It was a car my sisters used and it's just spare now. Idk how they put 110k on it.
If your looking at a 1.0 aygo or the Peugeot and citroen models, they drink oil. Ours has for a while now and we just have to keep it topped up.
 
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