Please help pick a car(I already have a small list)

CyberGhost

Hi, I'm 22, with a full driving license and 0 NCB.

I want a low insurance cost car(but I don't a girl's cars either) around 1800-2000-ish, thought of the following...

Toyota Corolla/Starlet 95(old model, don't like the new rounder ones)
Honda Civic 96-98
Mitsubishi Colt (don't about the year probably 95)
Nissan Almera 96-98.

I went to Quinn Direct cause they have an online calculator plus you can pay with monthly installments with them. The above cars came out at about the same price of: 1720, tbh, I was expecting it to be lower, so just out of interest I looked at BMW 3 series(E36), and a 318 92' costs 1880 to insure.

160 isn't much of a difference, so I'm not sure what to do now, should I go for the bimmer?

Out of those 4(5), which one would recommend? I'm mainly interested in durability of a car, cause I want to own it for some time, I can't say that I trust Seats or even VWs, I have couple of friends that have them and they have nothing but trouble with them.

you could get a car with a smaller engine, knocks few hundred off the insurance.

ctc_celtic

the BMW might only cost a few quid more to insure, but it will be higher tax and running cost.
all the 4 cars mentioned are good cars, and all japs have good reliability records, i'd go for the Almera as a first car, or starlet if you need a smaller car.

Vikings

Go Sunny style... Nissan Sunny that is:

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=680582

Just take a hammer to that "spoiler" and your laughing.. I had one of those as my first car and never gave me a spot of bother plus its cheap as chips. You would be able to knock a hundred or two of that price above as well.

unkel

You might not be aware of it, CyberGhost, but insurance companies tend to load the premium on older cars (>10 years). Try getting a quote for a slightly younger car. You might save some money

Also, if reliability is of the utmost importance, get a small Japanese car like any of the ones in your list or suggested by the other posters. Dull, but they're less likely to let you down

llester

CyberGhost wrote:

Hi, I'm 22, with a full driving license and 0 NCB.

I want a low insurance cost car(but I don't a girl's cars either) around 1800-2000-ish, thought of the following...

Toyota Corolla/Starlet 95(old model, don't like the new rounder ones)
Honda Civic 96-98
Mitsubishi Colt (don't about the year probably 95)
Nissan Almera 96-98.

I went to Quinn Direct cause they have an online calculator plus you can pay with monthly installments with them. The above cars came out at about the same price of: 1720, tbh, I was expecting it to be lower, so just out of interest I looked at BMW 3 series(E36), and a 318 92' costs 1880 to insure.

160 isn't much of a difference, so I'm not sure what to do now, should I go for the bimmer?

Out of those 4(5), which one would recommend? I'm mainly interested in durability of a car, cause I want to own it for some time, I can't say that I trust Seats or even VWs, I have couple of friends that have them and they have nothing but trouble with them.

Give the AA a call....they have very competitive insurance quotes for 0NCB drivers...would you think about going third party till you build up your NCB?

CyberGhost

Thanks a lot for your advices guys!

llester, what do you mean by "would you think about going third party till you build up your NCB" ?

I will probably try to get a newer car(less than 10 years, like you suggested) maybe a starlet with a small engine.

BTW, can I get an insurance from the UK or any other EU country? or does it have to be strictly a Irish insurance company?

cavanmaniac

Personally, if buying car with a few years under it, I'd always go Japanese and out of all the Japanese cars, I'd go for the Civic. You see loads of older Civics on the road so Honda must be doing something right.

Zaph

CyberGhost wrote:

llester, what do you mean by "would you think about going third party till you build up your NCB" ?

He means looking for third party or third party, fire & theft insurance, rather than fully comp. Of course you may already be doing that. Check with First Ireland brokers in Phibsboro, I've always found them brilliant for quotes.

Masada

defo the honda, they'll last forever and wont give you any proplems., if you go for the EK civic between 96-00 then some have airbags etc so insurance quotes are lower due to the car being safer.,