Good car to get as first car...

CorkFenian

Have been really lazy about driving, have had 2nd provisional for past few years, never really drove, getting a lot of lessons now (off someone who was recommended on this site, thanks for that BTW) Just wondering what a good 1st car would be, I'm 31 so thinking insurance wont be a problem, I'm a guy BTW , been thinking about a Ford Focus to just grow into for a while, anyone any suggestions??

boredatwork82

the cheapest half-decent car you can get. You can upgrade in 6 months so that you don't have little knocks, and a dodgy clutch in a decent car.

DriveSkill

Hi,


There is no single right answer to this as people's tastes and needs are different. Dont underestimate the insurance costs, even at 31, while you are on a Learner Permit (provisional licence) it can be expensive so be sure to check that out before committing to buying any car. You can do a few online quotes and choose different cars to get an idea.

The Ford Focus is a good car and plenty of them around so should be able to bargain. I would stick with the 1.4 engine just for tax, insurance and fuel costs. There are lots of smaller cars also which are perfectly good : Corsa, Fiesta, Puntos (despite their reputation ), Yaris, Micra (maybe ) etc. It depends if its just going to be you most of the time - small car is fine unless you are well over 6ft or driving 200km per day!! However if you have kids then other aspects come in like boot space, obviously 4 doors would be much better than 2 etc.

In general hatchbacks are easier to reverse in that they have better visibility so that is something to consider while you are learning. Also as others have said dont buy your 'dream car' now - you will most likely bang or dent it off something so buy something fairly 'cheap' but appropiate(dont buy a 3 litre BMW 530 just cause you can get it for 3K) and aim to change in maybe 12 to 18 months once you've got some experience.

When it comes to bargaining work hard at it, in this climate 'cash really is king' and you are probably in the ideal situation of no trade-in any 'sticker price' on a car is a pure starting point and it can fall from that significantly!! If you dont know much about cars then bring someone with you that does.

All that being said I think your first priority should be to pass your driving test and then start to look at buying your own car. As I'm sure you are aware you are not allowed to drive unaccompanied until you get your full licence so I think your money would be better spent learning to drive rather than buying a car and then perhaps not being able to afford lessons and having a car you cant legally drive.

Best of luck it,
Declan

CorkFenian

DriveSkill wrote: »

Hi,


There is no single right answer to this as people's tastes and needs are different. Dont underestimate the insurance costs, even at 31, while you are on a Learner Permit (provisional licence) it can be expensive so be sure to check that out before committing to buying any car. You can do a few online quotes and choose different cars to get an idea.

The Ford Focus is a good car and plenty of them around so should be able to bargain. I would stick with the 1.4 engine just for tax, insurance and fuel costs. There are lots of smaller cars also which are perfectly good : Corsa, Fiesta, Puntos (despite their reputation ), Yaris, Micra (maybe ) etc. It depends if its just going to be you most of the time - small car is fine unless you are well over 6ft or driving 200km per day!! However if you have kids then other aspects come in like boot space, obviously 4 doors would be much better than 2 etc.

In general hatchbacks are easier to reverse in that they have better visibility so that is something to consider while you are learning. Also as others have said dont buy your 'dream car' now - you will most likely bang or dent it off something so buy something fairly 'cheap' but appropiate(dont buy a 3 litre BMW 530 just cause you can get it for 3K) and aim to change in maybe 12 to 18 months once you've got some experience.

When it comes to bargaining work hard at it, in this climate 'cash really is king' and you are probably in the ideal situation of no trade-in any 'sticker price' on a car is a pure starting point and it can fall from that significantly!! If you dont know much about cars then bring someone with you that does.

All that being said I think your first priority should be to pass your driving test and then start to look at buying your own car. As I'm sure you are aware you are not allowed to drive unaccompanied until you get your full licence so I think your money would be better spent learning to drive rather than buying a car and then perhaps not being able to afford lessons and having a car you cant legally drive.

Best of luck it,
Declan

Thanks for that, with regard to height I'm 6'3 , i know its a general and vague question on my behalf, any makes or models which you would recommend???

DriveSkill

At 6ft 3 you really need to sit into a car to confirm its Ok, again check how far back you need to move the driver's seat and then consider if you will ever need to be carrying passengers..some cars will require the seat fully back and there is no way to get a passenger in behind!!!

The Ford Focus would be fine I think and most of the more modern 'super minis' like the Fiesta, Corsa, Polo etc. Be careful the older the car is as cars have got bigger inside as the years went on so you'll have more space in a 2005 Polo than in a 1990 Polo (generally speaking!)

If your height is in your upper body then generally avoid cars with Sunroofs as it lowers the roof lining slightly and you'll need all the space you can get :-)

Best thing is go to a few garages and try out the cars and see what feels comfortable.

Declan

CorkFenian

DriveSkill wrote: »

At 6ft 3 you really need to sit into a car to confirm its Ok, again check how far back you need to move the driver's seat and then consider if you will ever need to be carrying passengers..some cars will require the seat fully back and there is no way to get a passenger in behind!!!

The Ford Focus would be fine I think and most of the more modern 'super minis' like the Fiesta, Corsa, Polo etc. Be careful the older the car is as cars have got bigger inside as the years went on so you'll have more space in a 2005 Polo than in a 1990 Polo (generally speaking!)

If your height is in your upper body then generally avoid cars with Sunroofs as it lowers the roof lining slightly and you'll need all the space you can get :-)

Best thing is go to a few garages and try out the cars and see what feels comfortable.

Declan

Great thanks...