coupe recommendations for a first car?

kesselbennet · 19-10-2023 6:14am #1

Morning folks!

So I'm almost done with my EDT, one lesson to go but my instructor keeps hounding me to get practice in between lessons. I'm not confident enough to try my neighbors cars so I was thinking of buying a manual just to get the hang of driving in it until I pass my test. I'd mainly be using it to commute and go shopping with flatmates so city driving, won't be going above 80 kmph.

My budget is about 2k for the car (so probably 04-08) and I'm going to add my neighbor to my insurance so I'm budgeting about 1k for that

I've looked around on donedeal and I'm thinking of these three:

https://www.donedeal .ie/cars-for-sale/2008-ford-focus-convertible/34733950

https://www.donedeal .ie/cars-for-sale/hyundai-coupe-1-6-fx-2007/35343198?campaign=3

https://www.donedeal .ie/cars-for-sale/2007-renault-megane-convertible/33551117

I've heard renaults are prone to electric faults and that dealership doesn't have a decent website or gmaps listing

The Hyundai is fairly far away and I haven't a clue on how to properly test drive a car, no idea how much repairs would be

The Ford is nearby by seems to be suspiciously cheap.

Also, would I be able to insist on the seller doing the nct before handing over the keys to me? I'm from Bahrain myself and the general rule there is that the seller keeps the (local version of) nct up to date before selling the car as a show of good faith or something

Thoughts? And thanks in advance!

Buddy Bubs · 19-10-2023 6:19am

We don't have the same weather as Bahrain. A 2k convertible sounds like a nightmare here

kesselbennet · 19-10-2023 6:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121257448#Comment_121257448

Haha been in Ireland for a few years after a year in the UK, fairly sure I'll only get a week's use out of the folding roof. I meant "coupe", I've edited the title now.

dickdasr1234 · 19-10-2023 8:29am

You would be well advised to check the annual road tax due on pre-2008 cars.

hoodie6029 · 19-10-2023 9:06am

The NCT is out on all three cars you’ve posted there, so avoid them all.

You can check the motor tax rate by the reg plate on https://www.motortax.ie/

Make sure you check the NCT is valid on https://www.NCTS.ie/1104/

Ideally you’d want at least 6 months left on the cert. Ideally, as close to a year left as possible. If a car has less than 3 months left on the test, the seller should be putting it through the NCT before selling it. If not, it’s a red flag

This is an old thread but the advice in the first post is still relevant.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2056198864/buying-a-used-car-in-ireland-guide/p1

hoodie6029 · 19-10-2023 9:20am

If you could stretch your budget a bit, this looks like a good car for you.

https://www.donedeal.ie/view/35392842

Mini Cooper Convertible NCT 10/24

dickdasr1234 · 19-10-2023 11:27am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121258008#Comment_121258008

Road tax c. €550. Expensive to repair, VERY.

hoodie6029 · 19-10-2023 11:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121258468#Comment_121258468

€500 odd isn’t the worst given the OP’s budget. It has NCT, service history and from the photos, looks well cared for.

Expensive repairs are always a risk with an older car. It’s not a Cooper S that could bankrupt you!

What have you found?

User1998 · 19-10-2023 11:48am

The only logical choice here would be a Toyota Yaris or a Nissan Micra. Anything else in the price bracket is just asking for trouble.

The seller is under no obligation to sell the car with an NCT. So its up to you to find a car that has valid NCT.

dickdasr1234 · 19-10-2023 11:51am

Expensive repairs are surely a risk with older cars. Speaking as someone who owned a Mini Cooper for 17 years from new (and loved it dearly) there was hardly a year that went by without it requiring a €4/500 repair.

Wiper motor €400, window lift €400, clutch x 3 over 160,000km @€6/700 a pop, gearbox recon similar. Age alone brought issues with bushings, wheel bearings etc. which are expensive because of the labour required working in a very confined space.

My mechanic hated to see me coming! Latterly, had an excellent mechanic who told me he was moving on to another garage - turned out he didn't- go figure.

I couldn't recommend buying a banger at this level. To me, it is like paying €10k for a racehorse which costs €20k per year to train.

hoodie6029 · 19-10-2023 12:18pm

We have to wait for the OP to get back really. If their heart is set on a convertible and they have have the budget/income and willingness to deal with repairs, I’d say to go for it. Life is too short not to.

If they haven’t considered these things, then a sensible car would be a better bet, of course.

User1998 · 19-10-2023 2:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121258658#Comment_121258658

Only having a €2k budget and spending it all on a potentially unreliable car is a recipe for disaster, especially right before your driving test. OP doesn’t even have a driving license, they have their whole life to buy a nice convertible car after they’ve passed their test.

With only a €2k budget and no full license, I just can’t make sense of anything other than a 1 litre Yaris or Micra.

SEPT 23 1989 · 19-10-2023 2:23pm

Have I woken up in 1998?

hoodie6029 · 19-10-2023 2:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121259290#Comment_121259290

No, but discussing a convertible as a run around is very Celtic Tiger 2004-2007 though.

Must check how my Bulgarian apartments are coming along too….

😂😂

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121259276#Comment_121259276

I’d be surprised if this thread goes anywhere. Brand new account and first posts by the OP. It’s a nice diversion though.

BorneTobyWilde · 19-10-2023 11:55pm

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mercedes-benz-c-class-sports-coupe-2008/34862664

BorneTobyWilde · 19-10-2023 11:55pm

nice merc

goochy · 20-10-2023 9:04am

insurance on a 1.8 litre Merc . 1st time driver ??

AMKC · 20-10-2023 7:35pm

@OP You do know untill you get a full driving license that you can not drive a car legally by yourself and if got doing so you will get points and a fine. Also getting insurance on an old car especially if you are young will be a nit mare and more than certainly probably impossible.

Your best bet is either to keep saving or get a loan and by something 10 or less years old. I know it's stupid but that is just the way Ireland is.

Its sad to see perfectly good cars being scrapped or sitting up because they can not be insured or no one to buy them.

I woukd say try and get yourself a 3 door Fiesta or a Clio they are basically small coupes anyway or something a little bigger like this classy Laguna,

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2008-renault-laguna/35374496

coupe recommendations for a first car?

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