Owen_Thomas_14
Journeyman Pro
Ive not passed my test yet but im wanting to start and save money for one. Can anyone recommend any good but cheap cars to insure and run for an 18 year old? Cheers 
Ideal 1st car?
- Thread starter Owen_Thomas_14
- Start date
Low horsepower hatchbacks or average family saloons will be your best bet.
I'd recommend something like a 1.2 Clio or fiesta for the small category. A diesel seat Toledo (older saloon shape) would be my choice of a slightly larger car as their boot space is amazing, it easily sleeps at least 4 bags etc.
I'd recommend something like a 1.2 Clio or fiesta for the small category. A diesel seat Toledo (older saloon shape) would be my choice of a slightly larger car as their boot space is amazing, it easily sleeps at least 4 bags etc.
CliveW
Tour Winner
My son, who is now 24, has had a Seat Leon 1.4 for the past four years and it has proved to be extremely reliable and cheap to run. It has enough power to keep up with traffic and cruises well and is comfortable to drive. It is now 9 years old and hasn't had any MOT issues. Good old VW engineering.
Had a Leon Cupra for 4 years myself Clive, apart from a turbo letting go I loved every minute of owning it, in my opinion they ruined it when they brought out the mini people carrier shape of it and the Toledo.
You need a halfway nippy, but small engined hatch.
Titchy insurance I'd imagine would be handy.
Depending on budget, Fiat Puntos are half decent looking cars.
Old Citroens can be pretty cheap.
If you don't care about your image, go for any old Japanese car - they never break.
If you are buying your own insurance shop around big time. My lad saved hundreds of pounds by spending a couple of hours on t'internet and the phone before buying his.
Titchy insurance I'd imagine would be handy.
Depending on budget, Fiat Puntos are half decent looking cars.
Old Citroens can be pretty cheap.
If you don't care about your image, go for any old Japanese car - they never break.
If you are buying your own insurance shop around big time. My lad saved hundreds of pounds by spending a couple of hours on t'internet and the phone before buying his.
medwayjon
Tour Winner
Depending on budget the Fiat 500 is THE small car of choice.
Cheap to insure, drives beautifully, has a stylish look and importantly, they hold their money very well indeed.
Other than that, Fiesta, Corsa, Clio, VW Fox, anything along those lines is decent enough.
Cheap to insure, drives beautifully, has a stylish look and importantly, they hold their money very well indeed.
Other than that, Fiesta, Corsa, Clio, VW Fox, anything along those lines is decent enough.
jammydodger
Tour Winner
Small Hyundai's like the i10 or Kia's Picanto. Lota of mpg and a nippy engine. Low tax and insurance and the chicks will love that youre happy with your masculinity driving one and not trying to compenstae for your willy size
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
You'll do well if you can pay for lessons and save for a car and save for insurance, which will cost as much or more than the car!.
Lessons down here average around £25+ per hour.
If you're going to buy a car and use it for lessons or practice, bear in mind that your insurance premium will probably go up once you've passed your test. Most insurers don't mind a learner as there's someone sitting next to you. Once you're let loose on your own its a different matter.
The test is changing in October too. An element called Independant Driving is being included at the expense of one manoeuvre. They'll get you to drive for 10 minutes, following signs and not being told directions. Some say this will drop the pass rate from a National Average of 45% to as little as 20%.
Good Luck.
Lessons down here average around £25+ per hour.
If you're going to buy a car and use it for lessons or practice, bear in mind that your insurance premium will probably go up once you've passed your test. Most insurers don't mind a learner as there's someone sitting next to you. Once you're let loose on your own its a different matter.
The test is changing in October too. An element called Independant Driving is being included at the expense of one manoeuvre. They'll get you to drive for 10 minutes, following signs and not being told directions. Some say this will drop the pass rate from a National Average of 45% to as little as 20%.
Good Luck.
grumpyjock
Tour Rookie
just sold my old one for £150 Peugoet 106 key largo,
The lass had to pay £890 for 3rd party insurance.
The lass had to pay £890 for 3rd party insurance.
haplesshacker
Money List Winner
Imurg.
Is the pass rate really that low. Why is that?
Is the pass rate really that low. Why is that?
Owen_Thomas_14
Journeyman Pro
Thanks guys for your input . I was thinking about a Fiesta, 106 or Saxo as theyre pretty good looking cars(cant have a bad looking car
. I was thinking about a Fiesta, 106 or Saxo as theyre pretty good looking cars(cant have a bad looking car
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
Mainly because people think they are ready to take the test when they're not.
Some Instructors send pupils up for test to "give them experience" of it, knowing full-well that they wont pass. Not fair on the pupil if you ask me and its not something I do. Maybe that's why my pass rate is above 60%.....
Its also extremely easy to fail the test. There's so many things they can pick up on and it only takes one "serious" fault (in the eyes of the Examiner) and that's it.
Losttheplot
Tour Rookie
Ive not passed my test yet but im wanting to start and save money for one. Can anyone recommend any good but cheap cars to insure and run for an 18 year old? Cheers
Small, not powerful and not modded up.
Get your pass plus done and a lot of companies see it as one years insurance. Ask your driving instructor about pass plus.
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
Ive not passed my test yet but im wanting to start and save money for one. Can anyone recommend any good but cheap cars to insure and run for an 18 year old? Cheers
Small, not powerful and not modded up.
Get your pass plus done and a lot of companies see it as one years insurance. Ask your driving instructor about pass plus.
I could be wrong but a lot of insurance companies seem to be ignoring Pass Plus now. The ones that give a discount are generally the ones who charge most, bringing the cost down to the level of the cheaper companies.
That's not to say don't do Pass Plus - its a good course if you have a good Instructor and they'll pass on good tips but don't expect huge savings anymore.
The DSA (Double Sta...sorry Driving Standards Agency) are looking at updating the Pass Plus sometime and this may well rekindle Insurance Companies interest in it.
Losttheplot
Tour Rookie
That's not good news... I used mine years ago when passing my test and I just got 1 years no claims with it. So it helped with insurance costs quite a bit.
I've had the wife on my insurance for ages and was pricing her own insurance up months ago and even at 24 she's being quoted some huge numbers. Even on her little ford Ka. Shocking TBH.
I've had the wife on my insurance for ages and was pricing her own insurance up months ago and even at 24 she's being quoted some huge numbers. Even on her little ford Ka. Shocking TBH.
Region3
Ryder Cup Winner
Ive not passed my test yet but im wanting to start and save money for one. Can anyone recommend any good but cheap cars to insure and run for an 18 year old? Cheers
Your best bet is to spend hours on the computer getting insurance quotes for different cars, to help you decide which ones to look out for.
My eldest passed his test about 4 months ago, and his insurance is £2.2k on a 1.4 Peugeot 206.
About the same time he passed his test, my youngest started looking at insurance quotes (got his test this month) and to start with the cheapest was just over £2k. They both say insurance has recently gone up for youngsters, and now my youngest can't find a quote, on any car, with his mum as named driver, for less than £3k.
He should know, he's been looking at quotes for the last 4 months or so every week for hours at a time.
It's ridiculous.
Girls can get insurance for around £1k (he also got quotes as if he was a she).
Region3
Ryder Cup Winner
I had the old Leon Cupra for about 3 years and loved it. I now have the newer shape Cupra and love it even more. Still not bored of it after 2 years.
Each to their own though, I don't like Scoobies!
viscount17
Money List Winner
Ive not passed my test yet but im wanting to start and save money for one. Can anyone recommend any good but cheap cars to insure and run for an 18 year old? Cheers
Your best bet is to spend hours on the computer getting insurance quotes for different cars, to help you decide which ones to look out for.
My eldest passed his test about 4 months ago, and his insurance is £2.2k on a 1.4 Peugeot 206.
About the same time he passed his test, my youngest started looking at insurance quotes (got his test this month) and to start with the cheapest was just over £2k. They both say insurance has recently gone up for youngsters, and now my youngest can't find a quote, on any car, with his mum as named driver, for less than £3k.
He should know, he's been looking at quotes for the last 4 months or so every week for hours at a time.
It's ridiculous.
Girls can get insurance for around £1k (he also got quotes as if he was a she).
and they wonder why there are so many running around with no insurance!
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
Renault Clio.
Cracking little car.
I will be getting my daughter one.
Cracking little car.
I will be getting my daughter one.
Aztecs27
Money List Winner
Could not agree more.
I have a 54 plate Toledo 1.9TDI Sport which is basically the exact same car as the original Leon FR without the body kit, exhaust and badges (and approx £5k cheaper when I bought it and it was a year old!) and I love it. It's definitely not as rapid as it was when I bought it as the turbo has had nearly 120,000 miles put through it in just under 5 years, but it's still pretty nippy and like you said, the boot is ridiculous. I have no idea how it's so big, but I doubt I'll ever find a similar sized boot on the same sized car again. 4 golf bags are no match for it.
Had a few niggly issues reliability wise, but nothing I would moan about. Like I said, it's done 120k and I get 55-60mpg on long drives (around 600 miles from a tank on long journeys, and at least 500 for mixed long/short journeys) and it still has enough power to make it fun to drive.
The only downside is the suspension. Because I have the "sport" they put (cheap) "sports" suspension on it and the ride can be quite hard, but it's not too bad.
Will definitely be sad to see it go, but will hopefully replace it with something equally as fun like a Lexus IS250. My dad has just taken delivery of one and it's easily one of the nicest cars I've ever driven. And short of James Bond type mods, it's got every toy you could ever want (including a flappy paddle gear box!)
