RobEvo5

iTrader: (9)

Something very cheap not mint with a small engine. Not to put a finer point on it, its not a question of if, but when he has a knock it won't matter so much.

Apologies if thats a bit harsh, but if we had a pole in here you would probably find a good percentage of first time drivers had a knock within the first 1-2 years of driving.

Hands up myself - I thought at the time I was the best driver since Damon Hill, but on reflection I just used to drive like a ****.!

davegtt

My advise, save 4k and get a year or 2 driving experience in a 1k car, especially now winter is coming, prime time to be stacking your car at that age (No matter how sensible you think the young lad is, still a dangerous time for anyone who is inexperienced on the road)

You'll thank me later if he was to write off the 5k car, get a sh!tty 3.5k pay out from insurance and then pay double for insurance for the next few years.

RJM25R

iTrader: (1)

Something post-2001 with ABS and 4+airbags for when (not if) he prangs it.

GlesgaKiss

I know all these people are saying buy cars with electronic gadgets etc - but I had a R reg clio when I started driving in 2004. It was good experience for me, driving something with no computerised stuff at all. Didn't even have power steering.

thesyn

Insurance on a £5 K car for 19y old will probably be shocking. If he doesn't have a smash he is bound to scrape the bodywork.
Go cheap and slow and build up NCD then buy something decent. My son had a Golf 1.4 cl for a year then immediately he had 1y NCD changed to a Golf GTI 1.8T, insurance £300 less.

skinters

yes - the insurance VS performance battle is one you cannot win at 19

You end up paying truly huge sums of money to insure cars that are not really very high performance at all.
Better to have fun in a simple chuckable car, build up NCB and wait.

For a 19 year old this is harsh! I sound like an old preacher but at 19 I spent hours/days finding the fastest car relative to insurance. It was a BX 19TRS - and had 105bhp! Totally ugly with no street cred (I forgot to check that bit)

I paid £700 to insure it first year - that was 13 years ago so a lot of cash then. Money would have been better spent on beer.

Just to buck the trend, I do have 14 years NCB, so it is possible! (fate well and truly tempted)

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

w.e it's only money spend it while you can I reckon, you only live once and nobody is going to be making much in the following few years anyway

skinters

Agree - but my point is you might pay £1000 insurance for a 1.1 car and £2000 insurance for a marginally quicker 1.4 'S'

If £2000 got you covered for a 300bhp Scooby then fair enough - money arguably worth spending.

GlesgaKiss

If I had my scooby for my first car I wouldn't be here now!

I've never had a problem driving anything, no matter what power - you just get used to the way it drives like any other car. But it's the speed you are travelling at that's the problem. If anything pulls out in front of you when you're having a bit of 'fun' in a scooby, it's game over. In the likes of a 1.2 clio, you have time to see it, react, and brake. Also, if you do go off the road or hit something, you won't be going as quickly.

skinters

yes - I got carried away with my example there...

I forgot when I was 19, getting from A to B had to be done as fast as humanly possible - sometimes faster. And of course I was the best driver in the known world too.

Just remembered - my same cousin with the bike - was put on my uncles insurance on the 1.6 Focus. Day2 - drives it into a field 4 up in the car (all mates) off the side of wet roundabout. Cracked sump and ripped off bumper. Swears blind he wasnt speeding... ho ho. Of course my Aunt believed him to the end.

djmisio85

Exactly my thoughts

austinwrx

he'll never get ins for a grand- best bet is a £500 car for when he smashes it up. sorry- but thats what young lads do with their first car.

Coc-ker

iTrader: (1)

Well I'm still glad I got my Impreza for my first car at 17!

I learnt fast and thank f**k for AWD and ABS!

greenonedave

lots of common sense here !

Underworld

did u learn AFTER passing your test then???

Coc-ker

iTrader: (1)

You're always learning new things. Going from a diesel Clio into an Impreza is a big difference, which prompted a change in the driving style I had adopted to pass my test.

greenonedave

Thanks for all your help, he seems to have set his mind on either a Toyota Corrolla 1.6vvti or the mazda 3, around £4500 mark, insurance around £2000 (ouch)

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

That's probably the bigger engine. Would seriously try to push towards a 1.4 at least for a year to get some no claims built up. start slow, get faster.

considered the delights of the 1.3 Suzuki Swift? TG liked it...

Suzuki Swift 1.3 GL 5 Door, 1 lady owner on eBay, also, Suzuki, Cars, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 20-Nov-08 12:56:42 GMT)

5t.

austinwrx

when I was a yoof, me and my friends all passed our tests at 17. strangely it was pre- hot hatch days and you could get insured on parents luxury company cars etc.

thank god for the early abs etc on these audis, volvos, mercs, citroens etc because without a doubt we were total fools. every set of lights or bit of road to overtake on, we probably gunned them.

had we been driving 70's cars with their rubbish brakes, tyres, handling it would have been a different case I'm sure. Of course many of our 1st cars were from the 70's !

its probably only when you get into your late 20's or even 30's you stop driving like a complete dick.

I'd have no qualms in restricting driving till the age of 21, or seriously limiting the power on the vehicles you could drive.

I've come close to binning the scooby twice now- due to sheer excitement and *** ish ness ....... I'd have lasted days at the age of 19 !

Ashley-W

iTrader: (1)

Cant go wrong with a little saxo vtr thats what i had first car, Cheap as chips nowadays aswell.

DB07P1

tell him to get an impreza...hasnt stopped me
in all honesty i dont think he would go far wrong with a 1.6 focus

Underworld

yeah good boy, i had the mazda3 when i was 19 as well.... the 1.4 and insurance was about 1800 something.. try direct line or liverpool victoria..
good luck

500

10 years ago I was 18 and bought and insured my own first car (had been driving sub 1600cc trade-ins on my old mans trade insurance for a year) I found that 1 litre to 1.3 fiestas, novas etc were dearer to insure than a Citroen AX GT so bought one of those. I think that it is somthing to do with spending more money on a car in the first place that you may be less of a risk as you are more likely to take care of the car and that it being a hot hatch, you can go to a specialist broker

namatjira

Why not consider an old (as in original) Mini. Get a good condition 850cc that has been either faithfully looked after or restored. Nippy, can cope with his height by adding seat rails. My son is 6'5" and that was his first car. Over 25 year old car is free road tax, economy is great, good handling and easy to uprate brakes and suspension if needed. And you would probably qualify for classic insurance which is also cheap.

Also very cool if looked after. Should be easy within budget.

Good luck

greenonedave

My wife had a Yaris a couple of years ago, it was bloody fantastic car, even with the 1000cc engine if you drove it properly it could hold its own,

ScooByer Trade

Second the Mini & if insurance allows the Cooper S.