ideal first car?

Question

hi i have just passed mt driving test, what car do you think is ideal for a first car, i have 2 kids and one on the way

i was thinking a punto, cause its small for a first car but probably not that practical for a family of 5, any ideas??
i only want to spend up to £1000,

Answer 1

go for the punto, even if you only have it for 6 month to a year just until you get used to driving then you can think of a bigger car

Answer 2

i would recommend a fiat punto or a vauxhall corsa, they are both small but big enough for a family, they are cheap to run and if u buy somthing like 1.2 or 1.4, it wont cost alot on insurance and fuel. Personally i perfer the punto's as they are slightly bigger than the corsa inside but its really a personal thing, in which one u perfer, i suggest try test driving both cars and see which u feel more comfortable to drive. If ur looking for a slightly older/bigger car i'd suggest having a look at something like the ford focus or the vauxhall astra, they both are slightly bigger, but u can still buy them with small engines so wont cost much more on fuel and insurance etc. hope that helps, good luck car shopping

Answer 3

Congratulations! I hope it will give you new freedom. My advice is to not buy an old wreck unless there's someone who can keep it in tip-top condition for you. I had one and it used to really stress me out, eg it leaked & rain used to run down the light inside & the carpet was always soaked.

My first decent car was a Peugeot 106, which I would recommend, but only three doors. I've now upgraded to a 306 which is bigger & took me only a few days to get used to.

Bigger cars are not necessarily harder to drive. You won't be able to park in such small spaces, of course, but on the plus side they have more acceleration which you might need sometimes, especially if it's weighed down with people!

I would suggest you go to a garage you trust and ask them what they've got to suit you, or whether they could find you something. Try these cars out. It might seem hard at first in a new car, but you do soon get used to it. What did you learn in? Could you go for one of those, or a larger model?

One piece of advice - when you are driving, take things very slowly. When you park, or come out of a parking space, take your time and look around carefuly for other cars reversing, or people walking past. Do not rush or get flustered because someone is waiting - we are used to having to wait. (I hit a pillar in a carpark a month after my test, in my boyfriend's new car, because someone was behind me & I got flustered.) Things will get easier with experience, and that takes time. Good luck!

Answer 4

My first car was a Renault Twingo, really small looking but very roomey inside, the newer model is a Modus. The are nippy little cars and come in manual, automatic and semi-automatic, which is interesting.

Mine was only 4 seats and 3 doors but i am sure there will be a five door five seat model.

Failing that a focus isn't too big, its a lovely car to drive, very economical on fuel and the TDI was rated really well by top gear so it can't be all bad !!

Answer 5

Buy a used car, not a SUV, a 4 doors. Fix it and learn to drive like a pro. After you reach 10.000 miles you can think of new car. That's what I'll do if I had 1000 £. - There is a show on Discovery - Car dealers :) It's exactly what you need.

Answer 6

What about a Ford Fiesta (a five door model) or a slightly larger Ford?

They are cheap to run and buy, reliable, not too expensive to insure, and if anything goes wrong they are very easy to get spare parts for. If you are working with a limited budget, you have take these factors into account. Vauxhalls are also good.

Answer 7

Dont buy a Punto, they are unreliable and dont have a good reputation. Ever heard of what FIAT stands for!?...Fix It Again Tomorrow! Buy a Corsa or a Micra.

Answer 8

my first car was a peugeot 306, they look small but are quite roomy inside and you can get them cheap because they have been made for years now, you could look at getting a n - r reg one because they would be in your price range, insurance isnt that costly either with those, look on the web and see what comes up, we have just bagged a bargain, we bought an astra just before christmas and its brilliant, we payed nealrly £2000 for that, so sometimes it pays to shop around, good luck

Answer 9

Vauxhall Astra diesel. Very reliable workhorse of a car, not expensive to buy and cheap to run.

Answer 10

well done for passing your test. my daughter as just passed hers and we got her a vauxhall corsa as we found they are one of the cheapest to insure. also easy and cheap to maintain. with you having a family you would probably be wise to get a 5 door. good luck and i hope you get what you want