Offspring car choices

[Blox]

Our eldest turned 17 last month and as we live in a rural spot, conversations have naturally turned to driving tests and car choices.

Any thoughts and experiences out there for learner driver / new driver car choices ?

Hooefully something that I wouldn’t be too embarrassed being collected from the pub in !

 

[safrane]

Dont have kids, but do recall being one...I took the sensible route and got the car that was cheap to insure first and built up the NCB... Two years of dull motoring I then bought a house and was glad my 950 Pop plus Fiesta was so cheap to run.

Toyota Aygo, Fiesta, would be my choices even today (if I re-enacted Big)

 

[MrMickS]

Dont have kids, but do recall being one...I took the sensible route and got the car that was cheap to insure first and built up the NCB... Two years of dull motoring I then bought a house and was glad my 950 Pop plus Fiesta was so cheap to run.

Toyota Aygo, Fiesta, would be my choices even today (if I re-enacted Big)

My daughter is going this route. First car was a Punto, second is a Fiesta. Both cheap to run and repair.

 

[jonny]

We bought a 2018 Polo... totally perfect for a learner/new driver. Also got thumbs up in street cred ranking. Great cabin too.

 

[hashluck]

Skoda Fabia or Fiesta

My business partner's daughter now wants a 90s Audi as her next car post-Fiesta which is really gratifying to see the teens have taste. Same with my step-daughter. Fabia at the moment (cracking cars) but wants an E46 BMW next.

 

[Koz]

Our eldest turned 17 last month and as we live in a rural spot, conversations have naturally turned to driving tests and car choices.

Any thoughts and experiences out there for learner driver / new driver car choices ?

Hooefully something that I wouldn’t be too embarrassed being collected from the pub in !

I was in this situation last year with my darling daughter. I got her a Fiat 500 0.9 Twinair. Zero Tax fun/retro looks and styling. Has been a great car. Although she did opt for the Gucci version....kids.

 

[Ebenezer]

Both minor Ebs have Fiestas
Eb

 

[Simon1963]

We bought my daughter a cherished 54 plate Mini Cooper. I was surprised her 1st years insurance was £1000ish and down to £600 the second year. Granted she was 19 when she passed her test. 8 years ago we bought my son a Citroen C2 1.4 he was 17 and the insurance was a crippling £2200.

 

[midlifecrisis]

Don't have kids but they all seem to have a black box fitted so that they drive like miss Daisy. At the end of the year, they receive some money back if they've been good drivers. Might be worth a punt

 

[Blox]

I was in this situation last year with my darling daughter. I got her a Fiat 500 0.9 Twinair. Zero Tax fun/retro looks and styling. Has been a great car. Although she did opt for the Gucci version....kids.

I had an Abarth 595 a few years ago so the 500 is definitely on the list (as far as I’m concerned !).

 

[Koz]

I had an Abarth 595 a few years ago so the 500 is definitely on the list (as far as I’m concerned !).

I think the shape is timeless. The car has all gadgets the kids of today need. I have promised her my 993 targa when she graduates from Uni and starts her first job.

 

[DaveT]

My youngest loves his. It's the 500 Twinair.

 

[Soenvious]

Times have changed an awful lot since I bought my first car, the goal then was to get the best 'cool' car you could afford (Vauxhall Viva)....
Now it seems the best buy is the one with the most cost effective insurance, until you/they can build a 'no claims bonus' and/or grow older.
A few car based Web sites list the cheapest car to insure based on age and experience, this may be the way to go without breaking the bank.
Lots of caveats on Insurance though e.g. Post Code where it's normally parked, not necessarily home, maybe University/boyfriends/girlfriends, mileage, tracker fitted, blah! blah!

 

[CatmanV2]

Hah. When I was that age the goal was to not get evicted! But cars were 'whatever was available'.

Deathtraps, the lot of them. I recall a mini that my mate had, we had to get out every 30 minutes to let it cool down

C

 

[mjheathcote]

Times have changed an awful lot since I bought my first car, the goal then was to get the best 'cool' car you could afford (Vauxhall Viva)....
Now it seems the best buy is the one with the most cost effective insurance, until you/they can build a 'no claims bonus' and/or grow older.
A few car based Web sites list the cheapest car to insure based on age and experience, this may be the way to go without breaking the bank.
Lots of caveats on Insurance though e.g. Post Code where it's normally parked, not necessarily home, maybe University/boyfriends/girlfriends, mileage, tracker fitted, blah! blah!

Indeed, the first car I learnt to drive in and use was at the time, a 5 year old Opel Manta 1.9 SR Berlinetta in gold, with chrome bumpers and black vinyl roof. It was also the only car I wrote off, within 12 months...

 

[schell70]

Mk4 Golf 1.4 ? Easy to work on, super cheap to buy (Paid £300 for ours and spent another £200 to put in decent shape!)

Then you don't have to worry about it getting dinged and scratched or anything really.

It has a massive 75hp so insurance is cheap. Drives great, I use it quite often. Reasonably cool as its almost a classic VW (??)

Watch out for rusty subframes, now where have I heard that before

 

[Andyk]

Can't go wrong with a Mini One or Fiat 500 .....

 

[cheshiremaserati]

I bought my daughter a VW Polo. £1800 to insure and paid her premiums for 2 years. Last year she part-ex'd it at Arnold Clark for a 2018 VW Golf TSI after building up 4 yrs NCB.

 

[lifes2short]

been there done that with both my daughters at 17, fiat 500 1.2 sport for one and a bmw mini one for the other , both bought second hand at a fairly reasonable price and insurance was surprisingly cheap as well, both cars were cheap to run and reliable

 

[JJbing]

When I was 17, 7 years ago, I bought a 1995 Land Rover 300TDI defender for £6k, due to it not having rear windows it was classed as a panel van and NFU charged me £500 for my first year and £450 thereafter. Add as many drivers as you can.

Obviously, they might be a bit more expensive now and the running costs were eye watering for a 17 year old considering I fitted a new chassis (galvanised), however, it didn’t depreciate and I made £700 when I sold it after all said and done.