Help! First car need help choosing!

No I didn't help, but then you had a rant at everyone else around you that tried... Stop being selfish and grow up!! As killerpenguin said, your lucky with that money, others would say over privileged.
I was trying to help...
Posted from TSR Mobile

You should be lucky to be given 15-20K on your first car like that. Not many people get given that much money to buy a car let alone have the freedom to choose one on that kind of budget. Why not buy a new ford fiesta or something similar with that? Then save the excess money for insurance or maybe university if you are so adament on focusing on your education so much

Silly idea to get an expensive, new, fast car for your first car.

For my first car, I got a Ford KA. It's cheap (£925, full maintenance history, etc), fuel economic (averages 45 MPG, better when on motorways), gets you from A to B, and has low insurance.

I got this when I was 17, a few days after passing my test. My insurance in my first year was £1,398. My insurance in my second year, when I was 18 was £750 (with 1 year NC), and I am expecting my third year's renewal to be around or below £500 (assuming 2y NC). Because the insurance company sees the Ford KA as a slow car, they don't think I am about to go speeding everywhere, getting into crashes, or what have you. This perfectly sets me up to get a better, more powerful car when I feel the need to do so, and retain low insurance.

Ford KA:

1.3 Litre, 70hp, 4-cylinder engine
0-60: 13 seconds
Top speed: 104 mph (struggles to accelerate past 75).

Really, this is the thing you should look at for a first car. Maybe not a Ford KA (I really don't give a **** what other people think about it - girls car, hairdressers, whatever. It gets be from A to B without breaking), but definitely not a Nissan GTR. I doubt there would be many insurers who would actually insure you or anything like that.

Just for reference, my parents tried to get me added to their insurance on either their Jaguar S-Type, or Ford Galaxy. I had to be 25, with at least 3 years no claims, before they'd even consider giving a quote.

Please can you tell me how my plan is stupid? Not trying to be rude, only because you didn't say what things made it stupid

Because it is, you're talking about some mythical point in the future, about using a licence you've yet to aquire, which you won't even be able to begin to get for 2 years, possibly longer, are you nitvaware that the government want to increase the age to 19?

A lot can happen in the 2 years between now and you're 17.

Deciding on what car you want now, is akin to deciding your wedding date before even having a girlfriend.

Its a pipe dream, what if the increase the age to 19? What if your parents finances change?

Seriously, if you want some thing to work towards, work towards saving a few grand off your own back to pay for lessons, your test, a cheap car and the no doubt expensive insurance.

Not only will it give you a sense of worth of money, because you don't seem to have any, but you'll get a lot more enjoyment out of an old banger you've funded, than a 20k car you've sponged off your parents.

I don't care what family finances are like, I'd never keep a shred of self respect if I bummbed 20k off my parents to blow on a car, do you really want to take 20k from your parents pension? Part of a house deposit or to help set up a business etc fair enough, but a car? Seriously?

Be a man and do it yourself.

Hi and thanks for clicking on this thread

Im not allowed yet to have my driving test (im 15)
BUT

Im properly in to motoring and since my parents started talking about buying a first car I couldn't really stop thinking about it!

they said that I have a budget of 15k - 20k (tbh I don't know how they are deciding to give my that money!)
I was thinking of a Nissan skyline gtr34 but realised the cost of insurance is probably going to end up costing more than the car!

Ill give you the specs that I have in mind!

- looks good when customized/customizable.
- I would like a fast car but not sure about the insurance with that
- Hot hatch, subcompact and Sport saloon type cars (I can make exceptions though!
- Good fuel economy
- electric, hybrid or petrol

Thanks a lot for helping!

As a modified car enthusiast I'll happily guide you. An R34 as said is a bit too much of a car for a 17 year old haha. BUT, don't be put off with all this "get a KA".

You've got an amazing budget which gives you so many options. I'd say put a 200hp cap on the car, so no skylines haha. I know people are going to moan at me for giving you these ideas.

If you are after something newish, how about a Toyota GT86? It's a well balanced car without too much power but has the safety features, build quality and looks.

If you are after something older, maybe a Nissan 200sx, Toyota Corolla or Celica T-Sport. These are the sort of cars I'd be getting at 18 when I get my no claims.

One really good option would be a Mk1 Mazda MX-5. I have heard many people say they are one of the best first cars you can get if you are an enthusiast. They are RWD but they are not powerful so when the back end kicks out you won't be straight in a ditch. They handle beautifully and I know seeing as I have one as my project car.
Seeing as you have 2 years and the longest summer you'll most likely have around the corner I say get one. Put the effort in to modify it how you want it, learn the basics of maintaining it and if possible take it to tracks to drive it! Best preparation you can have.

They can be picked up cheaply but get a nice one if you have the cash. I'd say get the 1.6 over the 1.8. 1.6 is known to be as quick as the 1.8 as the 1.8 is a bit sluggish. If possible get a Jap Import as they have the 115bhp engine over the 90bhp (I think it's 90) engine and a Limited slip differential. Hope I've been of some help.

A 17 year old should not be let loose in anything more than a 1.4.

Define looks good. My car looks like any old 4 food family hatch back. But under the bonnet is a 400+ hp monster. Despite the fact it has 60mm ground clearance you would never know unless you knew the car well.

Honestly your first car. Look at getting a 600 quid clio or something.

Oh and you will never get a r34 gtr for 20k. Plus they are not great cars to drive. My r32 gtr had 550hp and if you put a foot wrong it would try to kill you.

My advice? Save it.

You are statistically far more likely to have a crash in the first two years of driving - not necessarily because you're a bad driver, but maybe because you are not experienced enough to spot and avoid other bad drivers on the road. Give yourself 2 years driving a car that you wouldn't mind losing if it got written off by some idiot.

Buy something that's affordable, dependable, and reliable to get you through the first two years - after which I'd recommend steady increases in power (double the BHP each time should be more than enough) so if you've got a 80bhp car for the first two years, get one that's around 160bhp and learn how to handle that extra power. If you go flat out and buy a 500bhp Skyline you're going to wrap it up on the first bend you come to - they're rear wheel drive and very unforgiving if you happen to lose traction at any point - and it's easy to do in a car like that - not to mention the 15mpg average on fuel economy.

Remember that Britain's roads aren't made for fast cars. Limited to 70mph (which any modern 1 litre engined car can do with relative ease) and even less if you're not on a dual carriageway, your 0-60 time will be the only difference to your overall journey time, and that's likely to make you a few minutes later on a long journey.

Modified cars aren't the way forward, either. British laws are becoming more and more strict and the Police are clamping down on modified meets. As a member of the modified scene since 2009, I can tell you it's gone downhill fast and you'll be very lucky if you can enjoy any modified luxuries when you finally pass your test in 2 years time. Remember that every modification - whether it affects the car's drive-ability in any way - must be declared to your insurance and very few insurers will touch a car with power-enhancing mods - especially with you being so young.

To summarise: buy something cheap as your first car, and try to keep it for 2 years. In that time you will find a world of other cars and many will take your fancy. There is no one "best car in the world" for everyone - find what you like, drive all that you can afford, and pick the one(s) you like best.

~Matt

This. Precisely this. By all means enjoy looking at cars, reading about cars etc, but why bother choosing one now?

Because it is, you're talking about some mythical point in the future, about using a licence you've yet to aquire, which you won't even be able to begin to get for 2 years, possibly longer, are you nitvaware that the government want to increase the age to 19?

A lot can happen in the 2 years between now and you're 17.

Deciding on what car you want now, is akin to deciding your wedding date before even having a girlfriend.

Its a pipe dream, what if the increase the age to 19? What if your parents finances change?

Seriously, if you want some thing to work towards, work towards saving a few grand off your own back to pay for lessons, your test, a cheap car and the no doubt expensive insurance.

Not only will it give you a sense of worth of money, because you don't seem to have any, but you'll get a lot more enjoyment out of an old banger you've funded, than a 20k car you've sponged off your parents.

I don't care what family finances are like, I'd never keep a shred of self respect if I bummbed 20k off my parents to blow on a car, do you really want to take 20k from your parents pension? Part of a house deposit or to help set up a business etc fair enough, but a car? Seriously?

Be a man and do it yourself.

People are so boring on TSR.

OP if you like cars go wild.

Skylines are sexy ass mother ****ers so I would definitely recommend

I guess. I do look at and read about cars a lot tbh. I was only thinking about a first car because my mum brought it up for some reason

I do understand why you're doing it - but remember that in 2 or 3 years cars will be different to those now. I wouldn't recommend spending a lot of money on your first car as you'll probably ding it at some point, but if you are going to, then choose from what's available at the time. Bear in mind you can get a special, fun and interesting car for a reasonably small amount of money...

Ok, never knew the government want planning to raise the age by 19, hope they don't though

I was thinking to get a under 3k car due to the point someone kindly pointed out to me.

Why are you saying I sponged 20k of my parents? what makes you say that? I never sponged ANYTHING of my parents. PLease don't make things up to add to your 'argument'

and no I was not going to blow 20k of my car ofcourse not, I was planning to, spend some of it on driving lessons etc and saving it for later life.

I don't get the part written in bold, can you please elaborate? or was that something pointless just to be rude?

Please stop being so rude, all that is needed is constructive feedback, saying where im going wrong, not rudeness. Many other people are giving constructive feedback and being polite. I don't see what you get out of being rude to me in all your posts.

And your telling me to be a man when your being rude over the internet when you aren't going to be that rude when you talking to someone you don't know In real life

lol haven't sponged it, if you say so, your parents just happen to bring up buying a 20k car car for a 15 year old we're not as green as we are cabbage looking

I wasn't being rude in the slightest, don't get your frilly self entitled panties in a twist, people with a differing viewpoint aren't arguing.

enjoy the car bought with your parents 20k, enjoy the 5k insurance quote, and enjoy sobbing in the corner when you write it off and you end up with jack squat, because your parents wont ever fund another car.