NationStates Jolt Archive

Advice on buying a good car..i was going to buy one of my dads old Rangerovers but apparantly i can not..so i was looking around and saw this !

http://www.dorsetpolice.org/news/photos/1092299437.jpg

the one in the picture is presently used by the dorset constabluary to hunt down yobs on bikes, but there is a civilian version, true it is probably cheap and crappy and will fall apart in a few months..but think of the novelty!..
Now obviously i would not buy this as my first car, but....i think i would get one for fun..anyway, what do you good people think i should get for my first car? :)

Depends if it's a serious question or not.

If it's serious and you are under 25 then whatever you get will cost more to insure than to buy, so something relatively small and economical to run will help towards lower running costs. Something like a Fiesta Diesel will be relatively cheap to run and insure.

If however it's more along the lines of fantasy time there can be no question about it. Merc SLK. It's the only one to get. :D

Depends if it's a serious question or not.

If it's serious and you are under 25 then whatever you get will cost more to insure than to buy, so something relatively small and economical to run will help towards lower running costs. Something like a Fiesta Diesel will be relatively cheap to run and insure.

If however it's more along the lines of fantasy time there can be no question about it. Merc SLK. It's the only one to get. :D

its a seriouse question...although i think a fiesta..i mean..its a chav car!...and anyway insurance isnt much of a big deal..after all, "you cant take ity with you"

its a seriouse question...although i think a fiesta..i mean..its a chav car!...and anyway insurance isnt much of a big deal..after all, "you cant take ity with you"

No, Chavs drive Novas
http://www.chavscum.co.uk/4images/data/media/20/nova1.jpg

Something made in the UK

Something still in production (not a Rover)

Something not too desirable to car thieves (Diesel)

Something simple to work on so you can either do it yourself or servicing costs are relatively low

are you sure on the nova?..all the chavs i see are in feistas...it even sounds chavic

"Fee-Est-ai"

think about insurance, efficiency, engine size, and what you need it for. if you're going to use it a lot and/or go on long trips you're going to want to spend a bit more...

i have a vauxhall corsa as both the car i learned in and my first owned car. its compact but large enough to fit friends in, at a squeeze. its 1.2 litre engine which, on a small car like this, is plenty - its actually quite nippy and even has half-decent acceleration on the motorway... though i do have the occasional problem accelerating up hills (it keeps its speed level but can't go faster sometimes when going above 75)

but it all comes down to your price range anyway, but the corsa comes heartily recommended :)

No, Chavs drive Novas
http://www.chavscum.co.uk/4images/data/media/20/nova1.jpg

Something made in the UK

Something still in production (not a Rover)

Something not too desirable to car thieves (Diesel)

Something simple to work on so you can either do it yourself or servicing costs are relatively low
Gonna have to be something Nissan-ish.

Made in the UK? Yes.
Still in production? Yes.
Not too desirable? IF it's a Micra, then yes.
Easy to work on? It's Japanese, so it won't break.

think about insurance, efficiency, engine size, and what you need it for. if you're going to use it a lot and/or go on long trips you're going to want to spend a bit more...

i have a vauxhall corsa as both the car i learned in and my first owned car. its compact but large enough to fit friends in, at a squeeze. its 1.2 litre engine which, on a small car like this, is plenty - its actually quite nippy and even has half-decent acceleration on the motorway... though i do have the occasional problem accelerating up hills (it keeps its speed level but can't go faster sometimes when going above 75)

but it all comes down to your price range anyway, but the corsa comes heartily recommended :)

thankue, i will bare that in mind :)

think about insurance, efficiency, engine size, and what you need it for. if you're going to use it a lot and/or go on long trips you're going to want to spend a bit more...

i have a vauxhall corsa as both the car i learned in and my first owned car. its compact but large enough to fit friends in, at a squeeze. its 1.2 litre engine which, on a small car like this, is plenty - its actually quite nippy and even has half-decent acceleration on the motorway... though i do have the occasional problem accelerating up hills (it keeps its speed level but can't go faster sometimes when going above 75)

but it all comes down to your price range anyway, but the corsa comes heartily recommended :)
And from me, that's what I'm driving now. A 1.2 16v Corsa SXi...80bhp and 81 lb/ft of Torque from a 1.2 engine in a light car. Top speed 109mph (actually, it's faster, I've been at 115 in mine.) Good enough acceleration, and enough space too.

Good wee car.

Well, the Corsa's just a new Nova :D

Are they "Blinged Up"?

And from me, that's what I'm driving now. A 1.2 Corsa...mine's the SXi version...80bhp and 81 lb/ft of Torque from a 1.2 engine in a light car. Top speed 109mph (actually, it's faster, I've been at 115 in mine.) Good enough acceleration, and enough space too.

Good wee car.
very good wee car :P
SXi version here. 5 door and black, fyi.

115? lol top speed i've taken mine to is just over 100... i'm something of a cautious driver; certainly compared to most people my age!

my friend took his uncle's jaguar up to 138mph on some country lanes which is just... silly :p
so glad i wasn't in the car at the time!


Well, the Corsa's just a new Nova :D

Are they "Blinged Up"?
hell no! although i did get a chrome skull with flashing red eyes to repace the gearstick knob :D
sadly i can't get the current one off to repace it :mad:

Well, the Corsa's just a new Nova :D

Are they "Blinged Up"?
Mine looks like this:
http://vauxhall.co.uk/assets/brands/cars/corsa/Corsapic1.gif

very good wee car :P
SXi version here. 5 door and black, fyi.

115? lol top speed i've taken mine to is just over 100... i'm something of a cautious driver; certainly compared to most people my age!

my friend took his uncle's jaguar up to 138mph on some country lanes which is just... silly :p
so glad i wasn't in the car at the time!
Aye, I drive nice and safe around town and stuff, but I like to go out in the middle of the night and find a twisty road and drive for the fun of driving...usually getting it sliding about a bit and generally testing it out...seeing how fast it will go round corners before it begins to lose it...every now and then if it understeers i snap it into lift off oversteer and the back gets out :D. Good fun.

Aye, I drive nice and safe around town and stuff, but I like to go out in the middle of the night and find a twisty road and drive for the fun of driving...usually getting it sliding about a bit and generally testing it out...seeing how fast it will go round corners before it begins to lose it...every now and then if it understeers i snap it into lift off oversteer and the back gets out :D. Good fun.
lol exactly what this friend with the jag does... except he's in a 1.0 micra :p

anyways none of that fun driving for me. 2 of my friends died in the last 3 years from driving accidents, and i've been in 2 car crashes myself - one of which was last year and the other when i was 11. the latter one was on the local news in east anglia cos it was a pretty bad one - my dad almost lost his leg... as a result i drive very timidly, though i'm not gonna stop others having fun :P

Get a Mustang. They're hot (:

If you're in the US (I can't tell, sorry) they have that Ford-GM Employees discount whateverIdon'treallypayattentiontothatcommercial.

Get a Mustang. They're hot (:

If you're in the US (I can't tell, sorry) they have that Ford-GM Employees discount whateverIdon'treallypayattentiontothatcommercial.

I am in Great Britain sorry.
but a Mustang would be nice. a bit out of my leuge though

Get a used car, because you will wreck it within 6 months.

Get a used car, because you will wreck it within 6 months.

i dont intend to wreck it...although i can see the logic in that

i dont intend to wreck it...although i can see the logic in that
Nobody intends to wreck. And you may be lucky, but I seriously don't know a single person who didn't wreck their first car.

Nobody intends to wreck. And you may be lucky, but I seriously don't know a single person who didn't wreck their first car.

hmm..my dad didnt wreck his bedford lorry...then again if he had done the R.S.M wouldnt have been too pleased...

You could get a nice Clio for about 2.5k and the new fiestas are nice if you can afford them.

Nobody intends to wreck. And you may be lucky, but I seriously don't know a single person who didn't wreck their first car.

I havent wrecked my car yet but it might be because i've got the insurance in my own name at £2,500 and if i do get into an accident I might as well give up driving as i'll never be able to afford higher insurance

You could get a nice Clio for about 2.5k and the new fiestas are nice if you can afford them.

...fiesta?..if you can afford them?... :p i wouldnt' own a fiesta if you payed me...but a clio?..hmm...i suppose that it would make a nice little town car...then again so would a smart car..and they are just embarassing

...fiesta?..if you can afford them?... :p i wouldnt' own a fiesta if you payed me...but a clio?..hmm...i suppose that it would make a nice little town car...then again so would a smart car..and they are just embarassing

:eek: Hey I have a ford fiesta finesse. The new model is great looking. How much are you intending to spend?

:eek: Hey I have a ford fiesta finesse. The new model is great looking. How much are you intending to spend?

up to 3.5k but ....within reason i want some left over. but a nice car

up to 3.5k but ....within reason i want some left over. but a nice car

Ok i can see why you wouldnt want the old fiesta then. Clios and Saxos are a good starter car but the saxo is faster if thats your thing. Personally I think the Clio has a nicer interior and the bodywork is pretty nice too

What's the budget? Ford Kas are ace, they start new at around £6k. It's been my first car for about a year now, the only damage is some scraped hubcaps. Stupid bricks.

They start new at around or slightly under £6k. But as you're getting a 1.3l engine on a really small frame, it's a darn sight more fun then the 1.0l Corsa I learned in. Insurance Group 2 I think, but I'm not sure of the really technical details. It was cheap though, and got through Ford themselves.

What's the budget? Ford Kas are ace, they start new at around £6k. It's been my first car for about a year now, the only damage is some scraped hubcaps. Stupid bricks.

They start new at around or slightly under £6k. But as you're getting a 1.3l engine on a really small frame, it's a darn sight more fun then the 1.0l Corsa I learned in. Insurance Group 2 I think, but I'm not sure of the really technical details. It was cheap though, and got through Ford themselves.

well i may be able to push the budget up to 5k if i am really lucky but 6k..i dont think i could talk my parents in to spending that much...maybe i should put some money in to it?

The key word here is first. Buy the largest older car you can possibly afford. Yes this means bad gas milage but thats what friends are for. At least you will increase the odds of survival in the inevitable crash or two by many many times. The more metal between you and the object of your direction the better. With an older car, so what if you get a few dents. Once you have a couple of years under your belt, then focus your efforts on better gas milage and looks. I am sure even the most conservation minded individuals would have to agree, it is much smarter to waste a bit of gas now and live to save later.

Liverbreath']The key word here is first. Buy the largest older car you can possibly afford. Yes this means bad gas milage but thats what friends are for. At least you will increase the odds of survival in the inevitable crash or two by many many times. The more metal between you and the object of your direction the better. With an older car, so what if you get a few dents. Once you have a couple of years under your belt, then focus your efforts on better gas milage and looks. I am sure even the most conservation minded individuals would have to agree, it is much smarter to waste a bit of gas now and live to save later.
If you live in the UK, you can't afford to forget about mileage. It's the single biggest running cost I would say.

Liverbreath']The key word here is first. Buy the largest older car you can possibly afford. Yes this means bad gas milage but thats what friends are for. At least you will increase the odds of survival in the inevitable crash or two by many many times. The more metal between you and the object of your direction the better. With an older car, so what if you get a few dents. Once you have a couple of years under your belt, then focus your efforts on better gas milage and looks. I am sure even the most conservation minded individuals would have to agree, it is much smarter to waste a bit of gas now and live to save later.

that is very clever..and cheap!..brilliant idea..this is why i wanted my dads old rangerover..but he is scraping it :(

Depends what you want. Peugeots are perhaps the most powerful of all the small cars, and they handle OK. Stylish too, if you like that sort of thing, though the basic design is starting to get a little old. But as with most French cars their electronics are known to be unreliable. Plus, I hear that the quality of the dash in most models isn't much to shout about.

I drove the last generation of Clios, and they are underpowered in my opinion. Whether that's changed with the latest generation, I don't know. Plus they're tiny inside. But as with most modern Renaults, these things are incredibly safe -- if you think that the Euro NCAP test is much of an indicator, anyway. Hmm.

Fiats are a bit camp, but the older ones in particular have punchy engines. I had a 1.2 Punto for my first car, which performed like a 1.4. They get some nasty body roll on tight bends though. Although their basic mechanics are fairly reliable (they're so simple they can't break most of the time), they too suffer from some electrical flaws -- my car had some problems with the temperature sensors. They're also notorious for having poor safety, both in terms of being stolen and being crashed. They are very roomy inside, though.

The new generation of Fiestas are some of the best handling small cars you can get at the moment. They're also the most spacious of all the small cars at the moment, but they have a significantly increased weight over the previous generation of Fiestas, meaning they aren't quite as powerful. But so long as you avoid a 1.3 you should be fine. A decent car, a phenomenal improvement on older Fiestas. Reliability should be OK, as Ford have cleaned up their record a little lately, but... they're still Fords.
They are among the safest of the small cars, though. The new generation of Fiestas uses the 'Intelligent Protection System' pioneered on the last Mondeo.

The previous generation of Fiestas, which isn't too old just yet, aren't as big inside or out as the new one, but as a result they have a little more power to work with. They handle at least as well, though, and have a better quality interior. But I suppose these are the ones which have the 'Chav' label tagged onto them. The new model isn't really as much of a 'Chav' magnet just yet though.

Volkswagen Polo is a solid choice. High quality, decent power and handling, decent reliability and economy. You might have to pay a little more up-front, but not much else in this range will hold its value as well. Some people say they're boring. I've driven one and it was pretty decent to drive though.

I personally wouldn't recommend the Corsa, unless you go for a high-end, sporty model. Even then you can generally get better offerings from elsewhere.

You could always go for the 'mini' mini line. Ford Kas, Peugeot 106/7, Fiat Pandas and the like. I wouldn't suggest them, though.

Nobody intends to wreck. And you may be lucky, but I seriously don't know a single person who didn't wreck their first car.

Rubbish. Stop trying to scare him. I don't know a single person who did wreck their first car. Serious car accidents, regardless of what the news may tell you, aren't all that common. Most of us can go through life without having a single serious accident.

I'm on my third car now, haven't even scratched any of them.

Liverbreath']
The key word here is first. Buy the largest older car you can possibly afford. Yes this means bad gas milage but thats what friends are for. At least you will increase the odds of survival in the inevitable crash or two by many many times. The more metal between you and the object of your direction the better. With an older car, so what if you get a few dents. Once you have a couple of years under your belt, then focus your efforts on better gas milage and looks. I am sure even the most conservation minded individuals would have to agree, it is much smarter to waste a bit of gas now and live to save later.

Actually one of the safest cars on the road at the moment is that tiny Smart Car. You should see some crash tests, it's pretty amazing. They can hit a concrete block at 70mph, and the basic frame remains intact, and there's no cabin intrusion. And if you pit a Smart Car against something larger, it's typically the larger car that'll come off worse.

If you live in the UK, you can't afford to forget about mileage. It's the single biggest running cost I would say.

I believe it. In the US it costs between 8,000 and 13,000 per year to run a car. Any idea what it averages over there?

Liverbreath']I believe it. In the US it costs between 8,000 and 13,000 per year to run a car. Any idea what it averages over there?

oh thats not really a problem..i am not what you would say...poor..or middle class..money isnt too much of an issue at this stage...anyway thankue for your comments people :D

I personally wouldn't recommend the Corsa, unless you go for a high-end, sporty model. Even then you can generally get better offerings from elsewhere.

In my experience Corsas are fairly nippy, roomy, safe, reliable, better equipped than other cars at a similar price, cheaper than cars of a similar spec, and they look good as well.

I wouldn't recommend any other car of a similar size.

In my experience Corsas are fairly nippy, roomy, safe, reliable, better equipped than other cars at a similar price, cheaper than cars of a similar spec, and they look good as well.

I wouldn't recommend any other car of a similar size.

Do corsas have a drivers airbag?

Do corsas have a drivers airbag?
Yup.

My first car was a 1984 Renault Alliance that I bought with my fast food paycheck. It wouldn't go over 50 mph going down hill at full throttle, I could pop the steering wheel off and hand it to the passenger, it took 1/2 an hour to get into 4th gear, but it was mine. I paid for it. I paid the insurance.

My advice: Don't get a Renault.

Do corsas have a drivers airbag?

Most new cars at least have driver airbags as an option, if not as standard, small cars included.

Does anyone know the name of that Chinese company that puts out tiny, basic cars for about £5k? I've been trying to think of what they're called for ages now. Well, whatever they're called, don't buy one.

Seriously, don't buy one.

Ever.

My first car was a 1984 Renault Alliance that I bought with my fast food paycheck. It wouldn't go over 50 mph going down hill at full throttle, I could pop the steering wheel off and hand it to the passenger, it took 1/2 an hour to get into 4th gear, but it was mine. I paid for it. I paid the insurance.

My advice: Don't get a Renault.
Not even one of these?
http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/08/cliov604_05.jpg
Rear engined, rear wheel drive, V6 engine.

My first car was a 1984 Renault Alliance that I bought with my fast food paycheck. It wouldn't go over 50 mph going down hill at full throttle, I could pop the steering wheel off and hand it to the passenger, it took 1/2 an hour to get into 4th gear, but it was mine. I paid for it. I paid the insurance.

My advice: Don't get a Renault.

Sounds like my dads old renault. He went over a speed ramp once and lost his bumper and two of his hubcaps

Most new cars at least have driver airbags as an option, if not as standard, small cars included.

Does anyone know the name of that Chinese company that puts out tiny, basic cars for about £5k? I've been trying to think of what they're called for ages now. Well, whatever they're called, don't buy one.

Seriously, don't buy one.

Ever.

Was there not a malaysian company doing that?

Was there not a malaysian company doing that?

There's probably a bunch of them doing it that we've never heard of. There's probably a reason we've never heard of them, too...

I remember a Chinese company doing it in particular, though. I think their name begins with 's'?

Not even one of these?
http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/08/cliov604_05.jpg
Rear engined, rear wheel drive, V6 engine.
lol it looks like a total joke :p :p

i just started driving so my first car is a 1929 ford model A tudor sedan, i had to do some work on it but its a blast to drive, all of my friend laughed at me cuz most girls dont work on cars but o well, i get about 30 miles to the gallon,thats a good thing considering the car has a 10 gallon tank

lol it looks like a total joke :p :p
Who cares what it looks like, it goes like stink!

What's your price range?

I recently bought a second hand Nissan Sunny/Pulsar/Sentra, 1996, 53,000kms for $NZ4,200 or 1,700 pounds at a car auction.

If Japanese imports are as prevalent in Britain as NZ, I'd recommend a Toyota or a Nissan. Steer clear of Mitsubishi, they have a pretty terrible customer support record.

Who cares what it looks like, it goes like stink!
damn straight ;)

The best advice I can give you is to not ask for car advice on a gaming site....

All I have to say is, you will remember your first car FOREVER!!! Get something fun, and damn the costs! Your young, work hard for the money and buy something you'll be proud of! Gas mileage? PPPHHHHTTTTTTTTT
Trust me, I had a Monte Carlo with a v-8, and it was some of the best times of my life! Get an economy concious car when your older, and it doesnt matter so much!

Get a used car, because you will wreck it within 6 months.

I've been driving for like 2-3 years, only one wreck, which was the other guy's fault so they paid out their ass for it. My buddy's been driving 4 years, hasn't wrecked yet, his fault or otherwise. Maybe you and your friends just suck. (kidding, kind of)