new car (well, new to me)
- Thread starter andy
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Well, I would start by making a list of what you definitely want in a car, what isn't essential but would be nice, and what things are important to you.
EG: must be able to carry long loads, must seat 5 in comfort for long journeys, must have ABS bags etc, must have cheaper road tax, servicing nice to have cd changer etc.....
Get a paper shortlist of all the vehicles that fit your criteria.
I don't know your budget, but if main dealers have similar cars on their forecourts, go and look at them, then go out and drive them all. Even if you are to buy privately, it pays to have a good sniff at a dealer.
Don't forget to take your list and make notes of everything you like about it (and those things you don't like too).
Don't be afraid to crawl all over them and (for eg) put the seats down to see how easy/tricky it is etc...
Ask about cost of servicing and anything else that is important. If your budget includes newer cars, consider a diesel if (amongst other things) you want to reduce your road tax bill. My 2002 1.9 Tdi is only £115 pa, and it's not in the cheapest band.
There will be compromises, but at least this way, you'll be able to make the best choice for you.
Personally, I wouldn't go for a Vectra, unless the latest model.
The previous generation had reliability issues, especially the early (N/P) models.
If you want a bread & butter car which will be easy to service, the Mondeo (new or old) is well written up. Don't know about the old one, but the new one is cavernous!
The Rover 75 Tourer is also liked and will be cheap to buy, but don't forget a discount.
I would discount Peugeot/Citroen as they are unreliable too. The difference being if a French car goes t*ts-up, they can be a nightmare (physically and financially) to fix - I know from experience!!
Zafira has a great write-up from the likes of What Car?. 7 seats and you don't have to remove any to gain more space - they all fold away.
Finally, don't be a badge snob - try a Skoda Octavia estate - they're great!!
No, I haven't got one really.....
EG: must be able to carry long loads, must seat 5 in comfort for long journeys, must have ABS bags etc, must have cheaper road tax, servicing nice to have cd changer etc.....
Get a paper shortlist of all the vehicles that fit your criteria.
I don't know your budget, but if main dealers have similar cars on their forecourts, go and look at them, then go out and drive them all. Even if you are to buy privately, it pays to have a good sniff at a dealer.
Don't forget to take your list and make notes of everything you like about it (and those things you don't like too).
Don't be afraid to crawl all over them and (for eg) put the seats down to see how easy/tricky it is etc...
Ask about cost of servicing and anything else that is important. If your budget includes newer cars, consider a diesel if (amongst other things) you want to reduce your road tax bill. My 2002 1.9 Tdi is only £115 pa, and it's not in the cheapest band.
There will be compromises, but at least this way, you'll be able to make the best choice for you.
Personally, I wouldn't go for a Vectra, unless the latest model.
The previous generation had reliability issues, especially the early (N/P) models.
If you want a bread & butter car which will be easy to service, the Mondeo (new or old) is well written up. Don't know about the old one, but the new one is cavernous!
The Rover 75 Tourer is also liked and will be cheap to buy, but don't forget a discount.
I would discount Peugeot/Citroen as they are unreliable too. The difference being if a French car goes t*ts-up, they can be a nightmare (physically and financially) to fix - I know from experience!!
Zafira has a great write-up from the likes of What Car?. 7 seats and you don't have to remove any to gain more space - they all fold away.
Finally, don't be a badge snob - try a Skoda Octavia estate - they're great!!
No, I haven't got one really.....
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Even better - look up the JD Power Survey to tell you the most reliable models. Honda Jazz, Lexus and Skoda Octavia top the list..
IIRC, you're quite young, 19ish? Insurance at that age is not so much a case of money, more like selling your soul. I reckon that it should be quite high up on your list, after all the difference between £600 a year and £3K a year is equal to £200 a month... 
The internet is great for getting quotes on "Hmmmm, I quite like those" cars, saves a lot of bother on ringing insurers with 10 different models of car too. Also, check different insurers: what is cheapest for your friends might not be cheapest for you.
Now, at 19 the more sensible insurance brackets are populated with things that have quite diddy engines. A new Vectra doesn't come any smaller than a 1.8, and whilst not particularly fast, a big car (such as a Vectra) also seems to attract higher insurance premia. For instance, a new Astra Estate 1.4 is a group 5 car, a Vectra Estate 1.8 is a group 7. The only way to find out is to decide what you like (such as the Vectra estate) and get some quotes.
As Simon pointed out, servicing: the difference in cost is significant. My Astra costs £180 inc VAT for a major service (every 2 years), yet my friend's Renault Clio dCi costs nearly £300 for a major service.
Consider diesels, but remember you might not be old enough to grow a proper beard yet...
The internet is great for getting quotes on "Hmmmm, I quite like those" cars, saves a lot of bother on ringing insurers with 10 different models of car too. Also, check different insurers: what is cheapest for your friends might not be cheapest for you.
Now, at 19 the more sensible insurance brackets are populated with things that have quite diddy engines. A new Vectra doesn't come any smaller than a 1.8, and whilst not particularly fast, a big car (such as a Vectra) also seems to attract higher insurance premia. For instance, a new Astra Estate 1.4 is a group 5 car, a Vectra Estate 1.8 is a group 7. The only way to find out is to decide what you like (such as the Vectra estate) and get some quotes.
As Simon pointed out, servicing: the difference in cost is significant. My Astra costs £180 inc VAT for a major service (every 2 years), yet my friend's Renault Clio dCi costs nearly £300 for a major service.
Consider diesels, but remember you might not be old enough to grow a proper beard yet...
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Meeeee - effin' - ow!!!
Right that's it. The facial hair is gonna get it........
Right that's it. The facial hair is gonna get it........
Personally, if I had £8k to spend (and, er, a driving license 
) - I would be hot on the heels of this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=18174&item=4558593033&rd=1
Leaving £1800 to cover insurance!
French cars are only unreliable if they're poorly maintained, and only expensive to fix if you're daft enough to take them to a main dealer. We already know you have a knowledge of electronics, and as long as you can learn how to use one of these:
then changing suspension spheres is a simple job for a DIYer with half a morning spare to do at home.
So, you've got one Simon singing for Skoda, and the other singing for Citroen!
) - I would be hot on the heels of this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=18174&item=4558593033&rd=1
Leaving £1800 to cover insurance!
French cars are only unreliable if they're poorly maintained, and only expensive to fix if you're daft enough to take them to a main dealer. We already know you have a knowledge of electronics, and as long as you can learn how to use one of these:
then changing suspension spheres is a simple job for a DIYer with half a morning spare to do at home.
So, you've got one Simon singing for Skoda, and the other singing for Citroen!
AdamW said:IIRC, you're quite young, 19ish? Insurance at that age is not so much a case of money, more like selling your soul. I reckon that it should be quite high up on your list, after all the difference between £600 a year and £3K a year is equal to £200 a month...
The internet is great for getting quotes on "Hmmmm, I quite like those" cars, saves a lot of bother on ringing insurers with 10 different models of car too. Also, check different insurers: what is cheapest for your friends might not be cheapest for you.
Now, at 19 the more sensible insurance brackets are populated with things that have quite diddy engines. A new Vectra doesn't come any smaller than a 1.8, and whilst not particularly fast, a big car (such as a Vectra) also seems to attract higher insurance premia. For instance, a new Astra Estate 1.4 is a group 5 car, a Vectra Estate 1.8 is a group 7. The only way to find out is to decide what you like (such as the Vectra estate) and get some quotes.
As Simon pointed out, servicing: the difference in cost is significant. My Astra costs £180 inc VAT for a major service (every 2 years), yet my friend's Renault Clio dCi costs nearly £300 for a major service.
Consider diesels, but remember you might not be old enough to grow a proper beard yet...
im 18 (nearly 19). so insurance was 1 of the bigger factors, altho for next year there wasnt much difference in price between a 99 1L micra and a 53 2L vectra... altho next year ill prob be gettin traders insurance.
as for the insurance classes, how do you know what each car is?
andrew2022 said:AdamW said:IIRC, you're quite young, 19ish? Insurance at that age is not so much a case of money, more like selling your soul. I reckon that it should be quite high up on your list, after all the difference between £600 a year and £3K a year is equal to £200 a month...
The internet is great for getting quotes on "Hmmmm, I quite like those" cars, saves a lot of bother on ringing insurers with 10 different models of car too. Also, check different insurers: what is cheapest for your friends might not be cheapest for you.
Now, at 19 the more sensible insurance brackets are populated with things that have quite diddy engines. A new Vectra doesn't come any smaller than a 1.8, and whilst not particularly fast, a big car (such as a Vectra) also seems to attract higher insurance premia. For instance, a new Astra Estate 1.4 is a group 5 car, a Vectra Estate 1.8 is a group 7. The only way to find out is to decide what you like (such as the Vectra estate) and get some quotes.
As Simon pointed out, servicing: the difference in cost is significant. My Astra costs £180 inc VAT for a major service (every 2 years), yet my friend's Renault Clio dCi costs nearly £300 for a major service.
Consider diesels, but remember you might not be old enough to grow a proper beard yet...
im 18 (nearly 19). so insurance was 1 of the bigger factors, altho for next year there wasnt much difference in price between a 99 1L micra and a 53 2L vectra... altho next year ill prob be gettin traders insurance.
as for the insurance classes, how do you know what each car is?
Parkers guide. Gives all the information on any car. New/ 2nd hand price
and the insurance class.
Link..........
http://www.parkers.co.uk/