What Makes A Good First Car?

[LordOfLoners]

Hello, I recently just passed my driving test first time and I am looking for a reliable car that would be able to handle basic everyday travel. I don't need anything fancy, simply cheap and cheerful and above all reliable. I don't want to spend more than a grand on the car itself I know little to nothing about cars all I know is to avoid the french cars if you value your time and money. I wanted an opinion from someone on here who may know a bit about cars and what I am after. Thanks.

[1ozzy]

Depends where you live and how much driving you intend to.
Small car,city driving occasionally, or a larger car clocking up kilometres in the countryside?

[theshedman]

For reliable Japanese are best but more expensive to repair and for cheap and cheerful and cheap to repair then Ford is good.

[johnk]

If you go for a Ford get a Zetec engine.

[emmie]

not sure what you can get for a Grand...

[vulcan42]

This link might give you a few ideas.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/cars/cheap/under-1000

[bhg481]

There's a lot to be said for getting the same sort of car that you've been learning in, if you can afford it. Being on your own is a new experience and YOU have to look out for all hazards; being in a car that you are very familiar with helps when new situations crop up.

[Buenchico]

>>> not sure what you can get for a Grand...

A great deal, Emmie! I've only once paid more than that for a car. My typical budget is around the £500 mark, although I paid a whopping £750 for my current car.

I'd suggest that LordOfLoners needs to be looking for a car that's cheap to insure (in a single figure insurance group) and where spare parts are readily available cheaply too. That's likely to mean going for a Ford Escort, Focus or Ka, definitely excluding anything in any write-off category and probably excluding diesel models too. So I'd be using this as my starting point, although still with a lot more refining of various options (such as locality and length of MOT) yet to be done: https://tinyurl.com/ydcj6wan

[mjwman]

I too am eyeing up the market for when my lease car goes back in April. My new Skoda Superb will probably not be delivered until July!
I am setting a max of £1000 and something that is easily resellable.

I am looking on Facebook Marketplace, Autotrader, AA RAC and Motors and there is a definite pattern.
There are a lot of chancers out there saying their car wants for nothing then say but... and go on to say it needs work.
Anything under £800 seems very suspect but £800to 999 throws some interesting things up.
I am limiting mileage to 90000 so putting lower mileages into the search brings up some good leads.
There are a few around the 50-70k mark, the sort that I would look at in March. Don't discount dealers as they often sell part exchanges if they are good. There is more comeback too than with a private sale.
So what is out there? Suprisingly Astras and Corsas and various Peugeots abound. Suprisingly as they were not that well regarded when new but if they have lasted 20 years or so.....
I would avoid a Ka as they are notorious rusters. Hondas are well built and can take high mileages so look at a Jazz or Civic maybe.
Golf and Polo too are worth looking at.
As I will only need it for a short while I am not discounting Picantos, Amigas ,Agilas, Wagon Rs either as these are often found in great nick with low mileages.
The most important thing is not to blindly buy a wreck masquerading as a snip!
When searching, have your phone ready to search DVLA MOT History as this is invaluable. If you see something, check its history from the reg. A pass last year with lots of advisories? avoid as these are potential fails next time.
A good history with occasional fails on minor items quickly sorted speaks volumes to me.
Good luck!

[Zacs-Master]

You need to look for something with a 1E insurance group.

[barry1010]

My cheap Hyundai has been very reliable and I'd happily buy another. Sailed through every MOT and only tyres, brakes and wipers have been replaced.

[ladybirder]

Honda Jazz. They go on forever.

[maggiebee]

Fiat - had many over the years and they are very reliable. Bargains to be had if you look around.

[davebro]

Vauxhall Corsa seems cheap & cheerful.

[gingejbee]

FIAT...reliable???
There is a good reason why you see very few FIATs in the UK...always at the bottom of reliability surveys.

[gulliver1]

Maggibee and Gingejbee.....sound like they are married .....to each other.

[Hopkirk]

I think Fiat 500s have broken the old Fix It Again Tomorrow worry with Fiats.

Probably because they are not built in Italy.

[barry1010]

I see a lot of Fiat 500s and those ugly Doblos on the road. Fiat has been owned by Chrysler since 2014 and have upped their game.

[Hopkirk]

The Fiat Chrysler merged group has now been swallowed by Peugeot Citroen, shortly after they bought Vauxhall Opel.

The whole group is now called Stellantis.

[ToraToraTora]

forget the actual car, insurance is going to be your problem. Looks up the cheapest groups and get one of the cars in that.

[Hopkirk]

TTT is right.

Consider the Peugeot 108 / Citroen C1 / Toyota Aygo. They are effectively the same car, coming off the same production line in Czechia. (Although they are no longer made)

My daughter has one, and with the 1 litre version you get a Toyota engine (reliable).

The clutch takes a bit of getting used to, but it's a good cheap little car.