i got my daughter a micra 1.0 g reg totaly reliable and dirt cheap on the insurance. if she prangs it or it breaks it's dead easy to fix.
next year we will look at getting her a 206 or simillar and her insurance will have a bit of NCD so will be cheaper.
got the car off e-bay, dead cheap, like i say bargain.
make sure you have aa/rac cover then rack up a bit of NCD and experience before moving onto something smarter.
also if you are in a gti or sporty model you are more likly to clock a speeding or other offence. in her micra she is happy toddling about. she does watford to pompey regularly no probs but anything longer might be a challenge though.
hope this helps, mark