What was your first car?

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TheLoneEcho@reddit

Mine was an N-reg Citroën AX in about 2001. It had a brilliant wine bottle holder as a door pocket!

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One-HexaJoke@reddit

Goodness. My first car was a ‘97 VW Passat estate - petrol. I have never had a small car in my life. Cheap buy. Mind you, this was 12 years ago haha

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LemonMainwaring@reddit

Blue Corsa B for £300! Loved that thing!! My then girlfriends step dad was a mechanic and may have “helped” it through some MOTs it shouldn’t have passed until it rotted to death

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MaxMouseOCX@reddit

Whatever you buy, look at it and admit the following "the chances of me writing this car off are very high" - now, how it's written off is completely irrelevant, the chance of it happening is high.

Keep that in mind when you're buying... Plus having a shit box as your first car builds character.

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UnusualOstrich8568@reddit (OP)

Thanks. I’m leaning towards a Toyota Yaris for now

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MaxMouseOCX@reddit

Doesn't matter what it is really... Get it small, cheap, make sure you're not being conned (easier said than done, trust me!).

Discover exactly how brain dead the general public is, loose faith in humanity over it, get good at working around the idiocy around you.

THEN buy a nice car... Being a good means nothing if all it means is "I can work a car good" - being a good driver means "I know this guy behind me is going to be a fucking idiot" and removing yourself from that situation before it can happen.

That can't really be taught you need toe experience it, and you'd rather do that in a shit box.

Other than that, have fun!

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UnusualOstrich8568@reddit (OP)

Thanks, but I would appreciate if you could help me with some options?

I was looking at Toyota Yaris, and Honda Jazz

My mum was under the impression I’d be buying a brand new car but that’s just out of my budget, and dad isn’t too bothered about me getting conned 😭

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MaxMouseOCX@reddit

Sure... Yaris and Jazz is fine, so is any small car - we could get into the weeds and point out all of the downfall of each car, because every single one ever created has them.

It's a first car, don't over think it... Speak to friends and people you work with, one of them knows a mechanic that's pretty good, give him a bit of cash for his time and take him with you to view a few cars.

My opinion: get a small, second hand car (5 doors if possible - it's just less of a ballache), take someone to look at it who knows what they're talking about and actually works on cars, before you buy it find out how much the insurance is (it's... A lot).

Don't spend over £2k on your first car.

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UnusualOstrich8568@reddit (OP)

Thank you so much really appreciate it!

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luffy8519@reddit

An 02 Astra, 1.6l 8v petrol. Bought it off my mum for £500. She'd bought it when it was 6 months old, I ran it until it was 16 years old.

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FreshMontrealer12@reddit

If this is your first car have you just learnt to drive? I personally don’t recommend getting a fancy car for your first. You will scrape curbs and hit bollards and tbh, if you do have an accident, it’s nicer to have it in something that has low value i feel. Makes it feel better than trashing a brand new car. I had a MK4 Polo for my first car. Once I learnt to drive properly (cause when you past your test you’ve still not learnt fully, trust me) a year later - I got a newer MK5 that I loved and kept for a long time

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UnusualOstrich8568@reddit (OP)

I actually passed quite a few years ago! I’m just wanting to buy my own car now 🙂

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FreshMontrealer12@reddit

Ah okay, congrats! If you’ve been driving someone else’s car a little different then but would still go with something a little less fancy to get used to basics 🙂

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UnusualOstrich8568@reddit (OP)

Thanks. I’m looking at Toyota Yaris for now and save up for something better later on.

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voluotuousaardvark@reddit

Politely, you shouldn't buy a car presuming you'll hit stuff lol

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PleasantGanache@reddit

Yeah, I dont understand this suggestion of don't buy a nice car because you will damage it. Took me a decade to curb my first alloy, and Ive never damaged any body work.

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MaxMouseOCX@reddit

I'm happy for you, but your personal ability doesn't change statistics and data.

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FreshMontrealer12@reddit

Of course not everyone will have an accident but there’s a reason insurance is expensive for young drivers

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bluejeansseltzer@reddit

I was told not to buy an expensive car because I’ll end up hitting something. I didn’t listen to those people and spent £8k on a fairly newish Dacia Sandero. And you know what happened within two months? Some other cunt hit my parked car in my flat’s communal car park. Absolutely devastated. I accepted I’ll probably scrape my car, but I hadn’t considered some other tosspot hitting my car. It’s not just your own driving ability you have to consider in regards to how much you’re comfortable spending.

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Victorius_Meldrus@reddit

Morris Minor.

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trevhcs@reddit

One word - insurance. That will determine what you buy unless you're seriously rich. Still under the magic 25 so might end up with a black box, mileage restrictions etc depending on provider. Also you haven't got a no claims bonus so that adds a huge amount on.

Avoid MG as they are the biggest piece of crap going. All those chinese things are better quality, but think you'll find a small petrol engine car will be a lot more affordable. Modern 1.0L turbo charged engines are surprisingly economical and not slow.

My first car - Peugeot 205 13 year old. Cost me £900 insurance in 1996 (cost £800 to buy).

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sihasihasi@reddit

Morris Marina estate which was given to me. I sold it at auction a few years later for £60.

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ashyjay@reddit

Buy a cheap shitbox unless you have the funds to repair it, being a new driver with an EV is a recipe for expensive insurance as they get written off for minor things which leads to higher prices, and being new it's expensive anyway.

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wongl888@reddit

Never mind young driver, the insurance on my EV is insanely expensive compared to the insurance on my Mercedes SLK.

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techbear72@reddit

Austin Metro 1.3, which had done tens of thousands of miles and had 4 previous owners.

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FilmFanatic1066@reddit

I had an S reg Ford fiesta

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veryblocky@reddit

My first car was a yellow Peugeot 107

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FridgeRaider93@reddit

Corsa C Club. 1.2 petrol.

16 valve of course...

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SomeWankyUsername@reddit

First car I owned, 91 VW Polo Fox, £100. As a strapping young apprentice mechanic full of vigour and big ideas, I rectified a LOT of problems, fixed the paint and brought the car to a roadworthy state with the intention of driving it myself. Then I failed the bloody theory test and lost momentum (failed exclusively on the hazard perception part, which was very new and very wonky at the time). Far as I remember, the car sat around for a bit then I sold it on to a local woman.

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voluotuousaardvark@reddit

Seat ibiza 750 quid.

My mum paid the last 200 quid. It was an excellent first car.

I preferred it to the juke we bought for my wife as a run around for 3500. Fucking hated that thing, it somehow was so much bigger than the ibiza but so much smaller on the inside.

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stm2657@reddit

Pre-owned Datsun Cherry 1.2 GL Sports Coupe. Got petrol one day and when I drove off the subframe dropped to the ground. Rust! (Early 1990’s)

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mdmnl@reddit

W-Reg Ford Focus in State Blue.

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Brave_Assumption6@reddit

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FelisCantabrigiensis@reddit

Toyota Corolla.

But if you're 24 and this is your first car, how long have you had your license for?

You want to check the insurance cost, especially on a Chinese electric car, for a newer or younger driver.

The "Chinese" point is because some Chinese electric cars have extremely high insurance rates because they are difficult to get a repair for - parts availability and workshops that understand them are rare.

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SpunkSacks@reddit

Ford Cortina 1.6L. Mk V

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StarX2401@reddit

£650 mini cooper 1.6 in manual

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FoxMcCloudOwnsSlippy@reddit

My Mum, bless her got me a blue Nissan Micra.

Pushed it beyond it's limits down the motorway, haha

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Razor_Clam@reddit

Ford Escort Eclipse. £800. Sound system? £2k+

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soundman32@reddit

Cheaper? Because your parents pay the lecky bill 🤣🤣🤣

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musicallymotivated93@reddit

A P reg K11 Micra with 1 litre and 16 valves of pure Japanese, erm... Fury?

In all seriousness that thing was almost bulletproof except for the usual rot. Cheap to buy, cheap to run, and cheap to insure, the 3 main first car criteria. Poverty spec too, just about the only electrical items in it were the radio, the heater, and the heated rear window. No power steering, air con, electric windows, or anything.

The only thing I did find myself wanting was ABS. It predated compulsory ABS by 8 years.

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Mdl8922@reddit

First ever was a fiesta when I was 10 for banger racing.

First car (off road use only!) was a Nissan Sunny when I was 14 for smashing around fields & such.

First car legally & on the road was a Vauxhall Nova in 2008, cost my dad £25!

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UnusualOstrich8568@reddit (OP)

I’ve heard good things about Skoda!

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Top-Cat-a@reddit

Maybe you can have someone 3d print a replacement rear light section

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Temporary-Zebra97@reddit

Mk1 Golf for £300.