£7k ($11.5k) to spend on a car + insurance, in the UK need some help!

[Nightmage82]

hey guys, i've scraped together 7k which is all the money i have, and since im not likely to have a job for the next 6 months (due to uni) that's all im likely to have. but my current car is on its way to the car graveyard and i need something to replace it. i figured a bmw e30 cabriolet would be nice, i could pick a '92 model up for £5k and then spend £1k on insurance. but there's a nagging voice in the back of my mind telling me to stay clear of old cars...

i looked into a nissan 200, found a '99 model for £5.5k but insurance (even at the most basic third party, fire and theft level) costs £2k.

i am not picky but i want a manual car with rear wheel drive. im not interested in rice or mods, i just want something reliable, possibly sexy and not slow. does anyone have any specific advice on these two cars or possibly others that i've neglected to even consider?

thanks in advance

 

[Jugend]

Grr.. Insurances sometimes is a real turnoff to a great car. The Nissan 200 looks great and I believe the quality is more than ok. I wouldn't mind having one myself.

Is it possible for you to sign the car to your mom or some other older relative to get lower insurance? My bro did that with his Audi Coupe, he's 23 and saved 50% on the insurance.

 

[Nightmage82]

Originally posted by GTJugend
Grr.. Insurances sometimes is a real turnoff to a great car. The Nissan 200 looks great and I believe the quality is more than ok. I wouldn't mind having one myself.

Is it possible for you to sign the car to your mom or some other older relative to get lower insurance? My bro did that with his Audi Coupe, he's 23 and saved 50% on the insurance.

i've been doing that since i was 17. im 21 now and i've been accumulating my 'no claims bonus' since january. so come january i would be 22 with 1 years no claims. though it really doesn't make that much difference to the cost. its still either loads or 'just' a lot. i've tried all sorts of combinations and it looks like 1 years no claims at 22 is better than using that combination u suggested. but if i bought the car now i would be 21 with 0 years ncb. at fully comp the nissan insurance would be £3.5k!!! ugh. at third party, it would be £2k but i still feel apprehensive about paying the insurance companies for bugger all just cause im a young driver. i've been driving in london for 4 and a half years now, without a single scratch ANYWHERE on any car. no one has even hit me in a parking lot cause i park in the right places...

so yeah there are a few cars that i considered but had to reject instantly as a result of insurance. (why can't we file for age discrimination????)

 

[GilesGuthrie]

GTJugend: No, UK insurance companies are wise to this, and have a "primary driver" stipulation.

Nightmage82: "Rear-wheel drive and not slow". Anything that's "not-slow" automatically equates to "has a high insurance premium". I think you're right to look around the £5k mark, because then you will have money for your first-year bills and potentially some audio and security.

You're on the right track with the BMW, but I would steer clear of a soft-top. You're at risk from vandalism, and it will increase your insurance premiums because convertibles are more expensive to insure than tin-tops.

I would have said that a Nissan 200SX would be liable to incur some big bills, especially if the turbo is on its last puff. Plus there's not such an extensive network of independent specialists as there are for BMWs.

No, I think a 3-Series BMW would offer you the best blend of power and style in the RWD arena. It will also give you low-ish bills, but that will depend upon you spending time finding a decent one with reasonable miles, and befriending a specialist in your area.

You might also want to check out the Ford Granada. The Cosworth-engined V6 has gobs of power, and you'll be able to get a mint one for about £4k. Diffs go at 200k miles, but otherwise bills will be low as there are plenty of cheap non-OEM parts around and anyone can maintain the Granny. It's not that stylish, and it's a big car, but it's cheap to buy and run, and the correct pair of wheels are driven. There is a 4WD one around as well. Actually, the Cosworth is 4WD, but there's also a 2.9 V6 that's FR.

 

[chris100575]

Well, it sounds like you're a good driver, but there are a lot of 17 - 20ish year olds that drive like complete tossers. Unfortunately, they push the insurance costs through the roof for the rest of us.

Plus I don't think insurance companies review their grouping policy very often. I was considering buying my mate's XR3i until I found out it was a group 17! They're not even all that fast.

If all you're looking for is manual trans. and RWD you could consider a Suzuki Vitara. They're RWD when in 2WD mode. The 1.6 version is pretty nippy, and they can look quite cool if not ruthlessly accessorised. My wife has 2 years' no claims and is paying around £500 for hers fully comp. Hers is convertible, and it's a hoot to blat it around with the roof off in the summer.

Really depends on what you're after though.

 

[Nightmage82]

Originally posted by GilesGuthrie
Nightmage82: "Rear-wheel drive and not slow". Anything that's "not-slow" automatically equates to "has a high insurance premium". I think you're right to look around the £5k mark, because then you will have money for your first-year bills and potentially some audio and security.

hey by not slow i don't mean that it has to have a 0-60 time of under 6 seconds. but my current car (a vauxhall/opel astra) is very light and with a 1.3 it really flies all the way to 45mph or so. therefore i wouldn't want to get a car that was slower than that. but i'd be happy with a 2.0 bmw 3series, or a 2.5...

interesting u should say soft tops are more expensive, from what i've managed to discover, they were actually cheaper for me, i guess cause they aren't as popular with the 'tossers' that chris mentions. there's no crime around where i live so its ok. there's a porsche on our street and we've never heard of a car here being stolen. u see a broken window every 6 or 7 years but thats the worst it gets

granada? never thought about that tbh. and certainly not thought about a vitara, its more of a chick car tbh. but i'll take a look at that granada... thanks for the comments

 

[chris100575]

Hmm. Take your point about the Vitara. Maybe I should start wearing a dress whenever I drive it.

Speaking of the Granada, my mate picked up a Scorpio spec. one for £450. It's fairly old, but in excellent nick and has all the bells and whistles. It drives very nicely too, it's a 2.0 and picks up quite well despite being an auto.

 

[Nightmage82]

thinking of an mx-5 now to be honest. they have a terrible image but all the reviews i've read say its a very reliable car, has 50:50 weight distribution and is light therefore fast.

anyone had any experience with this car? recommendations/warnings?

 

[Famine]

Jebus... The insurance IS a pain isn't it? Make sure you shop around (the internet is great... ) In my experience, the cheapest three places are Tesco, Churchill and Admiral. ESure wouldn't even touch me and I'm 26! More Th<n and Direct Line are good too, as are Elephant. Avoid Budget, the AA, Norwich Union (although the people they under-write are cheaper) like the plague.

Always stipulate a limited mileage policy (if you can - mine is 6000 a year, which I've never ever broken), and do everything you can to drop the insurance premium - keep a high voluntary excess (amount you must pay for any incident) of £150-£200, fit Thatcham Cat 1 alarms/immobilisers, keep it in a locked garage rather than a driveway and don't live in Moss Side.

Any car over Insurance Group 15 is out for most insurers with drivers under 25. You can find specialist young/sports insurers, but they're pricey. Check Top Gear, or www.parkers.co.uk/ for Insurance Groups and ditch anything over 15.


Next up, why does it have to be FR? You're (probably) not going to be track-driving, so it won't make much difference. Most sporty FFs are quick enough for the public roads and handle well enough to get you out of any trouble - you shouldn't notice understeer unless you're driving like a lunatic. Most cars are similar from rest to 30mph anyway.

For reliability, Mazda is a good bet - they came top in What Car?'s reliability index (comparing manufacturers on used cars for the frequency of repair and average cost of repair), and 8th in Top Gear's customer satisfaction survey.


I just bought this:

It's a 1998 Mazda MX-3 V6 - light, fun, reliable and it cost me £3250 (mate's rates). You can find a decent 1996 model for about £4k, leaving you needing about £1k for insurance (mine cost me £530, but I have 5y NCD - which is a 70% discount at some places - store it in a locked garage, with a Thatcham Cat 1 alarm & immobiliser on it and have it limited to 6000 miles). It IS FF, but it's so much fun for so little money. And the boot is feckin' HUGE...

Anyway, hope I've helped some.

 

[retsmah]

I don't have much experience with the MX-5, I'd like to buy one but don't have the money. I did take one out for a test drive, it's a nice little car, and seems to have plenty of power.

 

[Nightmage82]

thanks for the advice famine, just a few points

Avoid Budget, the AA, Norwich Union (although the people they under-write are cheaper) like the plague.

yes the AA quoted me £12000, yes twelve thousand pounds for a nissan 200... although i am currently with norwich union. paying 700 for what i think is a group 12 car. i almost have one year's ncb. though they suck for almost any other car i suggest 2 them.

i live in london and don't have a garage, even though there is no crime in my area it doesn't impress the insurers, thats just something i have to live with.

parkers is great, bought one of their books when i went away for the summer. every home should have one! but now i just walk into whsmith, check the prices and then leave heh.

you shouldn't notice understeer unless you're driving like a lunatic

everyone keeps asking me that, "hey paul, why do you NEED fr, do u drive like a madman?" well i guess i do. i don't condone speeding and my car isn't that fast anyway, so i get my kicks out of taking corners as fast as i possibly can. i noticeably feel understeer virtually every single time i drive. this could be linked to the fact that my tyres are rather thin but even so, i've had enough with FF and want to have all the benefits of my rear wheels on power.

for those who don't believe me, take any ff car, turn sharply as though u were trying to tip the car over (dont worry it wont happen) then floor it, and watch ur car drift to the outside of the corner... understeer galore.

And the boot is feckin' HUGE...

i drive an estate atm, doubt u can match that! heh

 

[Famine]

No that's all true... I've got to admit that after driving Fiestas for 8 years - good though they are - I'd just about had enough of FF. The MX-3 has rekindled the flames a bit - it's too much fun for £3250. But I will be buying a MkIV Supra TT when I actually get a job again (well, a little while afterwards... ).

You drive a group 12 estate? What the hell is it? An Audi 80?

 

[Frustrated Palm]

Originally posted by Nightmage82

for those who don't believe me, take any ff car, turn sharply as though u were trying to tip the car over (dont worry it wont happen) then floor it, and watch ur car drift to the outside of the corner... understeer galore.

I did that once in the parking lot (it was empty at the time). I didnt have an LSD at the time, so the front wheels spun and pulled the car to the left (which was where I was turning), and made the tail end slide around(I was going about 20mph from a standing start), and I was suddenly pointing the other direction. Lots of fun . But If I did have an LSD I dont think that would have happened...

 

[Nightmage82]

Originally posted by Famine
You drive a group 12 estate? What the hell is it? An Audi 80?

lol i wish, come to think of it its a group 7. astra estate, its on my website. www.needforspeeding.com

i've been driving it for 4 years and i just want something else, and although i've said mx-5 every time i see it im just not convinced by the looks. im thinking of getting a 325i sport, for under £3k and risking it going to hell after 2 years (if it gets that far). just cause of the sheer fun factor of a tuned 2.5 litre engine mated to an m-tech suspension

 

[Olliey2k]

Ow, choices choices!

Definatly on the right track with an E30 bimmer, extremely reliable engines, easily safe to do 200'000 + miles. A 325i would be a real hoot to drive and you would gain maximum respect from me!

Would you plan on modifying the car at all? A nice, low, E30 BMW would be lovely.

I'm not really up with insurance but would an 325i be a little expensive on the old insurance? For £5'000 you would also be able to afford an E36 BMW wouldn't you?

Again, i'm not up with insurance, but i know a 21 year old that drives an MR2 T-BAR which is in your price range for the car, not sure about insurance though.

 

[Nightmage82]

Originally posted by Olliey2k
Ow, choices choices!

Definatly on the right track with an E30 bimmer, extremely reliable engines, easily safe to do 200'000 + miles. A 325i would be a real hoot to drive and you would gain maximum respect from me!

Would you plan on modifying the car at all? A nice, low, E30 BMW would be lovely.

I'm not really up with insurance but would an 325i be a little expensive on the old insurance? For £5'000 you would also be able to afford an E36 BMW wouldn't you?

Again, i'm not up with insurance, but i know a 21 year old that drives an MR2 T-BAR which is in your price range for the car, not sure about insurance though.

hey man since i posted that last message a whole lotta stuff has changed. i couldn't make my mind up on a nissan 200 or an impreza (which was similar money). then eventually i decided to wait. im getting a job in april and if everything goes according to plan i'll have saved up enough for an r32 or 33 skyling by may/june 2004. so i figured i may as well get some really special. and insurance wont be an issue cause i'll insure my dad on it as i think i've said in another post :S

but if i desperately needed a car now, i'd probably get a 325 now yeah. for like £1k and throw it away after 6 months when it falls apart