To buy DD a crap car?

[AtYourCervix]

She's 18 in April. (My baby is 18!!!!!!!!)

Anyway. She can't drive Hs car (too big and crap). She can't drive my car (too new and precious). Her plan is to buy one herself for her Gap Yah. But she is an absolute darling. She is good, hard working, nice, helpful and puts up with so much extra shite (D2 issues) without barely a whinge.

So I thought I might surprise her and get her a little crap car she can play with and practice. If it's crap it doesn't matter if she prangs it.

So.... should I?

I was going to get her theatre tickets but that's a bit rubbish rwally.

I could wrap a car up and put a bow on it.

Micra's are not crap :( I love mine , have had it for 6 years -it's 15 Years old and a dream to drive and park. Everyone laughs at it but it's cheap to run and has hardly ever gone wrong. (Proud Micra fan )

Let her drive your cars. The better the car the more she will be careful. I don't agree with this small car idea either. Start with a big car and she will feel confident to drive anything.
Mine learned to drive and took the test in and drives a new Defender 110. Takes very good care of it.

ALL my cars have been "crap cars" and many of them have been absolutely fantastic! One lasted for 8 years! Go for it OP, your Dd sounds lovely and will really get alot of joy and benefit out of having her own wheels.

tbf the small car thing is usually to do with insurance It was going to cost well over a grand to insure dd on our car it is a big car

I got me and my partner insured for 2400 on an civic type s with breakdown cover.

We are with diamond.

Got our car from a local car dealer. Cost us 2k.

Micras are decent cars and pass the safety tests at a high standard too - the latter is very important and something people often don't consider.

What's a 'gap yah'?

Regardless, a car sounds like a great gift for an 18 yo.

One of my friends has bought her 18 year old son an old Landrover which only has the one passenger seat in the front, it meant insurance was lower as he couldn't carry a load of passengers. It's also handy as a dogwalking car!

isit but I am guessing you and your partner aren't 18 years old though?

Sorry should have said
im 22 (was 21 when got Insured) dh is 24 and just passed his driving and im still learner

My first car - and I didn't pass my test till I was 42!- was a very grim Vauxhall nova. We bought it from a little old man for 100 pounds and I merrily drove it around for three months. When I took it for it's m o t, the mechanic went a bit pale and tactfully suggested I was, in fact, lucky to be alive! It was such a mess. But I loved it :( every one laughed at that one too!!

sounds like a lovely gift why not

so would a ticket to Australia be wonderful

Please make safety a priority, not crapness. A little prang could damage the car but a bigger one could damage your dd.

My sister had a polo for her birthday, and I had a ford focus, both were well researched to be safe and fairly cheap to run but reliable.

I don't agree. Better to get a safe and decent car for her to drive. I will never forget a story from a colleague years ago who did that

I feel i need to defend the old bangers my dds was safe it was checked over by a mechanic before we bought it in fact he found it for us the car was safe but cheap and a good little run around for her in the first fe w years of her driving

DS1 is learning to drive. We couldn't afford insurance on our cars so he's got a £300 Peurgot with 1.1 engine. Black box fitted, insurance is £1.8 for 1st year including when he passes.
Teaching him ourself stressful with proper lessons at £25 per hour.

One thing I would add - Micras are good little cars (I have one and do a lot of mileage) but my mechanic said that a known fault with Micras is the timing chain goes somewhere between 60k - 100k miles normally. And they are PRICEY. I got quotes to change mine ranging from £800 - £1200. So just be a bit careful when looking!

It's not the cost of the car that's the issue, but the cost of the insurance. How will she afford that?
I'd be quite happy to spend a few hundred on a car for my ds, but there's no way he could then fund the insurance.
The cheapest cars don't necessarily make the cheapest insurances either, so it would be worth getting the quotes before you buy the car.

If you have more than one car, it's really worth going for multi-car insurance, where you get discounts on all cars and it brings down the overall cost.

I currently drive a Ka (FIL old car), and it is my baby. I would recommend one for a new driver, they are brilliant little cars, small and nippy and extremely easy to park. Would go for power steering if you can though as it can be stiff to steer the ones without.

For the insurance look at having yourself and husband as named drivers too, as your experience will help lower the quotes. Have a look on money saving expert for other tips to reduce it.

try auctions... First car came from there and it lasted 180000miles

Definitely do it. I'm thinking along the same lines at the moment for DD and DS to share a car. DH has a massive company estate car, which they are not allowed to use and I cannot afford to insure them for my Subaru Impreza or my little Brabus sports car.

I'm looking at Diatsu (sp) Sirion, Ford Focus or Fiesta, Nissan Micra, etc.

wyld the timing belt needs changing on all cars between 60-100k miles. It is a part with a finite lifespan rather than a fault.

Get a car with a chain, not a belt. Sorted :)

wyldthe timing belt needs changing on all cars between 60-100k miles. It is a part with a finite lifespan rather than a fault

Micras have chains and chain failure is a known issue with them. If you don't know what you're talking about then perhaps it's best not to comment!