Which car should i buy? ,only passed my test this month.

[Beauregard]

Have been borrowing dp's car which is a Ford Focus Saloon and it is way too big for me to drive confidently so i need to buy my own.

Budget is £2500 max

I need 5 doors

Dp is drilling into me that i must wait and get a Diesel , "More economical blah de blah"

I will only be driving to and from work,school etc so no distance really.

I have been looking at Renault Clio's,Vauxhall Corsa's,Fiat Punto's.

I am 6ft 2 (should take this into account)

Children - 2 with potential for 3rd on a good day.

Must be able to park it

I know nothing about cars,nothing.

What should i buy,what was your first car and why,petrol or diesel?

Thanks in advance

Diesel, near impossible to stall

Yes they are good like that
I learnt in a Clio Diesel.

How about a Fiat Panda? They do a diesel and it's a nice tall car. Hang on a sec...

Hmm, they seem to start at c £4,500 on autotrader. Lots of Puntos though.

... the cheapest possible .. your bound to have a few bumps lol

ahh Mysonsmummy don't you are scaring me,lol

bump

depends on how much you can afford to pay for car insurance if you want it to be fairly cheap you need a small 1.1 engine
if not I would buy a diesel too

probably a ford or something common so the parts and servicing are cheaper and where you can take it to a local garage rather than main dealer

p.s there arent many small cars you can fit 3 car seats across the back of!!

Congratulations on passing your test

go to auto trader site then search within your budget, small mileage, nearest location, mot and tax, then just have a look at what takes your fancy

Have been looking on autotrader but there is fat chance of getting a Diesel 5 door,it seems that they are quite elusive.
I like the look of the Corsa's,Clios and Puntos and they are the sort of size i would feel comfortable with.
I suppose i need to go and sit in some to try for size.

i have a peugeot 206 sw (the estate version) and as such would recommend any pug. The sw has a great boot (fits my twins double buggy AND all the crap they need for a weekend away). It is however a 52 plate and as such worth about 6k.

Vauxhall Astra? parts cheap, very cheap insurance, lots of room.

I have driven a lot of cars, but only owned 3 - metro, astra and the pug - my hubby has a toyota starlet which does come in a 5 door version and will last you FOREVER (power steering even though its a small car).

Regards your height (I am only 5ft 2) i have heard fiats are very good, my 6ft 7in friend had a punto and had plenty of headroom.

Get yourself some test drives,or ask some friends if you can take their cars round the block to test them out - you will only know once you sat in one.

VW Golfs are reliable and nippy too.

Puntos much roomier than corsas and have more boot space.

Don't know if you can get 3 seats across the back.

Are you close to CarGiant in N London? I got a great value low mileage punto there.

Very cheap to run.

I've got a Punto (fairly new to driving too). I think it's fab, really easy to park, good visibility, boot is also quite a good size for a small car too.
However pretty sure you wouldn't get three car seats in back.
Dh is 6'6 fits in and drives quite comfortably, although he has to have the seat quite far back and obviously this encroaches on space in back seat.
The peddles are quite close togethor too and being a size 5 this isn't a problem for me, but dh moans about it, although I v' much doubt if you have size 13 feet like him .
I reckon your best bet is to test drive. good luck

Blu-No am in Worcestershire

Pippo-I am size 8,lol

I had a Ford Ka before the car I have now and it was fabulous.
Cheap to run, cheap tax and insurance, went for miles on petrol, park it on a sixpence and just a really gun girly car.
I sold my 52 reg for £2500 and it was immaculate with only 12k on the clock

(p.s. I wouldnt have a renualt if it was going free)

mosschops i do quite like the Ka's but do they only do 3 dr? as i need 5.

Why do you say that re the Renault?

Our "runabout" car is an old shape R reg 1.0 Vauxhall Corsa.

I've had it for 7 years - it's never broken down and still passes its MOT first time after doing more than 100k. The only money I've spent on it is routine maintenance (tyres etc).

Cheap to tax, insure and petrol lasts forever.

Also the boot is quite big for such a small car (bigger than my mums astra) and I fit 2 los in car seats and ds (age 9) in the back!!

Only drawback is no power steering!!!

We've got a Volvo Estate as well but I actually prefer the Corsa for doing school run, shops, etc cos its easier to park

we had a peugeot 306 diesel 5 door and got it from ebay for £2000!! excellent car IMO it worked great until DH crashed it into the rear end of his (parked) works van while checking the oil and water the DAY BEFORE our driving trip to go camping!!
we had to borrow a friends car to go as it was all paid for!!
xx ei xx

ha! me giving advice on this topic!
i have always driven dh leftovers! ie, once he has driven them a lmost to death, i get them!
first car i had, the insurance cost more than the resale price of the car.

If you have a mate who is a garage mechanic or a friend of a friend, get one to take you to the local car auctions. You will be able to look over the car from the outside and once its being driven to the auction block you can have a quick gander under the bonnet for engine problems.
Last car we bought cost us £1450 and we have had to insure it for £4500 book value.
Oh also take an up to date copy of Parkers car guide with you to check the expected forecourt price so you don't go all enthusiastic and overbid.