# Any car recommendations for a teenager?



## shonajoy (Jan 27, 2009)

My daughter has been accepted on her dream college course, 40 miles from home. She's desperate to stay at home, so we are considering next step is a car for her. Was thoroughly impressed with her attitude, quite shocked we'd get her a car for nothing, and is insisting on paying us back, but since she has a college fund from her sadly deceased aunt,we are fortunate in that money is not TOO much of an issue.

My priority is safety, reliability, mpg etc. I had a Citroen c1 for town driving which I loved but felt the build quality was a bit flimsy and also not much of a rear crumple zone. She's a responsible kid, I'm the worrier. Her gran is selling a Mercedes a class, but she feels that's too flashy.

Our budget is up to £6000 not including insurance obviously because for an 18 year old it's gonna hurt big style but hey. Any recommendations with safety as the main concern?


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

Volvo or Saab if Safety is a concern or ...... VW UP/Skoda City/Seat Mii, you won't get one in you budget but could could lease one for around £115 per month ? 

If not renault CLio 1.2 TCE should be all that you need


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## tom_sri (Sep 20, 2009)

How about a Polo Bluemotion?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2008-VW-P...2697752?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item19d0871b98

id stay away from the C1 etc and go for the VW/Seat/Skoda might be worth looking at insurance quotes before selecting cars?!


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## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

What about a Fiesta (shape before current), Punto (new style), Corsa D (new shape), or as someone else has said the Polo?


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

The VW Polo seems to offer a balance of quality, safety and according to other young people reasonably insurance friendly. 

An 80 mile round trip a day is going to be time consuming and expensive. 

That is also going to have an impact on insurance when covering so many miles in a year.


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## Jammy J (May 5, 2012)

How about a Mini? There stylish, well built, holds value well...

If safety is your main concern then you should check out sites like this one here.

http://http://www.euroncap.com/bestinclasscars2011.aspx


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## Kimv (May 3, 2012)

Peugeot 206? As French as the Citroën but the build quality is better.


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## Krash (May 9, 2012)

Seats a good shout, you'll be getting more spec then a similarly priced polo even though there built on the same platform, corsa's are ok but feel very tall and hard to tell where the front bumper is which I hated when parking, there are well equipped tho but avoid the 1.4 petrol lacks decent grunt and not as good on fuel as you would expect, 

Sent from my HTC Incredible S using Tapatalk 2


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## kev999 (Feb 16, 2007)

Got my 18 year old son a 09 plate 1.2 polo with 30k miles ,1 owner ,fsh etc,for £5000 and then the insurance which is £2020 per year which is in his own name,that was cheap i may add,but i can definately recommend the vws,good luck with the search...


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## m1pui (Jul 24, 2009)

Toyota Yaris 1.0.

Roomy inside, compact outside, plenty of glass so good visibility and a doddle to manoeuvre. Not a bad drive and look pretty funky still too.

Great fuel economy too. Other half was getting 45mpg from hers and that was a mix of short journeys and a longish commute.

Go above the base model they're nice inside, but even the base model isn't terrible.


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

look at a slightly larger car eg focus silly things insurance companies young lad i used to work with went from a 1.2 Clio to a 1.8 iirc derv mondeo and his insurance HALVED!


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## herbiedacious (Sep 27, 2010)

6k would buy you a nearly new Hyundai or Kia,which would give you the peace of mind of several years of warranty.

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## shonajoy (Jan 27, 2009)

kev999 said:


> Got my 18 year old son a 09 plate 1.2 polo with 30k miles ,1 owner ,fsh etc,for £5000 and then the insurance which is £2020 per year which is in his own name,that was cheap i may add,but i can definately recommend the vws,good luck with the search...


That's excellent insurance price! Thanks


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## shonajoy (Jan 27, 2009)

andy monty said:


> look at a slightly larger car eg focus silly things insurance companies young lad i used to work with went from a 1.2 Clio to a 1.8 iirc derv mondeo and his insurance HALVED!


Omg see this is why I asked here, brilliant Thankyou!


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

Mustang? Chicks dig a V8!


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

shonajoy said:


> Omg see this is why I asked here, brilliant Thankyou!


have a play on the many comparison sites and see what happens

when you come to her car though.. DONT use the comparison sites use the info you got from random cars on autotrader eg you find a 1.4tdci style Focus cheap to insure

use the Reg of the car you want to get her and go direct to the insurance company you will find that all the comparison sites Load the policy at the start for their commission this is why say you do the simples one and get a quote off say Moreth>n you then go and try the supermarket one they refuse to quote as the commission is already allocated to Simples.... likewise if you ring them having been on Simples that commission is already logged... and subsequently the best price they will do you however direct there first and 9 times out of 10 they are cheaper....


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## Demetrios72 (Jun 27, 2011)

Peugeot 307 "Just add fuel"

Not sure how old you have to be to qualify for this promo


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## Alzak (Aug 31, 2010)

Get ibiza, seat is usually much cheaper on insurance than volkswagen and basically is the same car


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## McClane (Dec 9, 2010)

Toyota Aygo?

My mate does 80 miles a day to work and back in one - the three cylinder. 50+mgp and nice and reliable. Same platform as the C1 and Pug, but maybe a bit better?


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## Strothow (Oct 29, 2009)

Pay 2.2k on a 56 reg 1.2 corsa...Suits my needs


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## shonajoy (Jan 27, 2009)

andy monty said:


> have a play on the many comparison sites and see what happens
> 
> when you come to her car though.. DONT use the comparison sites use the info you got from random cars on autotrader eg you find a 1.4tdci style Focus cheap to insure
> 
> use the Reg of the car you want to get her and go direct to the insurance company you will find that all the comparison sites Load the policy at the start for their commission this is why say you do the simples one and get a quote off say Moreth>n you then go and try the supermarket one they refuse to quote as the commission is already allocated to Simples.... likewise if you ring them having been on Simples that commission is already logged... and subsequently the best price they will do you however direct there first and 9 times out of 10 they are cheaper....


Fabulous info, thanks!


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## sirkuk (Mar 5, 2012)

Small engine derv doing that kind of mileage I'd say.

I had a 1.4 TDCi Fiesta and saw 60mpg and £30 a year tax but I couldn't recommend the Fiesta. I found it unreliable. Maybe the likes of Skoda would be worth a look though or a Toyota Yaris 1.4 diesel?

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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

My mum has a Twingo with the 1.2tce engine. Good on fuel, cheap on tax and insurance but 100bhp so is nice and nippy. 

Might be worth a look and they are surprisingly practical with their split rear seats which maximise room in the boot or back as needed. Quite good on safety too


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## m1pui (Jul 24, 2009)

Should've also added to my post that the 1.0 Yaris engine is the same as the one in the C1/Aygo/107/IQ


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## Krash (May 9, 2012)

Just noticed the 6k that's what I payed in November for my 2008 ibiza sportrider 25k on clock climate control, cruise control, heated mirrors, sports seats, front fogs, adjustable intermitten wipe, rear speakers, fr wheels and bumpers, 100brake 1.4 same spec polo was 2k more and doesn't have as much going for it in the looks department 
but they also do a freerider same spec inside different wheels and bumpers with a 70brake 1.2, perfect 1st car 

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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

Fiesta is my bet i'm currently hunting for a car for the wifes cousin she's 17 and wants either a mini or fiesta.


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## Summit Detailing (Oct 9, 2006)

sirkuk said:


> Small engine derv doing that kind of mileage I'd say.
> 
> I had a 1.4 TDCi Fiesta and saw 60mpg and £30 a year tax but I couldn't recommend the Fiesta. I found it unreliable. Maybe the likes of Skoda would be worth a look though or a Toyota Yaris 1.4 diesel?
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk


I agree with you!

Polo 1.4TDI or Yaris 1.4D4D would both be where I'd start looking. Then of course there are the Polo offshoots of the Seat Ibiza and Skoda Fabia.

Enjoy the hunt...


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## tom-coupe (Jan 17, 2009)

will be top end of your budget but you could just about squeeze a fiat 500 for that budget.


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## tom-coupe (Jan 17, 2009)

or suzuki swift


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## tom-coupe (Jan 17, 2009)

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...i/radius/10/page/1/postcode/bd196nx?logcode=p


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

tom-coupe said:


> will be top end of your budget but you could just about squeeze a fiat 500 for that budget.


I was just about to add one of those to the list


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## shonajoy (Jan 27, 2009)

andy monty said:


> look at a slightly larger car eg focus silly things insurance companies young lad i used to work with went from a 1.2 Clio to a 1.8 iirc derv mondeo and his insurance HALVED!


Just wanted to update- this was ,the best advice ever, my daughter got a Mercedes A class 2009 yesterday, and we are paying £1300 a year for fully comprehensive. A fiat punto costing a quarter of this car was quoted at £1400! And we have spent days on the phone, tried all sorts of permutations and computer searches. This is a 1.8 diesel model, so I'd have thought the 1.1 punto would have been way cheaper but no, just shows you! X


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## packard (Jun 8, 2009)

Remember to add named drivers (mum dad etc) this often drops the price massively as risk lower... As long ad named drivers don't have claims/convictions etc


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## Laurie.J.M (Jun 23, 2011)

packard said:


> Remember to add named drivers (mum dad etc) this often drops the price massively as risk lower... As long ad named drivers don't have claims/convictions etc


Thats what we do on my insurance and saved about 25%. I've had to take my mum off though as she picked up 6 points for speeding last year .

If you're going for something like a Corsa, Fiesta or Polo I would definitely go for a diesel, as well as the better fuel economy the characteristics of a Diesel make them feel much more spritely and give a more relaxed drive. From some recent experience I've found that Volvo C30's are pretty cheap on insurance, I can insure a 2.0d C30 R-Design for the same as it would cost to insure the most basic 1.4 Astra and I know what I'd rather have. The C30 may be a little over budget but it's very well equipped for the money with things like dual zone A/C, traction and stability control, cruise control, alloys, excellent seats and high quality interior trim all comeing as standard on even the most basic trim level. And of course being a Volvo it's very safe.


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## shonajoy (Jan 27, 2009)

packard said:


> Remember to add named drivers (mum dad etc) this often drops the price massively as risk lower... As long ad named drivers don't have claims/convictions etc


Yep, did that, and it brought it down to £1250, so we have bought it. Spent two days on this and basically she's now insured on an £8500 car for £100 more than it was on a £1000 punto. Incredible.


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## woodybeefcake (Oct 12, 2008)

Only just seen this thread, but all I was going to say was go for your Mum's A-Class. As you've discovered, the obvious choice cars aren't always the cheapest. Plus she will look very cool rocking up to college in an A-Class at her age!


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## OvlovMike (Jul 19, 2011)

Fiesta Zetec-S TDCI if insurance permits, or the 1.4. Well made, solid, decent accident protection and pretty good economy. Clio 1.5dCi is good too.


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## gally (May 25, 2008)

Fiesta 1.25 zetec or look at an Aygo or Up. Both a little classier than the C1.

All great cars though!


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## m1pui (Jul 24, 2009)

How about an A-Class? :lol:


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## woodybeefcake (Oct 12, 2008)

OvlovMike said:


> Fiesta Zetec-S TDCI if insurance permits, or the 1.4. Well made, solid, decent accident protection and pretty good economy. Clio 1.5dCi is good too.





gally said:


> Fiesta 1.25 zetec or look at an Aygo or Up. Both a little classier than the C1.
> 
> All great cars though!


Lol read the thread! :wave:



m1pui said:


> How about an A-Class? :lol:


:lol::thumb:


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## GR33N (Apr 5, 2009)

I had a mk6 Fiesta 1.4 Petrol for my first car, I drove it like a bit of an idiot to be fair and it never really went wrong, never spat me into a tree and didnt cost a great deal to run.

With your budget you could probably get a mk7 Fiesta, which bound to be better built and safer :thumb:


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## bmwman (Jun 11, 2008)

Get her a used alfa romeo mito I believe they have top euroncap ratings! May need to add a grand or two on top but safety is key hey.


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## woodybeefcake (Oct 12, 2008)

I think the title of this thread needs to be changed to "My daughter has bought a Mercedes A-class" :lol:


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## OvlovMike (Jul 19, 2011)

Has Jody been in here to ask for pictures yet?!


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## Tank (Nov 20, 2011)

Vw lupo, polo, seat ibiza, skoda fabia, ford fiesta, ford new ka, fiat 500, newish shape renault clio, they all have decent mpg and good safety ratings


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## dew1911 (Jun 9, 2009)

Tank said:


> Vw lupo, polo, seat ibiza, skoda fabia, ford fiesta, ford new ka, fiat 500, newish shape renault clio, they all have decent mpg and good safety ratings


How about a Merc A-Class?


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## m1pui (Jul 24, 2009)

dew1911 said:


> How about a Merc A-Class?


You think the insurance would be under £1300 a year on the 180CDi?

Then again, I'm not convinced a 1.1 Punto wouldn't be cheaper


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## dew1911 (Jun 9, 2009)

m1pui said:


> You think the insurance would be under £1300 a year on the 180CDi?
> 
> Then again, I'm not convinced a 1.1 Punto wouldn't be cheaper


About half way down the first page...



shonajoy said:


> Just wanted to update- this was ,the best advice ever, my daughter got a Mercedes A class 2009 yesterday, and we are paying £1300 a year for fully comprehensive. A fiat punto costing a quarter of this car was quoted at £1400! And we have spent days on the phone, tried all sorts of permutations and computer searches. This is a 1.8 diesel model, so I'd have thought the 1.1 punto would have been way cheaper but no, just shows you! X


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## shonajoy (Jan 27, 2009)

m1pui said:


> You think the insurance would be under £1300 a year on the 180CDi?
> 
> Then again, I'm not convinced a 1.1 Punto wouldn't be cheaper


It was, we have paid for it, £1250 fully comp for the year! Well chuffed.


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## shonajoy (Jan 27, 2009)

woodybeefcake said:


> Only just seen this thread, but all I was going to say was go for your Mum's A-Class. As you've discovered, the obvious choice cars aren't always the cheapest. Plus she will look very cool rocking up to college in an A-Class at her age!


She's actually really embarrassed lol! She's going to hide it in the car park at college she says it's too flashy. Oh well, she will get over it, what a problem to have eh?!


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## m1pui (Jul 24, 2009)

dew1911 said:


> About half way down the first page...


And just a few posts down from it..



m1pui said:


> How about an A-Class? :lol:


I was being sarcastic :tumbleweed:


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## shonajoy (Jan 27, 2009)

She's away to pick it up now, I'm excited! And a bit jealous, she now has a better car than her mum!! Oh well, as long as she's safe and sensible...


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## shonajoy (Jan 27, 2009)

Well she passed her test yesterday first time, and boy did we get a lovely surprise- we phoned diamond as we hadn't tried them and her total insurance cost for this year was £1050. Well worth trying if anyone in same position.


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## kcass (Aug 24, 2010)

astra h sports hatch 1.6sxi? i got one for my 19yr old daughter for well under your budget on a 06 plate,fully comp insurance in her own name(obviously) with me as a 2nd driver and was a mere £630!! with 1 yr no claims bonus.has all the safety features,ie abs airbags etc and has the looks!!


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