First car, help!

L

lornie

Guest
hi guys,hope u can all help with this one.
trying to buy my first car, everyone is telling me different stories and i dunno what car is right for me. looking at a few different types
opel corsa 99 3dr (i really want this one but the timing belt is being replaced on it right now so i know ishould stay clear)
mis colt 99/00(would love one but insurance wise its a bit dearer)
toyota starlet 99/00
peugeot 106 3dr
peugoet 206 3dr
citroen saxo (been warned to keep away from these aswell!)
i have about 4 to 5 grand to spend , any info on the above makes would be great or, if anyone has a better suggestion!
 
Re: first car, help?!

as far as i know saxo and peugeot are the same engine.
I have a 98 saxo for the last 4 years or more and the only problem i have had is the battery needed to be replaced last month
Don't go near Fiat
 
lornie said:
hi guys,hope u can all help with this one.
trying to buy my first car, everyone is telling me different stories and i dunno what car is right for me. looking at a few different types
opel corsa 99 3dr (i really want this one but the timing belt is being replaced on it right now so i know ishould stay clear)
mis colt 99/00(would love one but insurance wise its a bit dearer)
toyota starlet 99/00
peugeot 106 3dr
peugoet 206 3dr
citroen saxo (been warned to keep away from these aswell!)
i have about 4 to 5 grand to spend , any info on the above makes would be great or, if anyone has a better suggestion!
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Lornie,once the timimg belt is changed its actually great......why would this put you off buying a car.it always the opposite.

would you fancy a toyota yaris...great great car,very economical and reliable.check out a yaris if i was you
 
just told it could wreck the engine. as u can tell i havent a clue about cars!
 
lornie said:
just told it could wreck the engine. as u can tell i havent a clue about cars!
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yes you can wreck your engine if it is not changed but in the case of the car you were looking at it is/has been changed.That is great if it has just been changed so do not be afraid......just ask for proof that it has been changed.

if you haven't a clue about cars then take a knowledgable person with you or a mechanic just to be on the safe side.
 
 
I worked in a Dealership that actually stopped selling Citroens because there was so many problems with them, Peugeots are not unlike. I wouldnt advise my worst enemy to buy a Citroen - stay away! The timing belt being changed is a VERY GOOD thing, it will save you money as its an expensive job. Try go with a Japanese car if you can- Toyota, Nissan or Mazda. Mazdas are fantastic cars, parts are expensive but apart from that they are great, they rarely give problems. My 1st car was a Fiesta, great for starting off.
 
Buy japanese, the starlet would be excellent.
Make sure you take out AA cover if buying French.
 
Yaris gets the thumbs up from me too my brother had one as his first car and he traded it for a Pugeot 206, he's been sorry ever since and wishes he had bought another Yaris. Very nippy 1L engine extremely reliable
VVT-i, cheap to tax and insure, don't expect to get a Yaris at a bargain price as they are very popular and demand is high for second hand models, make sure to bring a mechanic with you if buying privately and remember haggle, haggle, haggle.

You should be able to pick up this 4 door model for 5k

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=392929

Good Luck ;)
 
i am also looking for a car i was thinking of suzuki jimny i saw a soft top in carzone.ie can you tell me of any problems with this brand i also know nothing about cars except i like the look and not 2 expencieve
 
How about a ford ka? nippy little 1.3 engine, this is what i started with and i know you said about the insurane but i have since changed my car and my insurance didnt go down at all. Might be worth a look at. I'd say you would get one cheap enough. Also easy to park. Or even a ford fiesta
 
coleen said:
i am also looking for a car i was thinking of suzuki jimny i saw a soft top in carzone.ie can you tell me of any problems with this brand i also know nothing about cars except i like the look and not 2 expencieve
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What's Good

Cute-looking with decent off-road ability. Reasonable performance (0-60 in 13.6 secs; top speed 100 mph) from 1,298cc 80 bhp engine). Separate chassis for strength. Part-time four-wheel-drive on the road driving rear wheels only for economy. 4-speed auto option. Soft-top version launched at Barcelona Show in May 1999 weighs 1,048kg and can tow 1,300kg. Cheap deals on UK supplied and warranted Suzukis at www.buysuzukidirect.co.uk [broken link removed] generally 3rd lowest average [broken link removed] repair costs in 2003 Warranty Direct Reliability index (index 43.23 v/s lowest 31.93) Link:- www.reliabilityindex.co.uk All Suzukis with standard radio/CD player, driver and passenger airbags and ABS with EBD from April 2004. Facelifted for 2005 with new Euro IV 1.3 16v VVT engine developing 85PS and 81lb ft torque. New 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic. Combined mpg 38.7, CO2 174g/km, 0-60 13.8. Manual £9,999 on the road, auto £10,782. Renault 1.5 diesel engined version in Europe. Special JLX+ for 2006 at £10,499 on the road has leather seats, chrome plated door handles and new trim fabrics.

More info and Suzuki's own deals at www.suzuki.co.uk

What's Bad

Noisy and unrefined. Poor 'on-road' manners, especially with large wheels and tyres. 15th from Bottom in 144 car 2002 JD Power / What Car? Customer Satisfaction Survey of V and W reg cars. Came 7th from bottom in 2005 JD Power/What Car Survey of 23,000 cars reg Sep 2002 to Aug 2003 with satisfaction score of 72.8%.

Recalls

2/11/2001: 4,068 Jimny hard and soft tops built 1/4/1998 to 31/10/1999 recalled because bolt holding gear selector yoke to gear selector shaft may loosen and fall out. High tensile replacement bolt to be fitted and torqued to tighter setting.
 
thanks for all that info i will check it further i still like the look of them and i wont be doing much heavy driving with it
 
thanks everyone for the info its been a great help!
still have my eye on a colt but im hearing good things about toyota so maybe a starlet or yaris is the way to go. just gotta keep looking!
 
lornie said:
thanks everyone for the info its been a great help!
still have my eye on a colt but im hearing good things about toyota so maybe a starlet or yaris is the way to go. just gotta keep looking!
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To further confuse you I have nothing but good things to say about the Colt I had a 1994 Colt coupe as my first car it was very reliable sold it to a friend who sold it to his brother and it's still going strong no problems apart from the clutch going at 70,000 miles and was NCT'd again a few months ago. I think the Colt is a great buy, I think they look much sportier than the Yaris the 1.3L engine in the Colt hatchback is a very lively/nippy engine.

What's Good

Smooth 88 bhp 1.6 engine feels more powerful (more like the 111 bhp it used to have). Gives excellent combination of performance and up to 42 mpg. Other engine option: 74 bhp 1,298cc. Decent steering, ride and handling. Beautifully built. In June 2001 [broken link removed] was rated by Motor [broken link removed] Direct as Britain's 5th most claim-free used marque.

What's Bad

Only one small three-door body-style, more supermini-sized than Escort-sized. Not very space efficient and not as neat looking as previous model. Mirage bodykit ugly and [broken link removed] not car-wash proof. Not much back seat room. Shorter people find restricted rear visibility makes it difficult to reverse. Getting very long in the tooth compared to the opposition. Average warranty repair costs in 2003 Warranty Direct Reliability index (index 101.16 v/s lowest 31.93). Link:- www.reliabilityindex.co.uk

What to Watch Out For

Must have been dealer serviced to retain warranty. Aircon was a very expensive dealer aftermarket extra.

Recalls

1997 (June-August 1997 build): 213 cars found to have sticking brake booster valve. 6/11/2000: 4,249 Colts built 1996 - 1999 recalled because crankshaft pulley securing bolt may not have been torqued correctly and may loosen or break leading to detachment of pulley. All engines up to YD2145 remove pulley securing bolt, increase the depth of thread in the crankshaft by 5mm, check for damage and renew if necessary. Lubricatethreads, refit and tighten to specified torque. Engines from YD2146 on: remove pulley securing bolt, examine for damage and renew if necessary, lubricate threads, refit and tighten to specified torque. 12-3-2002: Crankshaft pulley may become loose leading to rattling and loss of drive to PAS pump and alternator.
 
lornie said:
any thoughts on a renault clio?
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Lornie

Are you listening to what the lads are saying. Renault= French =piece of sh1t. Go Japanese. If you go French or Italian they will break your heart with repair bills. Japenese= boring, reliable, low depreciation, cheap to run and easy to sell on. They won't let you down (that's why they hold their price so well).

What's Bad
Renault build quality. Complaints of seat material fraying. Complaint of rattling sunroof. .......June 2001 Renault was rated by Motor Warranty Direct as Britain's joint 4th worst out of 22 marques for used car warranty claims. 18th from bottom for reliabilty in Auto Express 2002 reader survey of 100 models. Renault had above average warranty repair costs in 2003 Warranty Direct Reliability index (index 114.24 v/s lowest 31.93). Average warranty repair costs in 2003 Warranty Direct Reliability index (index 101.16 v/s lowest 31.93). Link:- www.reliabilityindex.co.uk 27th from bottom out of 137 models in 2003 Top Gear survey. Least reliable out of 10 Superminis in 2006 Reliability Index survey.
 
In farness she hasn't said whether it’s the new model Clio which is getting good reviews at the moment:
[broken link removed]

the Clio is too new to judge reliability, so overall I would agree, buy Japanese. other car to look at if not jap. would be the Ford focus (maybe too big)
 
My first car was a Corsa that I got for €2k..........I drove it for 2 years & then sold it & 2 years later I still see it driving around grand...........At the same time as i got mine all my friends also seemed to end up with Corsas & none of us every had problems with them. They are very good value which is important on a learner car as it doesnt matter if you get a few scrapes.
Other than that I have a friend who swears by her Starlet - she started with an 86 one (it had 4 gears & a choke!) & has upgraded to a newer one & never had any problems.

Basically if Corsa is in good nick then i would go with it
 
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