First car, best engine size? Tips?

[Plank]

I'm getting a car because I've got my driving test next month. What engine size do you think would be best for a first car? 1.2? 1.4? I was thinking 1.2 because it's probably cheaper on the insurance, and if it's only a small car I was hoping it would be alright. What do you think? I'm not into boy racer stuff and zooming round the streets or anything like that, or big loud exhausts which some people put on their cars & sound so fake.

Also if you could add any tips to look out for when buying a first car, that would be cool.

Thanks

[GoldenMerc]

I have a 1.6 focus and i really struggle for petrol, it costs far more than what my friends pay for their 1.1 / 1.2's
but its all down to how much money you have to spend, if you have a job to fund the petrol.

[Plank]

I have a 1.6 focus and i really struggle for petrol, it costs far more than what my friends pay for their 1.1 / 1.2's
but its all down to how much money you have to spend, if you have a job to fund the petrol.
Good point I completely forgot about petrol! I guess that's swaying me towards the smaller engines as well. Is there a really big difference in insurance between smaller and larger engines?

[Sunny.]

There is a difference in insurance depending on the engine size. Obv lower engines are usually cheaper.

I would say go for 1.2/1.4.
But insurance is going to be high nmw car you get.

[Metric1]

4.4L V8 :D

I had a 2002 BMW 745i when I first got my license, then I had an Accord and then another Accord. I couldn't drive the BMW anymore because it had almost 200k miles and I had a long commute everyday! The car I have now is a 3.0L V6 and I average around 30mpg on the highway which is pretty good for a car that size! Over here our insurance isn't ridiculously priced and I can't think of any car that's under a 2.0L... try a Focus, Ross got one and I think it's his first car?!

[Dentafrice]

5.9L L6.

[GommeInc]

Depends on the age of the car really. HHGS has a 1.6 petrol Ford Focus mk 1. My mum has the current 1.6 petrol Ford Focus mk2 (2008 Facelift) which has incredibly good fuel consumption, with over 400 miles on a full tank, and the tank is only slightly bigger than my 1.4 Ford Fiesta - she drives alot more than me so that may give you a bit of an outlook on engine sizes in comparison :) The engine size doesn't necessarily determine the fuel consumption, what you should be focusing (ha!) on is the insurance and a car that will last :)

1.2 engines are OK, and will serve you good on small cars - Ford Ka, Hyundai i10 etc - usually cheap to insure.
1.4 engines are ideal for the super mini category, which are the Ford Fiestas, Coras, Clios, Peugeot (100 series e.g. 106, 107 varying on age and model) - average to insure.

So it depends what sort of car you want, then the size engine can be determined by that, because it maybe a first car, but you want it to last so you may as well have a decent engine.

[GoldenMerc]

try a Focus, Ross got one and I think it's his first car?!
yeh mines a 1.6 the insurance is with Quinn and before passing my test its 850 and when iv passed its 1600 so ye

[Black_Apalachi]

My insurance is just over a grand a year and I've only just turned 19 :8.

That's because.................................

I've got an 85 Classic Austin Mini Mayfair. Oh yes :D.

[Skajo]

5.9L L6.
GREAT ADVICE +REP.

[GoldenMerc]

Personally if i was you i'd get something like a clio, there light and 1.2 will get you around fast enough.
it wont use all ya petrol :P

[Mint]

For your first car you don't really need anything too zappy. Something that is very cheap to fuel, cheap insurance and reliable so you don't have to start spending money on it. Citroen C1 Vibe 1.0L's tick all the boxes. You seriously wouldn't believe just how nippy they are for 1 litres. They are incredibly cheap to run and with them only being a 1 litre they are cheap to insure. They are really small and light which is what makes them faster than most 1.2/1.4's. You could also pick up a 2005 model for 2-3k but you might need to increase your budget a tiny bit for the insurance. After your first year of no claims you will be able to get cheaper insurance and will of also saved up more money by not having to spend so much on petrol/insurance. Thats the time to get a slightly faster car and enjoy driving. :)

[Markeh]

I'd recommend something similar to a Vauxhall Corsa C 1.2 (2001-2007). It'll be fairly cheap to insure, quite fuel-efficient and doesn't make you look like a granny.

A late 90s VW Polo would do the job well too, or possibly an early 2000s Lupo would also fit the bill.

The C1 isnt bad, either. A Ford Ka would be an excellent choice. Peugeot 106... they're reliable (nobody's ever said that about a peugeot before), and if you go for a 1.1 engine, you could probably get an earlier 206.

[myke]

My insurance is just over a grand a year and I've only just turned 19 :8.

That's because.................................

I've got an 85 Classic Austin Mini Mayfair. Oh yes :D.

I'm looking at them just now lol ... I think they're pretty nice xD easy to fix and stuff ... reccomend?

[You]

Ford Fiesta MK6 1.3 ;) Beastie machine.

[le harry]

2000 Subaru Impreza RX 2.0L. Not heavy on fuel and it's not a girly car :D

[efq]

A tip on insurance. If your parents have insurance, they will usually get it cheaper because of the age. You can join there insurance, mine saved me hell of a lot money cause I joined with my Mum and Dads insurance.

[Black_Apalachi]

I'm looking at them just now lol ... I think they're pretty nice xD easy to fix and stuff ... reccomend?

I couldn't give a fair reccomendation right now because due to other reasons (waiting for a log book to get tax etc etc) I haven't got on the road just yet. I can't seeing it causing any trouble though :).