It might not be a Ferrari, but who said your first
car would be love at first sight? With an average
budget of £1,500 to get behind the wheel, the UK's
first-time car buyers have a shopping list which
is fine-tuned for value
Still the runaway number one-car among new drivers
is the Ford Fiesta – it tops the charts in
both the new, used and very used lists of popular
buys. Why? Because of its reliability, cheap parts
and mechanical simplicity which makes a mechanics'
job much easier. Typically, a half-tidy D-Reg 1.1
Popular Plus in standard-issue red, with a stereo
and a year's tax shouldn't set you back more than
£600.
Such anonymous fare will not,
of course, cause an outbreak of cricked necks. The
vast majority of first-time buyers often have to
be talked out of more heady auto-ambitions. Says
second-hand specialist dealer Rob Clare: 'Few of
my new customers realise how costly motoring is.
They walk in with starry eyes, but when you add
in the invisibles of insurance, fuel and maintenance,
you often need to set your initial target just a
bit lower.'
A strict budget doesn't necessarily mean that you
have to follow the crowd. Even with less than £1,000
for your first car, there's the exotic-but-sensible
range. Nine hundred quid, for instance, will find
you a looked-after 1992 Renault 5 Campus. Its previous
owner would probably have been a careful teacher,
so signs of abuse are rare. In the wake of the Renault
comes a gallic sibling, the Citroen 2CV – £500
ensures an oddball but dependable package.
Hot on the Fiesta's heels
as the second most popular used UK buy is Nissan's
all-weather Micra. While more men tend to opt for
the bigger Ford, the original Micra lures women
with its compact dimensions and nippy manoeuvrability.
Bag a D-Reg 1.0 with 39,000 miles, full service
history, MOT and tax and you'll have a 45mpg workhorse
that will (probably) never let you down.
At the bin-end of the used-car list, £150
will buy you a 1987 Skoda Estelle. OK, you're mates
might laugh, but it's tough enough to win rallies
and built like a Sherman. From Korea and even more
devoid of style, the Proton 1.5 looks like a shed
but is comfortable and competent. A G-reg five-door
costs around £750. Again, your mates might laugh,
but it's a lot cheaper than getting taxis everywhere.
Just be sure to avoid beige.
— Simon Hacker
Click
here for the stats on buying habits.
For a comprehensive log of second-hand cars, click
here.
For a quick guide of what to look for when
buying your first motor click
here.
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