The time has finally come, I am going to be purchasing my first car withing the next month or so. I've narrowed my choices down to three cars. If anyone has any input from experience or knowledge please feel free to voice it. My price range is around £6k-£8k (with some give if I find a really nice deal). Keep in mind that I need to keep the insurance as low as possible as I'm only 20 and it's bad enough as it is. The Choices are: 1. VW Golf 1.6SE 2001+ - My original choice but they've recently become very common. 2. Ford Focus 1.6SE 2001+ - The car I'm currently learning to drive in. Its grown on me and I find it a 'nice drive'. 3. Audi A3 1.6 1999+ - The new entry. After seeing it up-close a couple days ago, I'm really leaning towards it. It will push my price bracket, but it's not as common as the other two. Of all the cars, the Audi is the only one I've yet to drive, so if anyone has first-hand experience with it, I'd love to know what you thought. So far I've heard it's a great drive, but a bit of a petrol 'guzzler'. Cheers.
My g/fs mom has a A3 1.6 Sport. It's pretty nice to drive, it's not going to get the world alight as they're not that fast and although the handling is OK there's very little sparkle to it. Having said that though the build is 2nd to none (best built in the class in imho) and they're lovely to be in (the seats \ trim in the Sport is really nice) but the parts / servicing are expensive through dealers! If you want handling sparkle, out of the three I'd so with the Focus, the suspension setup is great - it's quicker than the Golf I believe as well.
6k-8k!? Thats alright! Want fast, Saxo VTS, not sure how your insurance would be though. I agree with audi a3, its a good car. how about a 2000 fiat punto HGT... they're nice. or, if u wanna try it, hyundai coupe, you might get lucky with the insurance on that.
Stay away from the Saxos, they are becoming the new Nova for the chavs to rive up For 7k you'll probably be able to find a Seat Leon Cupra (1.8 Turbo -180 horses!) which is the same chassis as an A3 (i think?) and a whole load more power under the bonnet!
Just to clear something up guys, I'm not really after a fast car. Couple reasons, 1. this is my first car, not really comfortable with anything too quick 2. Insurance is £1200 as it is, don't want it going up even more. Honestly, this things I'm really after is good build quality (rock solid ) and interior extras (I love gadgets). So far that's what everybody seems to be telling me the Audi's full of.
audi or the golf....would probably go with the audi as the new golfs arent what they used to make em anymore...whats fuel effiency like on both or do you not mind petrol costs?
Maybe have a look at the Renault Megane also... Not looking at diesels? The Audi ones are just superb. And on a whole cheaper on the insurance too.
The Audis don't come with that many gadgets as standard though... so you'll need one that someone has had spec'd up. I'd just test drive all 3 if I were you. I certainly know that the modern VWs aren't as reliable as they used to be - my mate works for the AA and they provide VWs breakdown warrenty cover. Loads of calls apparently for things that just shouldn't be failing...
Audi are very nice, but overpriced for what they are. untill a couple of years ago you stil had to pay for a cd player. The diesles are very good, we've got a 2.5l (V6) A4 and its very nice and has a huge mpg on long trips, not so good around town tho. The place where we got ours treat us like VIP's because we got ours through the manager who doesnt deal with sales.
You really need to find a different insurance company. I am also 20 and I just got myself a vw golf 1.8T gti and its around £1000 a year to insure
Personally i'd be having a new-ish Focus 1.6 Ghia 3-Door: i learn tto drive in one too and i'm still hankering for one as they are really a quality drive imo. It's boring, but i know why people buy them...
Thanks for all the replies guys, you've raised a lot of good points. I'm nearly sold on the Audi A3, just waiting to pass my test so I can take it for a test drive. From what I understand the Audi's fuel efficiency isn't as good as the Golf's due to it's weight. I'm also now considering a diesel car from all the good things I've been hearing about them, will have to do a bit of research because I don't know anything about diesel engines. Megane? Not really too keen on that style of car. I've just started looking at the diesel Audi's, just trying to find out a bit more about them. Really need to test drive one. Is there some sort of 'hidden catch' with diesels that I'm overlooking? Yup, I'm going after the SE or Sport (whichever has the nicest features). The only car from the selection I haven't driven is the A3, trying to get a test drive ASAP (need a license first ). Yeah, the mark 5 Golf hasn't had a good reception at all but I think the 2000-2001 mark 4's are still pretty good. He-he, you do still have to pay for a CD player. The base model is only supplied with a radio. SE spec you get a proper CD player and Bose speakers I think. Doesn't really matter anyway, I plan on buying this . In fairness tho, most new cars only come with a radio on the base model. My friend was recently given a new Mini One, it only has a radio. Hi Tim, welcome to the forums. Would you mind going into details on your quote? The £1200 quote I got for a 1.6 Golf most people consider as excellent (it's full comp), I've got every insurance aspect going against me. 20 male, terrible inner-city high risk postcode, new driver, street parking etc. If you've got any tricks, let us know . Yup, I think it's a great drive. I'm learning in a Focus 1.6 Ghia 5-Door and the drive quality is what put me in mind to get one. Really going with the A3 because of it's slightly better looks and it's less common. Thanks again for all the replies guys. I'd like to know if anyone has had experience with any recent diesel engine and what you thought of it in comparison with a petrol. Cheers.
diesels are very efficient these days, and as long as you get a hdi you will be able to accelerate unlinke old diesel engines... our 2.0 hdi 406 gets in just under 800miles on one tank diesel engine dont need spark plugs, hence can be less maintenance, but are therefore more expensive, hence you will often find that a diesel is more expensive to buy in the first place, but then cheaper to run....but then again in the uk diesel is subsidiesed so not sure if it really makes that much of a difference...
Have you considered anything other than your 3, I drive a Fiat Stilo. Excellent value for money (it's got more gadget and buttons than the golf). Cheap insurance on the 1.6 that I have. It's decent build quality and comes with IIRC a >10 year warrenty on paint and stuff. Plus and here's the main point they aren't that common, especially the 3 door. Have a test drive it's worth it. MiniG
Go for the Sport if I were you, much nicer seats than the SE also nicer alloys as standard, you should be able to get one with digital climate control as well. My g/fs moms keeps getting an error on the Lammda (sp?) sensor with the dealership charges her £85 a pop to reset. I reckon it'd ne worth locating a decent independant specialist to handle servicing and repairs. I know a couple of people with Mk4 Golfs that have had several annoying mechanical niggles that dealers haven't been able to correct, even with multiple attempts...
Thanks, I have been checking out the site and forums for a while, decided it was finally time to sign up and post a bit Well I don't really know any tricks in getting cheaper insurance, I have just been looking around on the web for ages trying to find cheap insurance for my age group, my quotes have ranged from over 7k to around 1200 (sorry the 1000 was not final) for the golf gti 1.8T. The details on My quote as follows, I am 20 years old, have no clams bonus (due to never having my own insurance), small city and residual parking. I know of course this an advantage I have over you, so I am bound to get a cheaper quote. Anyway the insurance company I now use is http://www.admiral.com/ they specialize in young drivers, driving performance cars in inner cities. One thing I did find when getting a quote with them is that you should phone up, I used there online quote service and quote quite a good quote, but I phoned them up and was quoted a better one. Anyway I think I have gone on long enough, hope that helps. Also I hope you get the car you want
right i havent read teh thread but you said you like the focus. well im driving a focus 1.8LX and loveing it exept is a bit sloppy on corners and tank like well i found it was. ( i span it out at 60 going into a corner but that was prolly the way i was driving) the power is amazing and i have driven nothing like it (yes i only driven 1.4 1.6 and a 1.8. the 1.6 was a turbo desil so not to fast apparently fords are renownd for there gearboxes. and also the focus has the best gearbox ford have ever come up with. the noise is amazing form the engine altho its all standard and hasnt got a huge exaust it still sounds propper wow. so i think lexus lights a induction kit and a lager tuned pipe and your all nice and roring. also apparently the zetech engines are nicer than teh LX . the trim is less luxurios and the sus is stiffer but it stops the roll in corners.
