First Italian Car?

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
As my daughter is 17 today, it’s pushed our eldest to get her test too.

The plan is to get one car, pref Italian for them to share (eldest away for a year travelling then Manchester to do her doctorate)

Budget, £3k ish.

So all I know is it has to be below 1.4 and a small car.

I have no idea if this is hp restricted or if a TD or any king of turbo/multi air restrictive?

Can I ask the group, whom I am sure have been here before for their collective input?

Insurance is obviously the issue and any tips to reduce this appreciated.
 

2b1ask1

Special case
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20,220
Twin air is only 850cc but with the DNA option you wouldn’t know it. That drivetrain is in lots of motors. We had several Mitos with it. Typically Alfa either make a good one or a bad one.
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
A Mito would fit the bill.

Our loan Giulietta’s are brilliant, would like them to have that but think they are too powerful. 1.6 jtdm 105hp is the lowest engine. Not worth getting a quote?

Might have a chat to Darren at AIB Insurance.
 

2b1ask1

Special case
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20,220
At least you are not paying London rates where you are but they will hammer you for any big engine.
 

Ebenezer

Member
Messages
4,443
Play around with adding you / Mrs Connaero to the policy. Sometimes it reduces the premium (assuming you haven't been pointed up to the eyeballs or been involved in any coming togethers regardless of fault)
Eb
 

2b1ask1

Special case
Messages
20,220
Or the fugly Panda, Punto etc. all the same underneath. At least the Mito is rare.
 
Messages
1,117
As a first car, you will be looking to a Black Box policy for the first year or two. I found Admiral as the best all-round policy for my daughter's first car. Google black box car insurance. I suspect AIB will not get a look-in for such a policy and always found them extremely expensive for the Porsche and the Gransport. (The 1st car I bought in 2014 for my daughter was a 2009 VW Polo - low insurance at £1200 with a £250 excess for accidental damage).
 

Oneball

Member
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11,071
Worth looking at emissions places like Manchester and Bristol aren’t far behind Brum.
 

DJS

Junior Member
Messages
76
If you want a reliable car that will not break down and leave your daughter stranded at night somewhere dodgy - get a Toyota
 

London_Paris

Member
Messages
152
The accident rates (including fatal) are about 20X at 02:00 as compared to noon. Impairment (tired, drunk, etc.) and reduced visibility being the primary causes. I feel your pain on the insurance, but I think you might want to consider something with a bit of bulk and good crash survivability. Reliability is table stakes.

My 18 yr son and his girlfriend were sideswiped by a reckless driver hard enough to total his car, which was an old bmw. I give the car a lot of credit as they both walked away with a few scratches. The car was a mess…

Bill
 

midlifecrisis

Member
Messages
16,102
I'd go for a MiTo, great little cars. A 1.4 in Dynamic mode can almost keep up with Maseratis when 'well pedalled'*

They're still stylish but newer ones must be 5 years old now. Quite spacious inside to but can only carry 4 people not 5. No centre seatbelt in the back.


*Quote from Crofty on a Le Man's trip
 

Doohickey

Velociraptor
Messages
2,496
We got my lad an Ecoboost Fiesta; 999cc triple and a great little car. Loads about so plenty of choice and £0 road tax. His first insurance was about £1500 IIRC with the requirement for a black box. As Eb says, putting you and/or the missus on the insurance reduces the premium provided you've a clean record.
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,746
Curved ball... use the train and join one of those car clubs. There are loads in both Bristol and Manchester, no worries about old cars, parking at night and given the observations of the neighbours student daughters they rarely use their own cars to go to Uni.
 

Gazcw

Member
Messages
7,696
As my daughter is 17 today, it’s pushed our eldest to get her test too.

The plan is to get one car, pref Italian for them to share (eldest away for a year travelling then Manchester to do her doctorate)

Budget, £3k ish.

So all I know is it has to be below 1.4 and a small car.

I have no idea if this is hp restricted or if a TD or any king of turbo/multi air restrictive?

Can I ask the group, whom I am sure have been here before for their collective input?

Insurance is obviously the issue and any tips to reduce this appreciated.
The boys ds3 is a 1.6 diesel with 90bhp. When he passes his test insurance is around £1200 with box or £1600 without. Zero tax too.
 

schell70

Member
Messages
313
A bit under budget but how about a late year Grande Punto 1.2 ? £1000 will get a good one and they are quite a laugh to drive

Insurance is low, and it doesn't matter if it ends up in a hedge :)
 

StuartW

Member
Messages
9,306
I know that you like a little French car, so how about a rear engine Twingo? 0.9lt, great MPG, cheap to tax & insure, not many about & good fun to drive
 

zagatoes30

Member
Messages
20,758
Ecoboost Fiesta is a great little car but if you want Italian the Fiat 500 must be top of the list, alternatively the title 100HP Pandas are great but might be a bit older, (2010 I think) than you are looking for
 

Guy

Member
Messages
2,000
Matt, this is my experience; my daughter passed her test last month and we were given the tip of delaying her first day of cover. It was £400 cheaper to wait 2 days! We also saved by adding mine and my wife's name (another £200). Finally we used Go Girl (girls only so cheaper) and ended up with £90/mth on a £16k Mini 1499GT (only 100bhp 1.5 but JCW spec so very nice and insurance group 15). Her older brothers had a Polo 1.2 (totally reliable and cost nothing to run) and a Fiat 500 Sport (Twinair 105bhp), which needed a clutch, flywheel and gearbox rebuild at 15k miles. It was driven hard but the motor is gutless at low revs so needs to be thrashed! Much more fun than the Polo but grateful he wasn't involved in any accidents as not much protection! Used Marmalade for insuring pre test (weekly/monthly and cheap as chips). Would never consider black box as the sensors allow virtually no g force so require unrealistically slow progress - and that's before you borrow it and dash for a pint of milk (that will double the premium!).
 

lifes2short

Member
Messages
5,821
got my daughters Fiat 500 sport and Suzuki Swift, both nice looking cars and ultra reliable, cheap on insurance with GoGirl