Something a little bit more.. insurable

[ToddM]

Hey guys! Tough challenge ahead - a fun to drive, cheap to insure and cheap to run cheap car!
I'm not going to lie, thoughts of lean 406s and sporty 306s have passed my mind on several occasions but at 6 grand to insure a '97 XUD I'll have to pass, unfortunately. Only things that are going through my puberscent head right now is 0-62 times and gearshift aggression technique (A.K.A. how to thrash the knob 'round) but I will have to get my sensible hat on (They still make those? Thank God..) and think about costs. I'm setting myself a budget of FIVE grand in total for a car + insurance. I'll probably cover around 5k a year in the car and I would prefer dieselly goodness as it's just so easy to improve upon while retaining economy.

Some of the cheaper quotes I have had so far are on the following:

Fiat Panda 1.3 JTD - £2k
Reault Clio 1.2('99) - £2.5k
Citroen C2 1.1 - £2.8k

I have added my dad as a second driver, increased the voluntary excess, ticked the pass plus box even if I have yet to take it and tried all types of cover on these cars but I still can't go under £2k, just can't. Any ideas, any help? Although these may fit the budget I'm obviously going to try and save as much as possible. I'll probably be buying the car at around december time (giving myself time to think I guess).

As far as cars are concerned I think the Panda is my overall favorite in this category, for it's pure simple-minded quirky coolness factor and it's tight little chassis. Which is good 'cos it also manages to be the cheapest to run, if not the cheapest to get, at the same time.

If your help manages to get me under £3k for the first year YOU ARE GODS!

[lozz]

Ithink if iwas a bit younger and no kids to ferry about etc,
id be going for one of thems Smart cars ithink there called Brabus or something .

one of them caught my eye the otherday as it was blasting pastme on the Motorway iwas Touching 115 mph and it just cruised past me, dont know if it had been Tweeked but it was a good little pocket rocket,
wouidnt like being in a smash in one mind,

[lozz]

check this out todd,

http://uk.smart.com/smart-fortwo-brabus ... 88d2ff59b6

deffo better than a panda as its 102bhp standard

[FarmerPug]

the smart brabus i recall reading in a review somewhere has too much power for the chasis and the handling can be a bit stodgy, and its a smart they are a bit comical looking.
http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/used ... ry/25165-4
what car says to avoid the brabus model
Someone mention a fiat panda my favourite subject:
The fiat is a good car, but i wouldnt advise a diesel one they are like driving a tractor although they are very economical, the 1.2 petrol is the best choice (well the 1.4 is but your sensible hat covers it), its fun to drive and still economical, the 1.1 is in a lower insurance group but a little bit less powerful and oddly a little bit less economical.

[ToddM]

They feature a silly flappy-paddle gearbox which spoils all the fun, besides not really a fan of how they look. Never thought of owning a Smart car really, don't appeal to me that much. They're quite good motors though them. I reckon in a few years time when they fit a V8 in one.. Then again in a few years time I'd want a 406 coupe diesel or a full fat V6 in any guise.

Hmm what do you mean by "it feels like driving a tractor" (I bet you're experienced in that area, mr. farmer dude ). Does it feel sluggish through the gears? I guess a true small Italian car should be revved until the valves dance on the bonnet and the pistons come out of the exhaust Main reason I was going to go for diesel is because an uprated clutch and a little bit of fiddling on my computer could probably make it a tad quicker. What would you say about the handling on them, mate? Do they lean a lot, is the steering too light? I guess I may have to take one for a spin before I buy one to make sure I don't cock up!
Thanks for the help guys!

[lozz]

idont think much of the Build quality of the pandas tbh,
and the ones ive Drove (Thrashed) wouidnt pull the skin off a rice puddin,
The older fiat range was a bit better, eg the Bravas /bravo had abit more power, cheap insurance on them too and they make good cars for modding,
The smart cars dont look pretty but ibet there cheap to insure,
Never heard of one Blowing over they seem sturdy enough of what ive seen of em,
as above one flew past me at above 115mph so they carnt be that twitchy ,

[FarmerPug]

my panda felt very nicely made, the only rattle i had was in the first week, caused by the smashed rear windscreens glass in the boot, and it was very easy to work on, i took the door cards off very easy and installed an aftermarket remote central locking system.
The 1.1 i had was the base engine, slow compared to a lot of cars, especially the pug, but when driving it you thought it was the fastest thing on the road and the sound was fanstastic, the dash mounted gearstick was great and changes were short and very slick, it handled great, the steering was very direct and communicative, thats what made it so fun to drive.
The only problem with my panda was the active model lacked air con, or a tachometer. The 1.2 dynamic was the one i would have liked.

[steve_earwig]

Seeing as we're onto cars you'd need a disguise to drive... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... EF:GB:1123

[FarmerPug]

the new swift they brough out 4 years ago is a fairly acceptable car but before that the only thing suzuki should have been let build was small jeeps and bikes their old cars just looked awful. but they were probably fairly reliable that one you gave the link to though has the 1.6 g16 engine same as my jeep and i can confirm its a reliable engine as long as oil is in it.
but for cheap insurance a standard 1.3 samurai is in a low group and most are knocking at about 20 so you might get classic insurance

[sirwiggum]

the new swift they brough out 4 years ago is a fairly acceptable car but before that the only thing suzuki should have been let build was small jeeps and bikes their old cars just looked awful. but they were probably fairly reliable that one you gave the link to though has the 1.6 g16 engine same as my jeep and i can confirm its a reliable engine as long as oil is in it.
but for cheap insurance a standard 1.3 samurai is in a low group and most are knocking at about 20 so you might get classic insurance

I quite like small Suzukis. Was there not a smallish saloon that they built a few years ago? Baleno or something?
Would be cheap to insure and slightly larger than a bog standard hatch.

[FarmerPug]

the baleno is what that is there was a booted version. They have a 1.6 16v engine with fuel injection ive seen some being used for a donor engine for the samurai as you get quite a bit more power and less flat spots than the carburetted 8v engine. But insurance is about group 8 on them which compared to the 2 of the panda is a lot higher.

[ToddM]

Yeah, insurance is the killer with them. Plus they look like.. well they're not that bad but I wouldn't recognize it at the carpark. I'd be like where have I parked now? What I love about the 406 is that it stands next to cars 20x it's price nice and proud, can't say the same for the Baleno. The Panda just does it out of pure quirkyness and it's just such a jolly car. I'm taking a 1.3 JTD for a spin today, Farmer mate. A look at the spec sheet actually shows that its.. quicker to 60mph and has a higher top speed as well(99 miles per hour, ain't no kidding )

Do you reckon a Citroen C2 would be a better purchase? I mean it sure looks like it has a lower center of gravity and as we know PSA power-steering isn't very rubbery.

Not ruling out 'zukis though. What about a Swift? Any of you have any experience with them?

[highlander]

My colleague used to have an 07-plate Swift - she thought it was a very dull car to drive and own, lacking any real character - think of it more as an appliance, rather than a cheeky little car.

That said, the 1.5 litre petrol engine is pretty punchy, and the car shifts well enough. It's quite tall for a small car though, so it does roll a bit too much in corners if you're a bit lead-footed.

She traded it in for an Audi TT, and then the next week the snows came and her new car was completely and utterly useless in it - so she traded it in for a Toyota RAV4 and didn't let the snow bother her any more.

[sirwiggum]

Once worked with a chef who borrowed his Mother-in-laws Suzuki Swift (the old AWD one) while she was on holiday (to "keep it running" he told her ).
He reported that it was an absolute flying machine and the AWD system meant it stuck to corners like a go kart

[waue1978]

If you can find one, the old Subaru Justy is great fun. Probably like rocking horse poo now though. Always sounds quite good when you tell people that your first car is a Scooby too...