Car for new driver?

Hello, i passed driving today and need help to find a cheap/affordable car.
The budget is around £600, wants second hand car that can be used to travel everyday from one town to another.
Please help (people from UK) because i don’t have much knowledge about cars and insurance.

What car would you suggest for a new driver?
What insurance company is good?
What to look for when you buy a car?

thanks a ton!
Answer #1
Diesel hatchback.
I like the Skoda Fabia – pretty cheap to buy, average to insure (being a new driver will jack it right up though), 60-80 Mpg (depends on how you drive it).
Being a diesel, it won’t have super acceleration (that often gets new drivers in the shiit). It WILL be cheap to run though!
Being a Skoda, it won’t have huge prestige value = no peer pressure hooning around.
Ins will KILL you though – you’re looking at about £1500/yr or more, regardless of where you go (ECar is about the cheapest, but check with comparethemarket for the cheapest (and you get a meercat!).
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What I would look for is probably different to what you should look for… different criteria and all.
For £600, you won’t get much.
What you need to look for is decent mechanically, no leaks, at least 6 months MOT and lic. Tyres at least 1/2 good tread.
The exterior prettiness is less important (as in inside quality too).
You don’t want a car that will need another £600 in MOT work when it comes due.
It depends, too, on how much money you’ll have coming in from work – if it’s reasonably decent then the MOT costs are less of a worry.
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(I wonder why the forum adds an extra character in front of the £ sign? £ £ £ £)
Answer #2
What kind of cars do you like? Do you want a 4 door saloon or a small hatchback? Do you actually like driving? Bare in mind a small cc engine doesn’t mean cheap insurance. In UK I believe they look at everything such as how desirable the car is, is it stolen often, has it been involved in a lot of accidents, is your post code theft friendly, and finally then they may consider things like horsepower and engine displacement. To put it in perspective years ago I started with a Golf Mk3 1.8 while all my friends were rolling in a Fiesta/Corsa 1.1. I paid the same insurance as them and I had a lot more powerful car.
If you want a cheap sport car try to get a MX-5/Miata, or from the hatchbacks maybe a Nissan Micra
http://roadstergarage.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/24ctd2u.jpg
it’s all pretty much the same when it comes to standard cars, they all break and parts cost the same. Common is good if you want to do repairs yourself as you can find parts in the car morgue easier.
Answer #3
Micra is nice but i doubt he’ll get a good one for �600.
Maybe a Golf – but they are nice and popular too = high prices.
Common IS good – spare parts are plentiful and cheap.
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You views on the insurance here is accurate – it’s a combination of many things that make the price.. but.. being a first time driver will whack the price WAAAAY up..