First Car Opinions

[MIIKEY]

im not sure if this has been covered yet but i want every1's opinions on a first car for a P1 driver

im not prepaired yet to drive our corolla just yet so i want a car to have my prangs in before i step up to the good stuff

if this has been covered before can someone point me in the right direction please

Thankx in advance Miikey!

Edited July 9, 2007 by MIIKEY

[MR22ZZ]

Budget is the #1 decision maker...

[OZROLA]

prangs in? You cant go into a decision expecting you going to have crashes. Because to be honest, unless your one of those complete idiots that cant drive anywhere without having your foot pinned to the floor and your wheel on hard lock it just shouldn't happen. And in the case that it does happen its just an accident. What i mean is, as long as your driving sensibly as most of us do, theres no need to account for p-plate prangs. If everyone was worried about it, ppl would never buy nice cars...

I drive around 45k a day and have done since i got my p's (stupid girlfriends parents buying some crap out in kenthurst) and ive never come close to crashing. No wait i lost it over a crest at 118km and spun between a pole and a tree, spun between 2 dogs and came to a stop 2m from some bogans front steps. He just laughed a clapped me. But that was the first and only very stupid thing ive done behind a wheel. Dont drive like that and you set

But if you hyave your heart set on some yobomobile, buy anything with considerable rust as apposed to engine problems. You can ignore the problem that way :D

[magic]

u still have a year on your L's right ??

dont get a head of yourself...just dont worry about it till about 2 months before you get your p's ....but that doesnt mean dont save your money.

i say this cause i was the same...looking at car sale websites and being like i want ...thats nice i want that one two lol.

just sit on it. trust me, i did it and it workied for me(your worrying yourself for nothing)...SAVE YOUR MONEY !!!!

im still on my green p's only just got off my red's i still have the car i learnt to drive in.

:D

[Tats]

prangs in? You cant go into a decision expecting you going to have crashes. Because to be honest, unless your one of those complete idiots that cant drive anywhere without having your foot pinned to the floor and your wheel on hard lock it just shouldn't happen. And in the case that it does happen its just an accident. What i mean is, as long as your driving sensibly as most of us do, theres no need to account for p-plate prangs. If everyone was worried about it, ppl would never buy nice cars...

I could not disagree more. To me the first car should be a complete throwaway. It should serve 2 purposes: a.) if you stack it, it doesn't matter; and b.) if something (minor) breaks you should learn to pull it apart and put it back together yourself. If you're young and you drive with a bit of spirit, accidents will happen, and you'll just be shooting yourself in the foot by doing it in a car worth more than $1k.

Buy a KE70 or an AE82 and just drive it into the ground, get some experience up :)

Edited July 10, 2007 by Tats

[perthcamry]

I would get something as cheap as possible with airbags and ABS. why because its not what you do but what someone else may do. Airbags possibly saved my life so what is the cost of health. something Japanese is best as more likely to be reliable. The roads are a bit tougher these days - tailgaters aplenty so nothing too plastic.

of course if you have zero dollars get the best corolla/camry you can afford

[magic]

I could not disagree more. To me the first car should be a complete throwaway. It should serve 2 purposes: a.) if you stack it, it doesn't matter; and b.) if something (minor) breaks you should learn to pull it apart and put it back together yourself. If you're young and you drive with a bit of spirit, accidents will happen, and you'll just be shooting yourself in the foot by doing it in a car worth more than $1k.

Buy a KE70 or an AE82 and just drive it into the ground, get some experience up :)

im with this 99.9% the only problem is 1k thats a total bomb i think i would say 5 to 6K will get u a nice looking car, and that will do a great job...remember u will have it for a year or so, i would rather spend a lil more money and have a nicer looking car that wont brake all the time.

i had and still have in my garage a 1993 Charade....no injectors and 3 cyl 1.3ltr engine, no power steering well no power anything lol..ok it was slow but it did the job...i learnt how to drive a real car without all these power acc's, tune to engine and fixed most problems that came up. it looked nice not like a bomb lol just cause u are on your p's doesnt mean u have to drive a bomb that look like a bomb.

:D

[qkslvr]

Mate. I agree with bits of everyones argument. The main point i will make is don't get something that will require you to have your head under the bonnet every weekend. a small engine sensible car is the best choice. I drive with abit of spirit but as long as you have some restraint you won't get yourself into any situation that will put you in any danger. I had a 89 Celica as my first car and believe me when i say i spend the value of the car fixing things that broke (wear & tear related).

"Prang in's" are the least of your worries. Insurance, running cost and maintainance should be on the top of your priorities. Like OZROLA said, if you don't drive like a complete idiot you don't have to worry about prangs. I got my Celica when i got my P's and had the car for 3 years. In that time, i learnt a hell of alot about general maintainance and servicing of cars. i had 1 accident that cause no structural damage to mine or the other car (the other guys bumper needed to be clipped back on - insurance company charged me $600 for it )

getting your first car is like a spiritual event, so choose sensible and choose wisely. Good luck matey

[selyaT]

On one hand it's nice to have a car in which you can simply select R gear after you've mown it into a pole, on the other hand, the type of car in which you do that is unlikely to be equipped with airbags (ABS is not as important IMO).

One thing to remember is that you don't really have to worry about yourself having an accident or making a mistake because you're concentrating so hard on doing things right, it's the people around you who are the variable capable or causing you trouble (within reason - idiot drivers need not apply).

[MR22ZZ]

I could not disagree more. To me the first car should be a complete throwaway. It should serve 2 purposes: a.) if you stack it, it doesn't matter; and b.) if something (minor) breaks you should learn to pull it apart and put it back together yourself. If you're young and you drive with a bit of spirit, accidents will happen, and you'll just be shooting yourself in the foot by doing it in a car worth more than $1k.

Buy a KE70 or an AE82 and just drive it into the ground, get some experience up :)

im with this 99.9% the only problem is 1k thats a total bomb i think i would say 5 to 6K will get u a nice looking car, and that will do a great job...remember u will have it for a year or so, i would rather spend a lil more money and have a nicer looking car that wont brake all the time.

i had and still have in my garage a 1993 Charade....no injectors and 3 cyl 1.3ltr engine, no power steering well no power anything lol..ok it was slow but it did the job...i learnt how to drive a real car without all these power acc's, tune to engine and fixed most problems that came up. it looked nice not like a bomb lol just cause u are on your p's doesnt mean u have to drive a bomb that look like a bomb.

:D

The 3cl charade is a 997cc engine. My girlfriend bought a Suzuki swift to learn in for $2000 with the same engine and it's a great little car. Runs off an oily rag, easy to park and steer despite no power steering, very difficult to get into trouble with because it struggles to go much faster then 120 km/h, easy to fix if things break and parts are pretty cheap too.

[magic]

The 3cl charade is a 997cc engine. My girlfriend bought a Suzuki swift to learn in for $2000 with the same engine and it's a great little car. Runs off an oily rag, easy to park and steer despite no power steering, very difficult to get into trouble with because it struggles to go much faster then 120 km/h, easy to fix if things break and parts are pretty cheap too.

thats correct i WAS paying like 20 to 30 $ a week in fuel to and from work lol so great that way.... this is mine ->

CLICK TO SEE MY OLD RIDE

p.s it under my dads name.

[MT]

you learn to drive after your first accident (minor or major)

However, in saying that, some people never know.

Mikey, i reckon you should drive the rolla around as your first car. why?

1. its safe - has at least 1 airbag, pretensioner seatbelts, high seating position and great visibility.

2. if you crash it, its easy to fix (if you want) - my car is proof of this.

3. insurance wont be too much, probably better than if you had something old and rusty with a big engine.

4. its a cool car! :P

[magic]

you learn to drive after your first accident (minor or major)

However, in saying that, some people never know.

Mikey, i reckon you should drive the rolla around as your first car. why?

1. its safe - has at least 1 airbag, pretensioner seatbelts, high seating position and great visibility.

2. if you crash it, its easy to fix (if you want) - my car is proof of this.

3. insurance wont be too much, probably better than if you had something old and rusty with a big engine.

4. its a cool car! :P

yer i agree...Mikey ... why cant u drive the rolla?? im sure if u got an old car u would get the ****s cause your too use to the rolla and end up drive it anyway.

:D

[theDefiant1]

mmm my first car was an imported '86 rolla (never figured out what it was). I found this good as a young p-plater as i was finishing school and about to start uni... both places where you get dints. So an oldie but goldie car that would not upset me if it developed minor scratches or dents as opposed to a new (or sporty) car that if damaged or broken into would devastate me. I also kept it clean inside and out and still managed to, umm, pick up.

And always remember to put sealed plastic bags under your seat for those friends who have too much to drink ;)

I miss that car...

[MIIKEY]

you learn to drive after your first accident (minor or major)

However, in saying that, some people never know.

Mikey, i reckon you should drive the rolla around as your first car. why?

1. its safe - has at least 1 airbag, pretensioner seatbelts, high seating position and great visibility.

2. if you crash it, its easy to fix (if you want) - my car is proof of this.

3. insurance wont be too much, probably better than if you had something old and rusty with a big engine.

4. its a cool car! :P

yer i agree...Mikey ... why cant u drive the rolla?? im sure if u got an old car u would get the ****s cause your too use to the rolla and end up drive it anyway.

:D

my parents believe that the car is worth a little to much for me to drive at first, im not feeling confident enough yet anyway

iv never driven the manual yet, but iv done some hours in a auto

how hard is manual??

any1 got any pointers for me :)

[Tats]

Yeah..... if you ever have problems with bunny hopping or hill starts, just dial in around 5,000rpm and release the clutch as quickly as possible. Problems solved :)

[magic]

Yeah..... if you ever have problems with bunny hopping or hill starts, just dial in around 5,000rpm and release the clutch as quickly as possible. Problems solved :)

haha so true :D

----------------

um all i can think of is just find a very quiet street, or big car park(most footy ovals have big parking lots ..grass but not the point) and just try and u will learn in no time.

dw if u are crap at it, everyone (most) people are. nows its just normal .... i hate driving auto's i put my hand on the gear selector and push my front (left) on the floor but there is no clutch haha

learn Manual u wont regret it

:D

[selyaT]

The 3cl charade is a 997cc engine. My girlfriend bought a Suzuki swift to learn in for $2000 with the same engine and it's a great little car. Runs off an oily rag, easy to park and steer despite no power steering, very difficult to get into trouble with because it struggles to go much faster then 120 km/h, easy to fix if things break and parts are pretty cheap too.

thats correct i WAS paying like 20 to 30 $ a week in fuel to and from work lol so great that way.... this is mine ->

CLICK TO SEE MY OLD RIDE

p.s it under my dads name.

Yes but safety???? Side impact = RIP

Not that I can talk, I had an '83 323 which is tiny too

[MIIKEY]

Yeah..... if you ever have problems with bunny hopping or hill starts, just dial in around 5,000rpm and release the clutch as quickly as possible. Problems solved :)

i love ur thought!! but that ends up in wheel spins right? sorry imma noob when it comes to that sorta thing

im determine to learn in the manual i just hope my parents have the patients lol

im hopefully gunna try tomorrow

any1 in the mounty/plumpton/rooty hill area got a place to recommend ?

[OZROLA]

prangs in? You cant go into a decision expecting you going to have crashes. Because to be honest, unless your one of those complete idiots that cant drive anywhere without having your foot pinned to the floor and your wheel on hard lock it just shouldn't happen. And in the case that it does happen its just an accident. What i mean is, as long as your driving sensibly as most of us do, theres no need to account for p-plate prangs. If everyone was worried about it, ppl would never buy nice cars...

I could not disagree more. To me the first car should be a complete throwaway. It should serve 2 purposes: a.) if you stack it, it doesn't matter; and b.) if something (minor) breaks you should learn to pull it apart and put it back together yourself. If you're young and you drive with a bit of spirit, accidents will happen, and you'll just be shooting yourself in the foot by doing it in a car worth more than $1k.

Buy a KE70 or an AE82 and just drive it into the ground, get some experience up :)

Disagree but its an opinion

I went through high school hearing guys come to school everyday with their latest close call. We actually set a record for the most lost licenses in one year group at the school, 27 lost before schoolies (starting 4th term yr 11)

The ppl that were sensible never crashed their car and never got dings. The idiots, they went threough more cars than the rest of the grade put together, i **** you not. The first car i bought was my 20v. Its probably got close to 10k worth of gear in it atm (but as well all know, the price we put on our car is always higher than everyone elses). Its been punched, kicked, backed into and i dont regret buying it. I Beat the living **** out of the leb that punch my car. I kicked the stinking crap out of the drunk from high school that kicked it, and i got free parts from the dude that backed into it.

So far I havn't shot myself in the foot. Why? Because ive been sensible. The 20v can be a volatile engine cause of its fiddly head, but ive looked after it and not kicked its ***** every time i get behind the wheel. Buy a lemon and you will regret it.

DONT drive it into the ground cause you start bad habits. DONT buy a 1k lemon, cause its a 1k lemon and will **** up more than you can imagine.

But as i state before its my opinion... SO far everyone i know who has bought a 1k trash heap, has regretted wasting that grand

[ChArMs_RT142]

Yeah..... if you ever have problems with bunny hopping or hill starts, just dial in around 5,000rpm and release the clutch as quickly as possible. Problems solved :)

i love ur thought!! but that ends up in wheel spins right? sorry imma noob when it comes to that sorta thing

im determine to learn in the manual i just hope my parents have the patients lol

im hopefully gunna try tomorrow

any1 in the mounty/plumpton/rooty hill area got a place to recommend ?

Best places are vacant ones like big car parks ! have plenty of room to change gears 1/2 maybe 3/4 if ya have plenty of room lol and do some steering moves

i always see learner's at fairfield showground carpark driving around!

Goodluck!

[qkslvr]

you learn to drive after your first accident (minor or major)

However, in saying that, some people never know.

Mikey, i reckon you should drive the rolla around as your first car. why?

1. its safe - has at least 1 airbag, pretensioner seatbelts, high seating position and great visibility.

2. if you crash it, its easy to fix (if you want) - my car is proof of this.

3. insurance wont be too much, probably better than if you had something old and rusty with a big engine.

4. its a cool car! :P

yer i agree...Mikey ... why cant u drive the rolla?? im sure if u got an old car u would get the ****s cause your too use to the rolla and end up drive it anyway.

:D

my parents believe that the car is worth a little to much for me to drive at first, im not feeling confident enough yet anyway

iv never driven the manual yet, but iv done some hours in a auto

how hard is manual??

any1 got any pointers for me :)

It sounds to me like you're the exact opposite of a hoon. You think a little too much about driving and the thought of a "prang" seems to bother you a little too much. You're too worried to drive your new car around and you actually care about the car's wellbeing. I seriously don't know what you're worried about. with that attitude, the only time you'll get into an accident is if you're totally unco' and even then it'll be minor.

you can't get into a car expecting the worse man. Just have confidence in your ability but don't get too cocky and you'll be fine.

Edited July 11, 2007 by qkslvr

[Tats]

prangs in? You cant go into a decision expecting you going to have crashes. Because to be honest, unless your one of those complete idiots that cant drive anywhere without having your foot pinned to the floor and your wheel on hard lock it just shouldn't happen. And in the case that it does happen its just an accident. What i mean is, as long as your driving sensibly as most of us do, theres no need to account for p-plate prangs. If everyone was worried about it, ppl would never buy nice cars...

I could not disagree more. To me the first car should be a complete throwaway. It should serve 2 purposes: a.) if you stack it, it doesn't matter; and b.) if something (minor) breaks you should learn to pull it apart and put it back together yourself. If you're young and you drive with a bit of spirit, accidents will happen, and you'll just be shooting yourself in the foot by doing it in a car worth more than $1k.

Buy a KE70 or an AE82 and just drive it into the ground, get some experience up :)

Disagree but its an opinion

I went through high school hearing guys come to school everyday with their latest close call. We actually set a record for the most lost licenses in one year group at the school, 27 lost before schoolies (starting 4th term yr 11)

The ppl that were sensible never crashed their car and never got dings. The idiots, they went threough more cars than the rest of the grade put together, i **** you not. The first car i bought was my 20v. Its probably got close to 10k worth of gear in it atm (but as well all know, the price we put on our car is always higher than everyone elses). Its been punched, kicked, backed into and i dont regret buying it. I Beat the living **** out of the leb that punch my car. I kicked the stinking crap out of the drunk from high school that kicked it, and i got free parts from the dude that backed into it.

So far I havn't shot myself in the foot. Why? Because ive been sensible. The 20v can be a volatile engine cause of its fiddly head, but ive looked after it and not kicked its ***** every time i get behind the wheel. Buy a lemon and you will regret it.

DONT drive it into the ground cause you start bad habits. DONT buy a 1k lemon, cause its a 1k lemon and will **** up more than you can imagine.

But as i state before its my opinion... SO far everyone i know who has bought a 1k trash heap, has regretted wasting that grand

A completely valid opinion. I only disagree with it because you make the assumption of people being sensible :)