Clio, WHICH ONE!

[the1]

Hi I need your opinions plz . I have got my driving test in a couple of weeks and am thinking about getting a new car when I pass (when ever that my be) my test. I am currently 21 and am learning to drive in a Clio 1.5dci. Right my dilemma is that as a first car I would like to get a brand new Clio 1.6 16v Dynamique or Second hand Clio 172 (cuss i am planing to keep the car for at least five years or more). What do you guys think?...



I have already had a look at some insurance quotes for Clio 172 (I was quite surprised that I could get insuanced) ranging from the radiculas fee of £11,000 (yes no LIE) to the cheapest so far which around £3,600. All my mates at work think am daft and do you???



I would really like your opinions Cheers....

 

[Dan##]

think a 172 as a first car would be a bit mad, i would have been dangerous in something with that power! once uve passed your test, thats when you start really driving, i think a 172 would be too powerful! get a dynamique or something similar, then when youve got bored of that, you can venture onto something with some more power!

 

[Daipac]

Personally mate I think that paying £3,600 for insurance is riduclous but that is just my opinion. Depends how much money you have to spend I suppose.

I started off on 1.4s and 1.6s when I passed my test and I am glad I did. Think I would have wrapped up a 172 if I had it when I first started driving to be honest and would probably have killed myself !

Just because you pass your test doesnt mean you know how to drive IMHO, I still had loads to learn even after I passed.

It would be nice to have a 172 but then that money for insurance could go towards something much more worthwhile IMHO. I personally would go for the 1.6 for year or so, get some NCB and then work up to the 172.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Funkyjahooner]

I think you would be mad to pay that much insurance.Go fo the 1.6 because its cheaper to insure and you will save loads of money with just the insurance alone.Keep it a few years and with a bit more experience under your belt and a few years no claims then go for a higher performance car.



Thats my opinion !

 

[Tim172]

I think a lot of the guys on here will recommend starting with something lower, although there is always the view that if you can afford it then why not?

Personally Id probably go for a 1.6 as its a little less powerful, but then 5 years is a very long time for regrets on "what could have been" gotta do whats right for you but be careful new to the road when a lot of people might want to take you on and racing with little/no experience would be a very bad thing indeed!

 

[Martin]

3.6k!!! I know its boring but Id say save your money, spending that much on insurance is just silly. Id say go for a 1.6 16v or a Mk1 Clio 1.8 16v.

 

[Karen]

Personally I wouldnt go for a brand new car after just having passed a driving test, there is still a lot to learn on the road! No offence, but surely a 2.0l car for a new driver is a recipe for disaster?! Arent new drivers limited by engine size??? I would wait at least a year before going for either of those options, get some proper driving experience and wait for the insurance to come down a bit however dull and frustrating it seems.

 

[the1]

Cheers 4 comments. Eveybody seems to be echoing the same comments, but i am thinking about long term. Cuss what I dont want is to have a brand new car or second hand car for a year than to trade in later. I havent got that much dosh ...

 

[Dash]

I think if you get a 2.0 first car, there may not be a long term.

Sorry

 

[the1]

You are right, but you could say that with any car and engine size..FACT..

 

[Martin]

If cash is tight why are you willing to spend 3.6k on insurance?

 

[Funkyjahooner]

Quote: Originally posted by the1 on 10 July 2004

Cheers 4 comments. Eveybody seems to be echoing the same comments, but i am thinking about long term. Cuss what I dont want is to have a brand new car or second hand car for a year than to trade in later. I havent got that much dosh ...

Thats the 172 off the list then.....£3600 and not much dosh dont go together.You would be mad to pay that just for insurance with a limited budget.

With it being your first car you are going to have the odd scrape and scuff,do you want that on a new car ? Its going to happen as a new driver...get yourself an old banger for £500,cheap to insure and not the end of the world if the odd mishap happens ! After a year you will have some no claims and experience...then change.

Look at Wayne Rooney...passed his test and could of had any car he liked,but his first car was a Ford Ka,he has a bit of experience and now hes moved up to a Focus St 170....Sensible lad.

 

[Toypop]

3600 for insurance is a joke.

Why dont you get a second hand car like a Cavaliar or Vectra SRI? They will only cost a couple of thousand to buy and you can just get 3rd party insurance that will be a lot cheaper.


Drive it for a few years and then sell it. If the car is 3k you might lose £1500 over those few years. A new Dynamique will lost double that in a year and a second hand 172 about that amount per year....


A Cav SRI will be quick compared to cars ur mates are driving and if you live long enough will train you well for stepping up to the 172.

 

[the1]

No what I meant was that I have the money now but may not have that sort of money to spend on a car every couple of years...

 

[DAVE_RSi]

well save it up then m8, get a 1.4 1.6 or valver or sumin for about 2-3k max and then save the rest of the money, get sum driving experience and sum no claims, then move up, its not worth paying that much on insurance m8, it really isnt!!

I know ur thinkin that u wont do anythin 2 ur new car, but u will scrape it or have a lil crash, expecially a car like that with that much power, u dont wana b smashin that up do ya, a cheaper car wouldnt b the end of the world 4 ya

my first was a 1.1 rover metro and that was plenty fast enough 4 me for a first car and it didnt matter that it got scratched up and ragged as it was only fairly cheap, if u get a 172 u will regret it in the long term, short term ok ull love it but its only a matter of time till u regret it, payin that much 4 insurance is a bad start.

soz 2 knock u back on ya dreams m8 but were just thinking of whats best 4 u in the long and short term

.Dave

 

[FATBOY]

i was one of the metro boys! A reg austin metro was my first!!!!

 

[DAVE_RSi]

i loved me metro, was light and nippy when pulling away, gd fun, ended up gettin totally ragged though, gd old rover, was a gd runner at only 55k on the clock,

then got written off when a drunk driver hit me head on rip metty

 

[Scribbler]

It may be £3600 to start with but once you get a taste of that 172bhp kick you will be driving way beyond your own limits in no time. The car doesnt suffer fools even with abs. You will wrap it wround a tree and if you do live which is doubtfull then think how high your insurance will be the following year thats if they let you drive at all. I would seriously consider getting a 1.2 to slow yourself down, a learner can do some serious damage in one of those. This is real life m8 not computer simulation.

 

[Chris1.4RT]

£200 a month for insurance?! WTF?! Youre crazy for even considering this. Every person you see out on the roads who has a decent car started somewhere lower down.

Dont let pride get in the way of your finances. A 1.6 is more than enough for your first car. £200 a month ins would buy you another car. Plus, think of next year too, its still gonna be at least £1500 Id say.

I started off with a 1.4 RT coz although I REALLY wanted a 16v, I just couldnt afford the ins and well as my loan. In the end I loved that RT and it brok my heart getting rid of it. I still had loads of fun in it, and to be fair, I often like being the underdog in a race.

Go for a 1.6,best value all round. Youll get a 182 in a few years when youve got a few years ncb and theyve come down in price 2nd hand.

 

[Griff]

Quote: All my mates at work think am daft and do you???


Yep tbh. Get a 1.4RT. More than enough power for you.

 

[cliosportcraig]

If you get the 172 i can almost certainly say that youll crash it, i had a 1.2 for my first car and battered that about a bit.

Get a smaller engined car for a bit of experience, THEN get the 172 after a couple of years

 

[Griff]

Think about it, your still learning. What the fastest you have driven so far? 40? 60 maybe?

You might think you look impressive in a 172 but A, You will have no money left for petrol, B, You will sh1t youself as soon as you go over 70 and C, You will probably write it off.

 

[MattyMarsh]

At 17 my first car was a Fiat Uno 1.1. Smashed this up but was repaired under insurance. This doubled the cost of my insurance.

2 years later I came into some inheritance money and got a Fiat Uno Turbo. An amazing car. Insurance was £1200. After 6 months I wrote this off.

I was absolutely gutted. I loved this car. So I wouldnt recommend getting a 172. If you wrote this off you would hate yourself (as would the insurance companies)

It look another 5 years before I could afford anything half decent. Had to drive a crappy Fiat Tipo. So embarrassing.

Matthew

 

[Chris1.4RT]

Plus dont forget youll still have to find money for yearly servicing (not cheap at all), exhausts, brakes, tyres...

I nearly bought a Cup earlier this year. I could afford the car (just) and the insurance but what stopped me is that after all my other bills for rent, mobile etc, it didnt leave me enough for those things like servicing etc.

A minor prang in a 172 would mean either paying for it yourself, ouch, or going through your insurance and youd never get the price of it down each year.

Be shrewd mate. Get a 1.6, Ive heard some good stuff about them (personally Id get a 1.4 Dynamique in black look well smart).

 

[Don]

A 1.4 or a 1.6 would be your best bet. I can also guarantee that youll get bored with your first car before 5 years...plus, you can only get 6 points in first 2 years, and if you have a powerful car you risk getting caught speeding...I had a 306 1.6 as first car, and when I got my 172, I was wellying it around everywhere...stupid, but its something you do with a car. The 1.6 is an ample engine for a novice (not trying to sound rude, but you are...and people with 5,10,15,etc years experience, can get complacent with their driving "skills" and could end up hitting you, if they hit you, then they will say it is down to your inexperience, rather than their stupidity. You should just nurture your experience for the next few years, get your ncb up, and then look towards a faster car, please dont run before you can stand up.

**Im not trying to have a go, just make sure that you get a more powerful car when you are confident you can handle it, it will save you becoming another statistic. (Sorry if I sound harsh)

 

[the1]

I THANKYOU ALL for your comments . Its just that I thought about getting the 172 and takin it easy, until i have got more driving experiance then have some fun... rather than having a smaller engined car that I need to upgrade every two years or so. Its bloody expensive...

What ever i decide i will be getting a loan over 5 years anyway.

 

[Toypop]

I wouldnt get a loan over five years. I personally wont get finance on a car unless the car is under warranty for the whole finance period.

E.g. if I get a new car with 3 years warranty I will get a 3 year loan and no more.


Reason being is that when a car is not under warranty you can get unpredictable and expensive repair bills. You only have to go through the archives of this site to see instances of people having to spend a grand over the space of a couple of months on unlucky mechanical failures. Can you afford to do that and pay back loan repayments??? If you can then you dont need a loan!

On top of that you are highly likely to have an accident and that will involve paying an excess and then a higher premium the next year. Watch your budget.

If you cant afford a car under warranty get an old banger and start saving up so you can afford a decent motor without a loan (or at least a smaller shorter loan) once you have some NCB.

 

[Max172cup]

hahaha, seriously, how long do you think youll be able to take it easy in a 172? Its not a car that likes being driven slowly, and the amount of people that will be up your arse goading you to go faster will just encourage you. Theres a lot of people that have had fast first cars with the intention of taking it easy, then wrapping it around the nearest lamp post.

What are you going to do when you realise your going too fast around the corner, and back off, the backend lightens up and then your traveling backwards to the scene of the accident. Yes, this can happen in most clios, but the powerful ones get to that speed quicker and catch you out more often. Listen to all this advice youve been given, there are a lot of years of driving experience on this forum.

If your going to take out a loan over 5 years, why not wait a couple and do it, jsut get a cheap banger for the next couple of years, it doesnt need to last a life time.

Max

 

[Lagerlout]

Get the 172. In fact, buy mine. Yours for 10,500....

 

[Chris1.4RT]

Back in 2000, I got a loan for my RT over 5 years. Christ, its like a prison sentence, Id still have another 12 months to go. I paid extra payments and got it cleared after 36 months. Got my current car over 36, have 24 left and that still feels like ages. 5 years is only good if its a new car with a warranty.

Get it over 5 and youll regret it if youre on a tight budget. Any work needing doing outside warranty period can seriuosly stuff you and you end up with a loan and a visa bill, Im still paying my visa bill from my RT, 12 months after trading it in.

Mate, youre living in cloud cuckoo land. Sorry. Everyones trying to stop you making a BIG mistake financially.

 

[dangermouse_se]

Spend a 2-3k on a car you can insure for 1k or less, you play about fitting ICE, scrape the bumpers and the alloys and in a couple of years trade it in and be ready for a decent motor. Dont get a new car, look for a fairly used 16v but go down to 1.2 or 1.4 and save the insurance.

 

[Wezzie]

READ MY OPINION!!

Getting a 172 as a first car might be a bit mad but as a second car it aint to bad. I had a corsa for a year 1.4 sri when i was 17 and i never crashed it so upgraded and skipped a few steps inbetween to get a Cup. Not bothered wot people say about me im only 18 but im not any more of a threat thean the next 172 owner. Dependss how much self control you have. And how much car control for that matter.

I think paying over 3k for insurance is insane. I bought my car in my parents name which i then bennifit buy insuring it with there 6 yr ncb and im a named driver fully comp. All for 1400 plus 130 to insure my s/s exhaust. And i also can sell the car as lady owner how about that!!!

 

[Wezzie]

Also i forgot to add another sensible comment Chck chick chickdacone!!

 

[bigpoppa81]

i wouldnt pay that much for insurance on a car if it was anything over £1300, a 172 might look mint but with your driving experience it would mean you would either have broke up within the first couple of weeks or killed your self!

if i was you id get a new clio 1.2 or something and the insurance will be miles more cheaper- then id keep that for about 3 years and by then you will have a big no claims bonus and your age will mean that when you come to getting your next car it will be dirt cheap for insurance- remember cars dont disappear so by the time your 25 there will probablies be a much better clio 172 alternative and you can insure it without paying so much for insurance

 

[Iain C]

go 4 the cheeper option for a few yearsuntill u get experience in a car.

It took me 6 years to build up 2 a 172 cup. Started with a 1000cc mini and the cars have got faster since then.. Rx7 next

 

[ricjax99]

You can get a low milage N-R reg Clio RT 1.4 between £1500-2000 and keep it as long as you want, 3-4yrs NCD and you wont be wasting silly money on insurance premiums.

I mean look at it, regardless of how you "think" your going to drive a 172 is a fast car, you will drive it fast, its your first car, your inexperienced and eager this is pretty much what will happen:

Year 1:

You pay say £8000 for a decent 2nd hand Mk1/2 172

£3600 for insurance

You pay £500 (excess) for repairs, as i guarantee you will crash it.

You pay £200 on tyres as you will possibly wreck a set of 4 in a year in a 172.

You pay say £60 in one speeding charge.

Total £12,360 excluding petrol.

Year 2:

You are refused insurance. You waste £12,360 (ex. petrol) have to sell the 172 and end up with a 1.2/1.4

THE END.

 

[Yugguy]

Yep, I reckon as a young lad in a 172 you will end up racing everyone, the 172 is a car that encourages you to go very fast. Id be wanting to get something like a 1.6, not too much on the insurance, and spend my spare cash on the odd mod.

 

[David]

get the 1.6!!!! they rule.

 

[Dazz]

Yeh the 1.6s are great, BUT for a new driver i think that is till too much.

When i passed i got a 1.0 fiesta and that was fine for me for about 6 months when i got bored. I then got a 1.4rt and the speed jump was brill and i had that a year before i got bored and got my 1.6. Hopefully this one will last me 2 years or so until i get out of uni and can get a real beast

Basically if u get a fast car now, youll either crash it, wont be able to afford to keep it, or youll get bored with it in a year or two and there is no way youll be able to get anything more powerful.

Start small and enjoy each jump in power.

 

[RobFenn]

If have the money now, put it in a high interest bank account and wait a while.

You seem to really want a 172 which means you dont want it just because of the nice seats! You want to go fast..and look good, understandable but you have to be sensible and think with your head here. If i had a 172 at 17 i would be dead, no question. I just didnt have that self control. I know you are 21 but i would not attribute that age to awe inspiring maturity either..

I would try to stick to a car below 100bhp. Remember you also have to consider running costs. Can you afford a 172 gearbox when its out of warranty for example..? Think about it.

-Rob