Suitable car?

[TheInsanity1234]

Well, we've, as a family, have decided that our poor '57 Renault Clio, which we've owned from brand-new (with 120000+ miles on the clock ) should probably be retired.

This does mean we're going to be car-hunting over the summer, and we're currently looking at some cars.

The specification that it should match are:
Cheap to insure for 4 drivers, 2 are parents, 1 is sister, and 1 will be me as a Learner in December.
Pretty economical, as we're averaging 60 miles a day with the school run, (will drop to 30 when I pass).
EDIT: I will not be the main driver, as has been very clearly said by my parents.
Cheap road tax (This would probably be a feature of an economical car but yeah).
Definitely has to be a diesel (due to us owning diesels for a while, a petrol would be difficult to live with [different power curves and different pump to pick up]).
5 door, definitely.
Got to be comfortable for long-distance, as we go to Wales 3 times a year, usually.

We're currently looking at either Skoda Fabia 1.6 TDI variants, or the Ford Fiesta 1.5 TDCI Titanium.
Any suggestions?

[fungus]

My wife has a 2012 Skoda Octavia 1.6 Tdi estate which is economical and the VED is £30 per anum. I woud imagine that the Fabia would be very similar and easier and ceaper to insure with two young drivers on the insurance.

The servicing intervals are every K20000, or every two years, whichever is the sooner.

I can't comment on the Fiesta as mine is a 1.4 petrol, other than the fact that the gear box is not as good as the VAG Skoda box. It's quite common for it not to want to go into reverse. You have to go to neutral, lift the clutch up fully, then depress the clutch, and then it will go into reverse. Other than the gearbox, I can't fault the Fiesta though.

[TheInsanity1234]

My dad's '06 Ford Galaxy occasionally does that with first gear, but as you say, cycling the clutch does the trick usually.
The Fabia model we were considering was the 1.6 TDI, with a road tax of £20.
The Fiesta with its 1.5 actually goes into Band A, meaning no road tax on it.
Not sure about the insurance on the Fabia, but I know the Fiesta goes into band 9, so will be cheaper to insure than our band 13 Clio.
Our neighbours have a Fabia, and it's their second, and they say that Skoda have been a very good brand for them.
It should be mentioned that we don't intend on buying brand new, but buying a 1 year old car instead (possibly ex-demo/showroom) which makes sense since I'm going to be driving it by December, meaning there's no point in splashing out on a brand new car when I'll be driving it.
Far better to go slightly used, and later on consider brand new when the car has been run into the ground.

[TheInsanity1234]

Also want to add to the criteria:
NO RENAULT! Parents are sick to death of the Clio, as it's a nice car to drive, but such a nightmare to live with, because Renault appear to have done everything backwards meaning we can't do anything simple.
We have to take it to the garage to get the bulbs replaced, as it requires special tools that the average driver doesn't have, because the light clusters are so inaccessible.
No Citroën, no Peugeot, no Nissan.
We only want a cheap runabout, so Audi, BMW, Mercedes are all out of the equation.

[Gareth]

If it's you that will be driving 30 miles a day, you'll be the main driver at that time so, collectively, you'll be searching for a car that your family can afford to insure with you as main driver. This should be your starting point.

Try getting online quotes for car insurance in your name as sole driver for when you are 17 on a range of cars and let that guide your decision making.

[dombooth]

Fiat Bravo.

Dom

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

For most cars that don't want to go into reverse, showing them a forward gear first (e.g. third) usually does the trick. An old ex traffic officer passed that on to me, many years ago.

[martine]

I think you are wrong to rule out petrol cars - some are very efficient, sometimes better than the equivalent diesel and you'll soon get used to the differrent engine characteristics. The Ford 'eco-boost' engines are award winning esp. the 1.0l 100hp or 125hp - 3 cylinder but you wouldn't know it apart from a different engine note. Zero road tax on even the 125hp one.

Gareth makes a good point...if you're the main driver it must be insured as such...if you don't a) it's illegal (insurance fraud) and b) in the event of a claim the insurance may be nullified.

[skodatezzer]

I'm on my second Skoda, and have been very well pleased with both. Mind, they were/are both vRS's, so wouldn't suit you either for road tax or insurability!!

[TheInsanity1234]

Fiat Bravo.

Dom

Anything to back this up?
But I suspect it'd be a no, because it has to be small-ish, and I think the Bravo might be a bit too big.
Also, I'm not sure it comes in 5 door guise.

I think you are wrong to rule out petrol cars - some are very efficient, sometimes better than the equivalent diesel and you'll soon get used to the differrent engine characteristics. The Ford 'eco-boost' engines are award winning esp. the 1.0l 100hp or 125hp - 3 cylinder but you wouldn't know it apart from a different engine note. Zero road tax on even the 125hp one.

Gareth makes a good point...if you're the main driver it must be insured as such...if you don't a) it's illegal (insurance fraud) and b) in the event of a claim the insurance may be nullified.

No, we're ruling out petrol cars as we've got another car which is a diesel, and we don't want the hassle of thinking about which pump handle to pick up for which car.
Much simpler to just have both diesel and aim for the black pumps
The insurance thing has always been a confusing issue for me, as there are people, such as yourselves, who say that the person who drives it the most will have to be listed as the main driver, but other people say that it's the owner of the car that should be listed as the main.
We're going to ask our insurance company and see what they say, as I know some companies (presumably to prevent fronting) say that only the owner of the car can be listed as the main driver, e.t.c.

The insurance issue is going to have to be dealt with later on, as it has to be a small-ish sized family car, since it won't be my car, but my parent's and that's what they want.
So nobody suggest a Ka or a Mini.

[martine]

...but other people say that it's the owner of the car that should be listed as the main.

Never heard that...think about it from the insurance company's view, they are trying to gauge risk so will base the premium on who drives it the most...the owner is irrelevant.

http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/fraud-az-fronting

[dombooth]

Yes, I'm an Italian Car lover. :p

Or a Punto 2012 if you're after smaller.

Here's my Grande Punto:


Dom

[TheInsanity1234]

Just spoken with my parents.
No way in hell they'll let me drive the car so often that I'll become the main driver.
Also, I know what fronting is, and I'm not going to take the risk of doing it. If I'm driving the car more than my parents, I'll get a sodding job and pay for the extra insurance myself.
Hold on, the Punto is a Fiat, and my parents say they don't want a Fiat, so no to that
(Shame, I'd have loved one of those)

[dombooth]

Dare I ask, why not? :p

Dom

[TheInsanity1234]

Dare I ask, why not? :p

Dom

My parents just don't particularly like Fiat.
They had a Multipla, and the only good thing was the 3-abreast seating at the front.
The rest was just terrible.
Also, the only Fiat we could actually look at would be the Panda, and even then, that's not good enough.
My parents are picky.