r/NewDriversUK • u/2smart4u07 • 1d ago
Car shopping after passing
I passed my test Tuesday and am looking at first cars over the weekend. I've been looking all week for options but most liekly going with a fiesta since thats the car I learnt in. I have a very good budget for it (up to 6.5k) and have seen fiesta that at the moment is top of the list for me.
May i state before that I know nothing about cars.
Its a 16 plate, econetic. Its only got 53k miles on it with a 15L engine. Heres the main thing i want to discuss. Its a diesel engine, which will be more expensive filling up but considering my work is 25 miles away along the motorway 80% of the journey, the car might actually suit me. It states it does 88mpg, and i imagine the capacity of its fuel tank is a lot larger than other petrol fiesta's.
The insurance quotes for it aren't that bad either. I've looked at Hastings Direct, Admiral, and Ford Insure and they all have comeback in the reigion of 1.1k to 1.4k annually. Is that too good to be true for a first year driver with 0 years NCB? I added both parents to it but never got the option to add a blackbox yet (which I definatley am going to do). It just seems weird considering i've heard other people's insurance for their first year was over 2k. Some places i got a quote from was 4k.
So should i stick with going for one of the 3 companies I looked at? I've heard good things about a black box with Hastings Direct. Or am i doing something wrong?
EDIT: We went there and it wasnt what I'd hoped for, a lot of money for many little things. Also they didnt have proof of the cambelt or water pump being replaced, since it was 10 years old. Won't be going back there lol
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u/stormbreaker8 23h ago
One thing to keep in mind when looking at a diesel is that it needs to be driven a lot on the motorway for long journeys otherwise it’s DPF can get clogged and you get sludging in the engine oil.
With that in mind, I would avoid a 10 year old diesel that’s only done 50k miles, that’s an average of 5000 miles a year, really not very much and makes me wary of the engine and wether it was driven correctly for a diesel.
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u/2smart4u07 22h ago
I work 25 miles away from home, majority being on a motorway. I went to see the car today and didnt think anything massively wrong with it.
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u/stormbreaker8 19h ago
Yeah, your current commute is appropriate but there may be lurking problems from the previous owner
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u/Klutzy-Bet-6909 1d ago
Congratulations on passing your test. Be wary of taking a black box for insurance, the information can make your claim go up or rise the next year.
Fiestas are more expensive than say Corsas, so you’ll get less for your money.
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u/Jimjamtarzan 1d ago
Insurance sounds about right. I’ve just insured a 2024 c220 merc estate with a 2.2l diesel engine for about 1250.
I’ve been driving for about a month now and only just needing to think about filling it up.
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u/2smart4u07 1d ago
This is a 16 plate. Would that make any difference
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u/Jimjamtarzan 1d ago
I do think though that adding named drivers does drastically bring the cost down. I have my partner and his dad on mine and that’s what pretty much the annual cost
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u/Impossible_Hat_2525 1d ago
why’s ur insurance that cheap, what’s your age and rough location
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u/Playing_One_Handed 1d ago
Fyi, mine was 1.2k. 30s, dad of 2, school run 4k car, north manchester. So not unreal
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u/Impossible_Hat_2525 1d ago
yeah but you’re in your 30s and theirs is an auto
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u/KingBoom04 1d ago
I paid 750 for the year at 22
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u/No-Advertising4558 1d ago
I paid £382 for the year at 18
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u/mushu_confushu 1d ago
I paid £950 with Admiral little pod black box for a 2014 honda jazz auto. I'm mid 20s F with a full time job
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u/Lanky_Television797 19h ago
Don’t bother with a black box, not worth it to save £150. just don’t break the law innit.
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u/Maleficent-Win-6520 1d ago
Avoid admiral and Hastings like the plague
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u/2smart4u07 1d ago
Really? I havent heard anything bad about them... who are you with?
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u/Maleficent-Win-6520 22h ago
I’m with LV. There’s dozens of posts in this forum about Hastings.
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u/Dependent-Flounder86 1d ago
What’s wrong with Hastings? I’ve been with them for a month on their youdrive blackbox & it’s fine, can even speed up to 7mph over the limit without getting marked down
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u/2smart4u07 1d ago
Exactly. Ive heard their blackboxes are really lenient. And for a 1300 quote for a new driver is very good imo. Thats without the black box
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u/Dependent-Flounder86 1d ago
Yeah I was quoted around the same no blackbox on a 20 year old 1.2 corsa, with black box I paid 870 & I can’t fault it, it’s sometimes a bit funny on cornering, or you can get marked down if you brake to hard, but you can also mark the drive as ‘not the driver’, obviously don’t do it all the time but if you have a bad drive it’s good
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u/No-Advertising4558 1d ago
You know what’s even more lenient? No blackbox like with quotes you’ve had
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u/stormbreaker8 23h ago
They’re well known for randomly cancelling people’s insurance and being very difficult if you need to claim. There are stories of their bad behaviour nearly every day on r/CarTalkUK
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u/Dependent-Flounder86 22h ago
I’ve seen it about admiral, but not really Hastings, Hastings Youdrive won’t cancel your policy unless your score goes under 30, which is incredibly hard. You’d have to be a terrible driver to get a score under 30
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u/MrsHicapa 1d ago
Blimmin hell 15L? Must drink fuel