Which Car

E

Eagleeyes

Full member
Points
66
Car
Vw Golf 1.6
Hi guys, ill soon be doing my driving lessons and test, and then be looking for a car but have been having trouble knowing what to go for.

Im looking for a 1.6 litre car, but its need to have fairly good insurance (only 18) and be able to pick up the car for around £2000, could probably stretch that a bit though.

Preferebly id like something that is stylish and is repected, which is what i like about the mk iv golfs, but ive also been looking at mk1 focus' and also mk iv astra's, all these have decent insurance. But i dont know which is best and if there is any other cars im missing.

Cheers.
 
Where abouts are you from? Any ideas which insurance groups would be in your price range? I think a 1.6 will still be pretty steep at age 18.

What about the Rover 216? (The 214 SEi is pretty quick.)

The Golf is the sensible buy and will last a long time but you may just as well look at the equivalent SEAT as you will get more car for your money and they share the same engines/parts as the Golf.
 
The car doesnt havent to be a 1.6 but anything more is too much to insure and alot of cars that are smaller are too slow although there are some nice light cars out there which can do just as well.

Also im from Lincolnshire in the U.K. As for insurance most of the cars ive been looking at are group 6 but some that are group 7 arent too bad, just depends on the car. Best quote ive had for the golf is about £1800 which i could afford, just. But im hoping i can ring up and get it lower when the time comes as a mate who lives near me got insured on a 1.6, which was worse insurance group for about £1500.
 
But insurance will be rediculous because they have a reputation as your typical boy racers car. Which is fairly true of the Saxos lol.
 
Have you looked at Bora's? My mates just bought a 1.9tdi (110) for £3k so I'm sure you could stretch your budget and get a decent one for around £2.5k as his is a minter. It'll be high mileage but the engines are bullet-proof. He's 20 and has written off a car so the insruance is still fair.
 
The Zetec 1.6 is a cracker of an engine in the Focus.

The 1.8 TDCi model is nice. Don't bother with the TDdi models - they're old technology.

The Astra of the age you're considering is totally outclassed by the Focus of the same era in terms of quality and drivability.

The other car you might consider is the Nissan Almera. Not immediately obvious as a choice but the 1.6 and even the 1.4 petrols go very well indeed. They come with built in Nissan reliability as well. Don't get a 2.0 Diesel one - Nissan's own diesel engines are nasty.

The Golf 1.9 TDi models can be very good. 90bhp edition is a bit of a slug, 110 much better.
 
There's a good Tigra in skeg which I'd recomend (naturally as I own one)

If you know where coningsby is there is a 1.4 V reg Golf being sold there for £1,095. It has a full body kit (though the tit broke the front and back getting it onto the curb) Koni springs and shocks, duel exhaust laser backbox, fully tinted though the front tints are probably illegal, leather bucket seats, bx raceing alloys, low profile tyres, de-badged, speakers in the rear parcel shelf. Just had a replacement cambelt, waterpump, clutch, gearbox and more, a little rust but it's treatable. Also don't hold me to this but I'm pretty sure I saw an intercooler which means it's probably turbo-charged inall.

I would have thought you're better off looking at 1.4s then 1.6 as under 1.5 is what useually brings the cheaper insurance and Tax. I'll recomend Rover 25's as they are good looking hatchbacks, handle very well, not too slugish and preform brilliantly in a crash, It depends what sort of car you're looking for though, if a hatchback i think a Clio is probably the best out there, the focus is probably the top hatchback but at 1.4 they're sluggish due to there weight, or so i've heard
 
Last edited:
agree with MasterAuron have a look at the boras, theres not much more weight in them over the golf, cheaper insurance than the golf and, yes im being biased, better looking than the golfs which are on every street corner.

if you do go down this route look towards the diesels. as the 1.6 twin cam is rather slow ( wife has one ) and dont thinkt the boras were fitted with the 1.4. also stay away from the 2.0 petrol units as they are very asmatic most 1.6s will leave them
 
Thanks for the replys guys.

I have had a look at the bora's and diesel golfs but unfortunately the insurance for the diesels, both golf and bora even the 1.9 90's the insurance is more than the 1.6 petrols.

As for 1.4 golf's, i do like the cheaper insurance but because they weigh so much they are slower than most 1.2's on acceleration. Also i am looking ideally for a hatchback but i need something that is fairly spacious because im tall and ive been in things like corsa's and clio's and they are a bit cramped.
 
Eagleeyes said:
Thanks for the replys guys.

I have had a look at the bora's and diesel golfs but unfortunately the insurance for the diesels, both golf and bora even the 1.9 90's the insurance is more than the 1.6 petrols.

As for 1.4 golf's, i do like the cheaper insurance but because they weigh so much they are slower than most 1.2's on acceleration. Also i am looking ideally for a hatchback but i need something that is fairly spacious because im tall and ive been in things like corsa's and clio's and they are a bit cramped.
Click to expand...

Yeh Corsas are a bit cramped, peugeot are quite spacious I found, as was the C3 (the other C's might be as well, I dunno, not tried them) That golf would beat a 1.2 due to it's modifications, but then of course, you're looking at higher insurance for a car moded like that.
 
ye, i think its going to be out of the golf or the focus, but i dont know which i prefer, the focus' are cheaper to pick up and slightly cheaper to insure but i prefer the looks of the golf and the idea they are more uncommon for someone my age and i also prefer the interior. Tough one.
 
Like I said before I've heard that the focus with the smaller engines in, as in, not a 1.8 or 2.0 is sluggish because they're so heavy. But other then that I would go with a focus every time. I really wouldn't say they are more common though, Golfs are common, almost as common as your corsas saxos and fiestas. It's all personal preferance though.
 
CitizenErazed said:
Like I said before I've heard that the focus with the smaller engines in, as in, not a 1.8 or 2.0 is sluggish because they're so heavy. But other then that I would go with a focus every time. I really wouldn't say they are more common though, Golfs are common, almost as common as your corsas saxos and fiestas. It's all personal preferance though.
Click to expand...

Believe me the 1.6 zetec focus isn't sluggish. It's not the fastest thing in the world but it does ok.
 
CitizenErazed said:
I really wouldn't say they are more common though, Golfs are common, almost as common as your corsas saxos and fiestas. It's all personal preferance though.
Click to expand...

Focus' are very common. Corsas, Puntos, Saxos, Fiestas etc etc are common because they are cheap though, whereas Golfs are common because they are solid. 1.6 Focus' and 1.6 Golfs ARE sluggish imo. Underpowered for their weight.

If you prefer the looks of the Golf inside and out, stop being so tight and get one! lol. If you're going to buy a car, buy something you want, not something you have to make do with.
 
The earlier Focus (98-05) gave a good account of itself with the 1.6 Zetec engine.

I agree that it's not a fast car in anyone's estimation but it does get on with the job at hand in a pleasant and unfussed kind of a way.

What sets the Focus apart from the competition is the gorgeous handling. Not just grippy but very precise and measured in its responses.

The 1.8 TDCi is a quicker prospect but the extra mass of the diesel engine up front does take the edge off the chassis' brilliance.

I think Ford also offered a 1.4 litre petrol version. I haven't driven one but I imagine it might feel to be slightly underpowered.
 
ooo yes

Vauxhall Corsa Hatchback (03-06) 1.2i 16V Energy (80ps) 3d

0-60 in 11.8s!

That beats just about every other 1.2 car and even quite a fair few of the 1.4s :)

When I said extremely quick , I meant for a 1.2 ;)
 
10.6 is still pretty lazy.

Is 0-62 really that representative of real world performance.

Diesel cars don't give of their best in this test. It's why I don't bother posting 0-62 (0-100km/h) times.

Midrange torque is what makes a car eminently driveable.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Please watch this on my YouTube channel & Subscribe.


Back
Top