Whats an ideal first car?

I presume you are in the UK as the question is on the UK site.

I've recently bought an ageing (1997) 3 door mk3 VW Polo 1.0 as a stopgap car (due to my truck's engine self destructing) and drove it the length of the UK (600+ miles) overnight.

Despite being a 1.0 it managed it with no problems, cruised at 60-70 and used a ridiculously small amount of fuel.

Seems a good basic little car, got it for £300 with 50,000 miles on the clock and the insurance is £8.80 a month compared to nearly £40 for my old truck, think it is a group 3 so shouldn't be too bad even for a new driver.

Looking around parts seem to be pretty cheap and readily available. Also the car is basic and simple so working on it shouldn't be too hard for DIY or too expensive if you use a garage.

Hope this helps :-)

Sure. Any Mazda product about ten years old will do the work you wish. It must be inspected by a mechanic, of course, as people tend to neglect service and repairs. But you must hunt for the car. It will take effort. You know where on the planet you are located and what is available on the market. The MX3 or MIata is a two seat sports car with a convertible top. This model has been around for decades and is basically bullet proof with proper care. It is small. It has a fuel efficient engine, lots of cars around to select a proper one. With two seats you will not be forced to be a taxi to family and friends. With a small trunk you cannot go shopping for refrigerators. It is easy to park as well. I recommend it and I hope it meets your requirements. As to being a first car I must assume you are sixteen years in age. I prefer seventeen for kids to have their own vehicle and only after more driving lessons are completed. Yes, after a license is acquired, basically training wheels for a new driver, there is ample need for further training and education as to driving a car. Driving is about psychology, science, culture and education. AAA offers excellent courses. Look only for "teen driving courses" in your area. Teens have an annual crash rate of over one million. ONE MILLION. That is a lot of daily accidents. And these are the reported ones! There is also a need to be very careful as to the hour of the day, who rides with you, the activities you do while driving, etc. to consider. For the first six months, yes, six months, I recommend you drive exclusively to school and not with any friends nor family. I recommend that you read the car manual and the publications issued by your state to get a license. Also do this. Go to "Wreckedexotics.com" to see photos of people with money but with no brains to get trained driving their powerful and expensive cars. Tragic consequences. As to insurance, well, there is no way to get around that. Whatever it the cost that shall be the cost. Good luck and get started on your search for this car online. It can take weeks or months. Bye.

Go for a toyota corolla, or vw polo both good and would be a good used purchase as japanese and german cars are reliable and wont cost a lot to insure

I would say Peugeot 206 1.1L

Very cheap to buy and run. Also cheap insurance.

Vauxhall Corsa 53-56Plate - £1500 to buy - £3000 max to insure

VW Polo E (6n2) - £1500 to buy - £3000 max to insure

Citreon C2 - £2000 to buy - £2700 to minimum to insure

Citroen C1 - £2500 minimum to buy - £2200 minimum to insure

Ford Ka - £1200 max to buy - £2500 maximum to insure

Hope this helps

Thanks

buy a: midsize dodge or toyota pickup truck.

like a TACOMA or a dodge midsize. one.