I am getting my first car soon...

[Cobra]

Allright guys,

I've held off for a while before posting this, because I still felt bad about OT. Now that it's getting better, I'll post this up.

I am very excited. I am buying my first ever car. My parents were going to trade it in (they bought it new), but Nissan offered significantly lower for it than they expected. I got a loan from my grandfather, and I am buying it for £2,800. It's a 2000 Nissan Almera E 1.5l with 46,000 miles on the clock. Insurance, however, is £800 for one year and that's just Third Party, Fire & Theft...

I am unsure as to whether I can really afford to keep a car (being a student and all) and I would prefer to avoid getting into financial trouble but I suppose I'll just have to try it on and see.

Here is what it looks like (same colour, too - horrible, isn't it?):



I should be getting it in about 4-10 weeks time.

Cobra

[pyrate83]

Whoa, deja vu.

[BJ_M]

same kind of car ?





just kidding -- nice car and congrats ...

[snafu099]

Yes, congratulations!
Your first car is one to remember.

Take care of it, drive sensablly, the live you save could be your own.
Don't loan your car to others, you are the one financially responsible
Don't let the fact that you have wheels interfy with school
Enjoy the freedom it gives you, but in a sensable way

Just a senior citizen reliveing his, childrens experiences and anticipating those of grandchildren and great grandchildren

How you handle the new found freedom/responsibility will greatly affect things in the future.

Enjoy

[lordsmurf]

The car looks fine to me. It's not ugly, it is not loaded with miles, and it's not expensive. Insurance is nuts though.

[ZAPPER]

Just looks like a plain car to most. But I bet that in Cobras' eyes it has a glowing halo around it Just kidding dude. Don't worry, in a few years and with a clean driving record the insurance will be just as high And you thought that video was a high dollar hobby, just wait until it needs brakes and tranny work and tires and the list goes on...

Shucks it has four doors, turn that puppy into a taxi and make some real money!

Anyhow, happy motoring!

[hech54]

Right off the bat there is one thing wrong with your new car Cobra.
The steering wheel is on the wrong side....

[Cobra]

I've actually been driving for coming up three years. I have had the use of a 1.8 Toyota Avensis (I learned in this) and a 2.5 Vauxhall Omega before this car, so it is by far the least powerful car I have driven. I have been driving the Almera for a year and a half now as a named driver, but it will certainly be nice to have a car of my own that I can use anytime!

Hech - Pah! It's you guys who are all on the wrong side of the road. :P

Snafu - some good advice there. I will be sure to follow it. Zapper - you're spot on, mate!

Cobra

[hech54]

I drove a Toyota Supra Twin-Turbo 300HP when they first came out in America....talk about a never-ending gas pedal....GEEZ that thing was scary fast.
I have a 2.2 liter Celica GT back home in the states. It's only 135HP but it is good enough for me.
I also owned a 2.8 liter 150HP Toyota Celica Supra...but it was an automatic transmission.
Toyotas are great cars. I've owned mostly VW's and Toyotas most of my life....and one awesome 1978 Ford F-150 4x4 with a 351M cubic inch V8....that truck is the vehicle I miss most I think.

[pacmania_2001]

Have you decided on a name yet for your car?

You've gotta name your car in case you didn't know.

[hoyboy]

Seems very cheap for a late model car

[pbhalerao]

Good car for the value. Be extra careful on M25.

[northcat_8]

Shucks it has four doors, turn that puppy into a taxi and make some real money!

Anyhow, happy motoring!

Or you could lay down the back seats, put in an air matress and make it a shaggin wagon

[Cobra]

Seems very cheap for a late model car

I suspect Nissan offered a lower-than-normal price for it, so they can make a profit by selling it on at the real market value. It's my parents who are selling it, so I know it's in perfect condition.

pbhalerao - what's on the M25?

Cobra

EDIT - I just got a nice keyring. It's a rectangular steel keyring with a silver satin finish. It's got the Univeristy logo on one side, and I've had my surname engraved into the other side. It's really nice - I've got it hanging up waiting for the car keys now.

[northcat_8]

Seems very cheap for a late model car

I suspect Nissan offered a lower-than-normal price for it, so they can make a profit by selling it on at the real market value. It's my parents who are selling it, so I know it's in perfect condition.

pbhalerao - what's on the M25?

Cobra

EDIT - I just got a nice keyring. It's a rectangular steel keyring with a silver satin finish. It's got the Univeristy logo on one side, and I've had my surname engraved into the other side. It's really nice - I've got it hanging up waiting for the car keys now.

You found a keyring with "Wanker" engraved on the back?? :P

[Cobra]

Yeah mate - you want it? It'd suit ya! :P

[makntraks]

Dude, In all the time I've "known" you, I always thought you to be older.......

Enjoy the car though....

makntraks

[zzyzzx]

Seems very cheap for a late model car

The sales price appears to be based upon the dealer trade in offered, so that's why it's cheap. Insurance at ~ $1500/year sounds expensive until you figure in Cobra's age, which I am assuming is rather young.

[BJ_M]

$1500 a year is avg insurance in Canada where we get shafted royally ..

[pchan]

It's real cheap to own in Canada. It cost about US$40K for 1,600cc Japanese car in Singapore. Each can be used for 10 yrs. Gas price is US$3.60 per gallon.

Edit - forgot about my location.

[zzyzzx]

$1500 a year is avg insurance in Canada where we get shafted royally ..

What does insurance cost you anyway? I pay about $700/year and have no collission and very minimal coverage.

[Tool Man]

Trade-in price sounds about right.

http://www.parkers.co.uk/pricing/used_car/valuation.aspx?deriv=18526&plate=63&pay=fals...buyorsell=sell

[BJ_M]

2 new vehicles (2005 both) , full coverage on both (one is a mid SUV) ..

$2500 a year for both -- perfect driving record , no claims .. one is rated for long distance high millage which adds to the cost .. this is pretty cheap as i get it through a group plan (UNION Owned and operated) which reduces the cost about 10-15% at the least ..

the rates here have doubled in the last 8-10 years .. and the insurance companies are making record profits.

from the toronto star today:

"Dan Twomey keeps reading about insurance profits and hearing his premiums should come down 10 per cent.

And then he gets his bill.

He and his wife Judy will pay $1,686 to insure their two cars this year, eight per cent more than last year. They say they have spotless driving records with no claims of any sort, no tickets and no accidents. And they shopped around for the cheapest price.

"Now I ask myself ... why does my insurance keep going up?" Twomey wrote the Toronto Star in an email. "Our good driving never seems to be rewarded with decreasing rates. ... I keep doing everything right and I keep paying more."

It's no wonder insurance companies are so easy to hate. Canadian home and auto insurers broke all records last year with an estimated $4.2 billion profit and a 20.6 per cent return on equity."

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c...acodalogin=yes

[shelbyGT]

Have you decided on a name yet for your car?

You've gotta name your car in case you didn't know.

I need help with mine. I know it's a girl, so it has to be a girl name to name it. Aside from that, I can't think of anything.

[BJ_M]

nicky

[BJ_M]

lolita

[Cobra]

I am 20 years old.

I've held a clean licence for three years now, been driving all that time too. I have no no-claims bonus though since I was a named driver or a company car driver.

That's why I get hammered for insurance. So many boy racers pushing my premiums up.....

[Guest]

nice first ride. I had hoopties thru college.

[hoyboy]

I pay around $400 a year for full coverage- on a 1999 nissan navara ute though- not the newest on the market. I am pushing 30 so that prob. has something to do with it.

[shelbyGT]

I pay 575 every 6 months on my car. Full coverage 500/500 deductibles. Not bad, I'm only 24. One more year and then it goes down... yes!