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cheap, but not too awful-looking car for an 18yr old?

i'm learning how to drive atm and will hopefully pass in the next few weeks and really, really want a car as my college is miles away and i'm really starting to hate public transport. car insurance is so expensive though and my parents aren't rolling in cash - plus the fact that my 3 younger siblings are at private schools so which car/type of car is quite cheap to insure and run? thanks =]

Public Comments

1. get a toyota tercel they are about as cheap on everything as you are going to get. The whitehawk and redhawk look sporter and are for the young. most tercels come with 2 doors. good luck
2. A 1990s Ford Explorer (suv), Probe (2 door coupe), or Taurus (4 door sedan), should be cheap, dependable, and the insurance shouldn't be bad, insurance usually is higher for sports/muscle cars and trucks, so these are good choices.... here are links to pictures of these vehicles: Explorer pics: http://www.theautochannel.com/media/photos/ford/1998/98_ford_explorer_sport.jpg http://www.edmunds.com/media/reviews/lists/ten_best_selling_vehicles/01.ford.explorer.500.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/12/1997fordexplorerside4.jpg Probe Pics: http://landark.tripod.com/cars/newcars/probe.jpg http://edit.81x.com/Authors/daniel_depetro/1997%20Ford%20Probe%20GTS/1995_Ford_Probe_left_front.JPG http://www.diyautotune.com/images/tech/probe.jpg Taurus: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Ford_Taurus_SHO_%28second-gen%29.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2077/1682972089_ea05c937d3.jpg http://forum.avtoindex.com/foto/data/media/37/Ford_Taurus_1992-95_30.jpg i like the explorer and probe more than the Taurus...
3. - Toyota Celica - Acura Integra - Honda Prelude Those are easy to find for under 2000 even under 1000. My husband just bought a 91 celica for $750. It needed alot of work (about $500 worth) but my FIL is a mechanic and he is fixing it up really nice. We were in a hurry and just picked something cheap and didn't verify that it was smogged first - so our fault. But if you wait and verify the quality of the car and take a mechanic or at least a guy or your dad with you to check it out - you could find a good reliable one for $1000-1500 or so. The best reliable brands are Toyota and Honda then I guess Nissan. Here are some examples of nice looking cheap cars: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/cto/1602658461.html http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/1604553332.html http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/cto/1598318881.html http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/cto/1607096439.html http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/1606731148.html You want to look for - Clean Title - Current on registration - Smogged (they should be able to present you with certificate) - Same name on the title as the person selling it you (because they must sign it) - No weird title issues - No major engine problems If you have less than that to spend - http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/1606550878.html http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/1607123722.html If you have MORE than that to spend - http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/1606490652.html http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/ctd/1605772797.html http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/cto/1605514358.html Or did you mean new car..? If you meant new car: Hands down either a Scion or a Toyota: The Scion TC starts at 18k and is 2 door sporty. The Toyota Yaris starts at 12k. VERY easy to drive. Looks nice. Very easy & cheap to maintain and insure. The Toyota Corolla starts at 15k and is very sporty & gorgeous. I have a dark blue 2003 type S with tinted windows and spoiler and it looks sooo nice especially when clean & shiny..
4. look into ford focus
5. Stay below 1.2 litre engine, not sporty and over 5 years old but.... There are many factors which are used by the insurer to calculate the risk and so the premium they charge for car insurance - these are mainly; 1 Age and sex of the policyholder (who must be the Main driver, and registered keeper) and that of any additional drivers. 2. The cars age, mileage, value, insurance group, security and the companies own claims history for that vehicle 3. The occupation of the policyholder and any named drivers 4. The claims history of any drivers 5. The licence details of drivers (endorsements, length of time held) 6. Where the car is normally kept overnight (is it the policyholders address? on road is more expensive than on a drive which is more expensive than in a locked garage. 7. What use will the car be insured for, social and domestic is the minimum but if commuting and use for the policyholders business or their employers business is added the price increases. If used to commute where is the car to be parked when there - on road or in a car park. 8. Does the car have any modifications from the standard factory fresh condition like alloy wheels or performance enhancements - some insurers will refuse to cover modified cars, some will increase the price and some will cover them but only for return to standard. You need to tell the full truth about everything asked and inform them of any changes to any of the details disclosed as the policy goes on - failing to do that can render it null and void. Some younger drivers consider putting the car and insurance in a parents name with the parent as a fraudulent main driver and them as an occasional named driver to cut the premiums. This common scam is called "Fronting" and is an illegal act which can get parent and son/daughter into a lot of long lasting expensive troubles. See this BBC news article for more detail http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/moneybox/7052569.stm Most insurers offer a monthly payment scheme and most need about 15% up front to start the cover. the scheme is usually in the form of a loan and so interest is charged - this can be as much as 25% APR. This is usually at rate which is higher than most credit cards even charge so look at other ways to borrow the money to spread the cost if possible as it will be cheaper. With a few minor differences these are the questions you will be asked before being given a quote. Not having supplied these details on Yahoo Answers, and who would, it is impossible to give a guess of a price for you to within even £1000 for a younger newly qualified driver.
6. It should be 4-door, 4-cyls, not sporty. I would prefer Honda or Toyota... First time drivers usually have much more expensive car insurance, and it depends from car. You should compare insurance rates while choosing the car - for example here - carinsurance.yoll.net