First Car Planning Covered

You may have imagined from an early age what your first car will be, but your dream car is not always achievable or realistic. It’s a good idea to look past the colour of the car or what radio it has and look into how much the car will cost you in the long run. You can avoid the shock of how much the tax and insurance of your first car may be before you purchase by comparing and evaluating them before you commit yourself to buying. So, when looking for your first car use websites such as Whatcar.com and Parkers.co.uk to help you filter out the pros and cons from such a huge selection of cars available to you as a first time driver.

First Car Things To Watch For

Tax All cars are categorised into a tax band which is based on how much co2 the car emits. Look out for some new cars that do not need tax as they produce less than 100g/km emissions and therefore fall into Tax Band A. Having no tax is a huge advantage to have, as it will save you both money and the hassle of renewing every 6 months – 1 year. So it is certainly something worth looking into before you commit yourself to buying a car. Remember that from October you will not need to display a tax disc on your car as tax is going digital! Insurance Groups This can get complex so we are going to skip the jargon. The car you buy will fall into an insurance group depending on the car, your postcode and your age. The lower the insurance group the cheaper your car will be, so watch out before you buy.Size Does Matter You may want to consider getting a small car for your first car so that you are not out of your depth and feel as though you are in total control of the car you are driving. Look at the dimensions of various cars and compare them to what you think you’ll be comfortable with. We have compared 4 of our favourite first cars and as you can see some have benefits in some areas more than others. However, with enough research you will find what is right for you. Mini Hatchback: 2006 – 2013 Length 3699 mm – Width 1913 mm Insurance group – 8 Tax – 12 months = £110 KA: 1996-2008 Length 3629 mm – Width 1827mm Insurance group – 10 Tax – 12 months – £180 Ford Fiesta Zetec: 2002-2008 Length 3918mm – Width – 1907mm Insurance group – 9 Tax – 12 months – £145 Volkswagen Polo Hatchback: 2002-2009 Length 3916mm – Width – 1650mm Insurance group – 4 Tax – £145 So before you buy your first car think about the practical side of things. As a new road user doing a bit of research will not only help you to get the best deal at the time but also save you money in the long run.