General Easy to find the bite?

[kezzaboyz]

Personally, I wouldn't recommend the 500 Diesel as a first car either but for completely different reasons.

Can you explain your reasons for not recommending a 500 diesel as a first car? Would you recommend I get a 500 at all? I have around £14k to spend and love the look of the fiat 500 but any other car suggestions or advice would be welcome. I will be doing quite a few miles (around 1,000 a month) so a diesel appeals for economic reasons but I will admit I know little about cars so any advice about choosing would be gratefully received. Thanks

 

[RobW]

The safest car (or at least the one driven safest) is one with a sharp metal spike sticking out of the sterring wheel.

Have you seen the original 500, that had a petrol tank just in front of the steering wheel - shown in purple!

you would never want to crash that into anything! :devil:

 

[306maxi]

Can you explain your reasons for not recommending a 500 diesel as a first car? Would you recommend I get a 500 at all? I have around £14k to spend and love the look of the fiat 500 but any other car suggestions or advice would be welcome. I will be doing quite a few miles (around 1,000 a month) so a diesel appeals for economic reasons but I will admit I know little about cars so any advice about choosing would be gratefully received. Thanks

12k miles a year isn't really that much. It'll take a while for you to break even economically.

 

[RobW]

12k miles a year isn't really that much. It'll take a while for you to break even economically.

do the comparison here

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/petrol-vs-diesel/

plus diesel sounds and vibrates like a tractor

small diesels are a bit of a flawed concept, large diesels another matter

 

[RobW]

here they are done it for you

never get payback on diesel compared to 1.2

and even takes 3 years to get payback against the 1.4

so i really don't get why you would buy a diesel

 

[jrkitching]

12k miles a year isn't really that much. It'll take a while for you to break even economically.

kezzaboyz, 306maxi is almost right.

Personally, I don't think you'll ever break even on a diesel 500. Especially so if you choose the 1.2 petrol instead, which IMHO has just the right balance of power and flexibility for normal driving on today's roads. Part of the reason is that the 1.2 petrol is in its own right an extremely economical car and will easily better 50mpg in everyday use if driven carefully.

The big problem with modern diesels is that, to meet emissions legislation, they are fitted with a DPF, which has the potential to be a real maintenance headache (the AA has described them as a 'ticking time bomb'). Just google 'DPF problems' and you'll see what I mean.

If by some chance you managed to recover your initial outlay on a diesel (they are substantially more expensive), then it only takes one DPF replacement at around £1000 to put you out of the money again.

Small diesels may perhaps make sense in places where the fuel is only 2/3 of the price of petrol but in the UK, the likely increased costs of maintaining a diesel combined with the higher purchase price leave me recommending a petrol every time.

And if money is more important to you than chic looks, consider the Panda, which will give you a similar drive for around 2/3 the ££££.

 

[grimwau]

Can you explain your reasons for not recommending a 500 diesel as a first car?

Purely due to the problems I have experienced with the Diesel Particulate Filter requiring numerous regenerations.

Would you recommend I get a 500 at all?

Definitely, as a matter of fact I have placed a preliminary order for a new 500 for my wife, but this time a petrol version, lol.

Just to put your mind at rest if you do decide to go for the diesel I believe a lot of my problems were unique to my car as other diesel owners have stated that they have never suffered from them.

If you are able to include at least one long trip a week and won't be spending too much time in traffic jams on other days then you should be OK!

Personally I prefer the diesel to drive than either of the petrol engined versions and despite what may be said the best residuals are in the diesel's favour.

I would advise the 1.2 in your position as a new driver but 306maxi will probably suggest the 1.4 as it has a bigger turning circle (6 speed box) so it is not so good at 3 point turns.

 

[306maxi]

I would advise the 1.2 in your position as a new driver but 306maxi will probably suggest the 1.4 as it has a bigger turning circle (6 speed box) so it is not so good at 3 point turns.

Come on I'm not that silly!

 

[DraigFlag87]

You shouldn't spend that much on a first car, chances are, if your roads are anything like those here in Wales, then it will end up written off in a few months. I don't know anyone around here who hasn't wrote their car 1st car off (most of them then continue with their 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc)

Just get a cheap run around, even if you don't write it off, you may still bump it and kerb it whilst you're still learning things. Just my advice

 

[306maxi]

You shouldn't spend that much on a first car, chances are, if your roads are anything like those here in Wales, then it will end up written off in a few months. I don't know anyone around here who hasn't wrote their car 1st car off (most of them then continue with their 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc)

Just get a cheap run around, even if you don't write it off, you may still bump it and kerb it whilst you're still learning things. Just my advice

Half way through the first sentence I was agreeing with you, then I saw that you were going on with your typical "everyone writes off a car or two" speach and went to sleep.

 

[grimwau]

You shouldn't spend that much on a first car, chances are, if your roads are anything like those here in Wales, then it will end up written off in a few months. I don't know anyone around here who hasn't wrote their car 1st car off (most of them then continue with their 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc)

Just get a cheap run around, even if you don't write it off, you may still bump it and kerb it whilst you're still learning things. Just my advice

I don't consider that your advice is at all relevant as the majority of people DON'T write their cars off in the first few months and whether the car costs a lot or is cheap doesn't matter as long as it is insured.

However, it is good of you to warn them about the hazards they face when travelling through Wales, just in case they are unfortunate enough to approach a corner and find you or one of your mates travelling dangerously fast and on the wrong side of the road making your latest video.

 

[StevenRB45]

Not that this will count for much but, girlfriend recently bought her first car, passed her test 1st time, and is a good driver, however spacial awareness is a bit of an acquired skill. If you must get a 500 I would say get a pop with wheel covers which you can just replace if you break them and maybe even get a silver one...nothing hides "character" on a car like silver paint. Chances are you won't write if off if you are sensible but I don't know anyone who hasn't had a few incidents in their first few months of driving.

Thankfully GFs micra is silver although unfortunately the alloys aren't too clever...

Then again its your first car have fun!

 

[DraigFlag87]

I don't consider that your advice is at all relevant as the majority of people DON'T write their cars off in the first few months and whether the car costs a lot or is cheap doesn't matter as long as it is insured.

However, it is good of you to warn them about the hazards they face when travelling through Wales, just in case they are unfortunate enough to approach a corner and find you or one of your mates travelling dangerously fast and on the wrong side of the road making your latest video.

I did say "around here" meaning Wales, it's different in every country i guess. The majority of local crashes are tourists anyway, i don't know any of my mates who have crashed into another car. There were 4 crashes in North Wales last Thursday, Maxi you must have spotted these too? One was fatal as far as i know. Remember only 25% of fatal accidents are caused by speeding though

 

[Geddes]

If you're going to dump years of tradition and have a first car that's not utter crap then a Fiat 500 is going to be a cracker.
If you can afford one, go for it.

Plus, if you do crash it at least you'll be in a car with five NCAP stars

 

[geo uk]

I did say "around here" meaning Wales, it's different in every country i guess. The majority of local crashes are tourists anyway, i don't know any of my mates who have crashed into another car. There were 4 crashes in North Wales last Thursday, Maxi you must have spotted these too? One was fatal as far as i know. Remember only 25% of fatal accidents are caused by speeding though

4 crashes? I work in the main operations room for the police force who cover the largest geographical area of Wales. If we only had 4 RTA's it would be a very very quiet day. Try multiplying that by around 5 for an average day.

Nearly 90% of our fatalities involve Motorbikes. As soon as the sun comes out on a weekend you are guaranteed atleast one. Those winding roads of Mid-Wales are just irresistible to motorcyclists I guess. The sad thing is in the majority of cases where dangerous driving is involved it's not always the one on the bike that dies.

 

[DraigFlag87]

4 crashes? I work in the main operations room for the police force who cover the largest geographical area of Wales. If we only had 4 RTA's it would be a very very quiet day. Try multiplying that by around 5 for an average day.

Nearly 90% of our fatalities involve Motorbikes. As soon as the sun comes out on a weekend you are guaranteed atleast one. Those winding roads of Mid-Wales are just irresistible to motorcyclists I guess. The sad thing is in the majority of cases where dangerous driving is involved it's not always the one on the bike that dies.

You'll know about the one near Barmouth today then? I was stuck in the traffic for around 15 mins. It's like clockwork, the instant the kids break up from school, you can open the front door and hear sirens. I feel sorry for the emergency services, they must be so overworked

 

[kezzaboyz]

Thanks for all the talk about fatal car crashes. Just what someone who has just passed their test needs to hear!!Perhaps I'll give the Fiat 500 a miss altogether and get the bus instead.

 

[RobW]

Thanks for all the talk about fatal car crashes. Just what someone who has just passed their test needs to hear!!Perhaps I'll give the Fiat 500 a miss altogether and get the bus instead.

perhaps this thread is a good reality check for you and if it makes you think that is a good thing

if you cannot accept the reality that new drivers are the highest risk then perhaps you should take the bus

 

[306maxi]

perhaps this thread is a good reality check for you and if it makes you think that is a good thing

if you cannot accept the reality that new drivers are the highest risk then perhaps you should take the bus

I agree.

Kezza, you're a big boy/girl now and you need to realise that a car is a weapon. You can seriously injure/hurt someone or yourself with it.

 

[StevenRB45]

I agree.

Kezza, you're a big boy/girl now and you need to realise that a car is a weapon. You can seriously injure/hurt someone or yourself with it.

A car travelling at 30 mph generates 5 times the kinetic energy of a handgun bullet, something to bear in mind.

TBF everyone who drives has to deal with the fact that your mistakes can kill you or another person as can someone elses, you either deal with it and get on or you don't. The drivers who scare me are the ones who don't realise the gravity of the situation either fresh from their test or otherwise.