Cars?

[Beth.]

I have really wanted a car and since summer is approaching it is seeming more realistic cause I can make some more money. I was wondering who has one. And if you do have one, how do you afford it? Is insurance alot? I just have no clue like how much to expect to pay for it or anything. Also, for fun, what kind of car do you all drive?

[Through-Glass]

I do not currently have a car of my own. However, I do know that insurance is very expensive for younger drivers. Since you are eighteen, it may be less, though. I would check into how much it will cost you before you buy a car, as it could be too much for a summer job to cover.

[jellyfish]

I've got a Renault Clio 1.2!
I wouldnt set your heart on a brand new car. A decent second hand car your looking at about £2 - 3000. (Sorry its in pounds!) If you have a good look you should be able to get something cheap that runs well. E-bay is always good
As far as insurance is concerned, it will be alot for your age. When I first went to insure my car the quotes I was getting were over a grand. Soo, because my mum drives too and it was her car, she insured it and put me on her policy as a named driver. That cost me about £600. Once you hit 21 your insurance rates will go down, providing you dont have many accidents that were your fault!
Just as an example, my first 2 insurance policies were around £600 (this is me and my mum going half and half on the cost), I've just renewed and I paid about £180.
Have a good look about for insurance, get as many quotes as you can and you should find that some insurance companies will be alot lower than others.

Hope that helps

[Pelios]

I do have one. The insurance is expensive because I am a teen and they don't trust you but as you earn their trust it goes down. Also it depends on what car you are driving the newer the more expensive atleast here where I live. You may want to also consider the gas money and the car maintenance. Going to your last question I have a pickup Nissan Frontier 2007 and I love it.

[losing touch.]

i have a mini cooper and the insurance is ridiculous! just under £4,000 a year. i was 16 when i took out the policy so it was more expensive [most people aren't allowed to drive until 17 in the UK] and also it's a brand new car, and i'm still a learner so yeah, it's pricey. you've got the fact that you're female on your side though.. because guys have to pay more for insurance because they're more likely to cause accidents.
I agree with Jen though, maybe look at second hand cars if you're worried about price.

[Magical Forest.]

I currently am driving my mums car and got put onto her insurance which is £600. I can't afford a car of my own at the moment, and can just about to pay for my insurance now. Plus her car is a little old Ford Fiesta that probably won't pass it's next MOT!

Secondhand cars are best for new drivers. The insurance isn't so high and plus you're not paying loads for the car itself. Check out certain insurance companies and see what they could offer you.

[TheBabyEater]

I gots an orange Mitsubishi Spyder Eclipse convertable. The newer Eclipse.
It's normally up in the 30,000s, but I got mine just barely used (as in, the owner bought it and for whatever reason decided to sell it in a very short period of time without hardly driving it) and it knocked off a good 10-15,000.

I got my parents to pay for it, but trust me... I gotta pay it all back. >.> And God forbid I get so much as a parking ticket or a minor wreck. If I do, it's going back.

Good lucking finding a good car!!!

[Feather]

As said it is most likely going to be more for insurance as you are still 'young', in my province the age is 25 (for when insurance rates go down).
I also agree with what people have said about getting a second hand car, there are different ways to do this. IF you (or someone you know and trust) is very good with vehicles and can spot if something is being 'hidden' that is broken then you can very easily buy a vehicle from someone (through classified adds or whatever). However, if you buy a vehicle this way, you will be expected to pay all of the money up front, which you may not have (keep in mind you will still need insurance and plates and everything else).

If you don't want to take a chance on buying a crap car you should more than likely go to a dealership. Sometimes you can go to used car only lots (they can sometimes be just as untrustworthy as a random person though) or you can go to places that take trade in cars and sell both new and used vehicles. There are many positives of buying a vehicle this way... you don't have to have the money upfront (only a downpayment which doesn't need to be alot), you will instead get a loan which helps with your credit rating (if you make payments on time), you will also usually have the option of getting some sort of warranty if you buy off a lot which does come in handy.

I have bought vehicles both ways, though I knew the person very well when I bought my first car and it was fairly inexpensive at the time (it was a 1995 Ford Contour in perfect condition for $2500 and I bought it in 2004). In Saskatchewan the insurance for it was about $700 a year but in Alberta I believe it would have been more than double that.

Currently I have (off a lot from a dealership) a 2006 Chevy HHR which I absolutely love! I bought the extended warranty for it as well. I believe the car was about $13000, my payments on it are almost $300 a month and the insurance is just over $100 a month.

Good luck with whatever your choice may be