Stepson Major is rapidly approaching the age of majority and has the great good fortune that his great-grandparents put aside a sum for him once he turns 18.
He is currently learning to drive and is very keen to spend the money on buying a car, insuring and running it.
Given that he pisses most of his earnings up the wall on ridiculous trainers and watches (in the misguided belief that he is some sort of "gangsta"), MrsC and I are determined that this lump sum should go into something tangible and not disappear in the same way.
The brief, you will be amazed to hear, is a mildly warm hatchback with a farty exhaust and "sick" rims that doesn't scare away every insurance company in the country.
Stepson has said he doesn't mind what he gets, "as long as it sounds the tits".
I'm not convinced that a mighty 1.4 with a coffee can welded on the back will do justice to that poetic description, but I've been asked to help him choose something that satisfies all parties.
Naturally, he wanted a Corsa or a Fiesta, but since I showed him this and since he has fallen in love with the Coupé ("do you reckon I could get insured on it?" - I've just about stopped laughing about that one), he's a bit of a Fiat convert.

What do the panel reckon? Is there a better car out there that looks good, has the requisite mammary audio characteristics and won't break the bank in any one direction?

- I should add that the total budget for car, insurance and any work required is £5k. Obviously, he will be earning some money to contribute to consumables, so that doesn't have to be wholly included in the 5 grand.

I can solve all your problems in one go:

Fanny Magnet

add this

Willy enlarger

An you have rapid little box of fun that sounds good.

Might possibly be the same set up as me

My son was similarly influenced by me to go down the Fiat route. We both quite liked the (newer) Bravo but the Grande Punto is more readily available, we ended up with an 2011 "Evo" model (with the short-lived and not universally liked chrome strip and fussy front end) for £3k, only a 1.2 8v model (so not loud, exhaust wise, nor powerful), but cheaper to insure than larger engined versions (cheaper than a Fiesta for example) and quite well spec'd (Blue n me, start/stop). The Active versions with wheel covers and black door handles do look (and are) cheaper compared to the next spec level up (Dynamic, my son's is a "MyLife" ) and occasionally you might find an Eleganza.

The Fiat is striking, but small engines and high mileages may lead to more repairs than one would want to tinker with.

Newer Punto and less miles but possibly not loud enough? The rest are probably also to grown up

Mazda2

Suzuki Swift Sport

Peugeot 207

Mito

When looking, put the number plate into an insurance comparison site to see what you get. Whilst learning to drive, insurance will be "cheaper" (he'll always be accompanied by a fully licensed driver), but often that insurance is invalidated once test passed, then the real cost kicks in, so check that too (assume he's a year older and passed test already) for different cars.

I'd love a 100HP Panda! Great fun!

I've recently been down the young driver insurance path for my stepdaughter, who got ripped off with an unsuitable policy that used a tracker. She's now ended up with a car on a lease and insured by Marmalade - pretty good overall. Stepson satisfies virtually none of the criteria to do the same.
I might look at the weedier 8V models, but I'm not sure I'll be able to talk the lad down! The 100bhp Panda with the trick exhaust looks fab, but I doubt that view will be shared by gangsta-boi or insurance companies!

Jim, just been down the same route with number one son myself, including the 'can I drive the Coupe' bit!

We've ended up with a 03 plate Mini one, with 60K on the clock and in truly excellent condition, as attested by my constant banging on about 'when I were a lad my first car was a bag of gravel with castors on...etc etc'

It satisfies many conditions for us, it was cheap (2.5k, he paid half), it's safe, reasonably slow, cheapish to insure, small enough he can't fit half a dozen pissed idiots in, reliable and tidy enough that he'll not want to destroy it.

It satisfies many conditions for him it's 'cool' or the equivalent teen speak, endlessly modable in many ways (graphics, plastic shit, wheels, exhausts the list is truly endless), has a 'banging stereo' that does iPhone stuff and is quick enough for a first car (feels quicker than it is).

Honestly it's a really nice car, I'd happily drive it, it even has aircon and a computer for god's sake!! See when I were a lad, air conditioning was a bloody window..... uh oh, I'm off again.

In fact, it's made me consider a JCW Mini for when I downsize from the A6

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-FIAT-STILO-DYNAMIC-1-9-JTD-BLACK-Ideal-first-car-/291763679565?hash=item43ee78714d:g:Le8AAOSwS7hXAUJ5

Very very reliable, 8v jtd. Insurance group 4.

Jim - I rather doubt that any insurance company will touch him on a Grande Punto Sporting T-Jet - its 120 bhp and a pretty punchy little motor (wifey has had one for several years and loves it)

Even a boggo standard 1.2 is going to be a stretch on the insurance and as soon as there's a whiff of mods such as bigger wheels or farty back-boxes, the premiums will go exponential - I think he's going to have to lower his sights a bit.....

Thanks, everyone. This is clearly the beginning of a long and winding road! Let's hope the teenager can keep it on the black stuff... I hadn't realised how pokey the t-jet was. Will undoubtedly be a problem. The Mini One was his sister's first car; not having something different/better will be very hard to sell!
Ah well, I had a phone call tonight from MrsC to say that the Peugeot's clutch has gone, so all this may on the back-burner for a bit...

In the 807???

Maybe you could do a deal at the Clutch Centre and pick this beauty up for the wannabe gangsta....

Yup, the 807. I'm in Lyon till this evening with my daughter, so I can't investigate, but MrsC said the car wouldn't move forward and filled with smoke with the unmistakable aroma of clutch. Utterly hacked off, though mainly because I'm not there to deal with it.

Not so sure about that Punto - if the description claims it has front fog lights, what else has it got wrong?!

Jim - check out the headlamp clusters on the yellow Punto - the fog lamps are integrated

For someone handy with the spanners, that's a decent-looking car - both my lads have had several Puntos each - not exactly fast, but mostly reliable when looked after and pretty easy to fix when the inevitable happens...

My daughter has a little Punto. Cracking little car which apart from a couple of minor niggles (wiper arm linkage and snapped bonnet cable) has been fautless for the 12 months she's had it.



I'm sure a yellow one, with added tints, 'sporty' exhaust and some fancy wheel trims would fit in fine down at Maccy D's.

I'll put it forward, but will don flame-proof suit first...

I have a 1.4 8v "povo pack" Grande Punto in my garage as it is "she who must be obeyed's" everyday driver. We use it to when we go on holidays and as the shopping cart. The 5 doors are certainly great and the car has been very reliable over 8 years of ownership.

Would recommend it as a "first car" but, has it got enough bling and noise for the young lad?

Look at the SIZE of this beauty!!

Can you imagine what a 1.2 litre sounds like exiting that beast!

Not sure where your based,

But happy to show your lad (and you) what the 100hp is all about. Perhaps include a pub lunch or similar?

I believe Mr C resides in Stroud in deepest darkest Gloucestershire.....

Quick jaunt down the M4 then. But before getting carried away with such heady power figures, do check the insurance implications, you/stepson might then change your mind. My first car (a Fiat, naturally, had all of 34 bhp)

My first car, a 1982 1000cc Panda had 40 bhp, I think and I could get into trouble with just that!

Our eldest keeps asking about insurance on the XKR. It still frightens me at times. I'm not letting someone who can't yet drive in smooth lines loose in it!

Stepson and I have spent a couple of hours looking at cars and insurance. I've been looking at quotes on the basis that he has passed his test (as DaveG says, it is usually higher). The T-Jet is (predictably) out of the equation, as the insurance quotes all start with a 4!

He ruled out the Punto - he just doesn't like it and the 1.2 Grande Puntos were mostly 5-door "granny cars". We then found a couple of Grande Punto 1.4 16V Sporting cars, with a subtle body kit and alloys. Cheapest TPFT (with me registered as a named driver) was Admiral at £1360. Although it's a grotesque amount (almost as much as the car), it's pretty much what I expected, and the lad seems happy with it.

Going to see this beauty on Monday. If it looks ok and we can knock off a couple of hundred, the search might be short but sweet...

One extreme to the other! That looks quite mature

Looks in good shape too. Hope it turns out to be a good one.

That's way too nice for a first car Jim!
He'll probably knock the corners off it in no time.

Is there anything in particular we should look out for with the car (assuming it doesn't get sold over the weekend?). Stepson can't test drive it, so it'll be up to me.

Are there any known issues with the Grande Punto?

Thanks all...

Main one that a lot seem to suffer from is rust at the brake servo which if not fixed will end up with wet driver's footwell soaking back to rear passenger side.

For details see :
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/sinister/GP_Leak.pdf

Other than that I've had to replace most front suspension on my Grande Punto due to worn bushes knocking, but compared to my previous Punto (a Mk. II) which was rusting to bits and when I got rid of it at 10 years old the MOT advisory list was onto 2 pages the GP has been good, 9 years old and no advisories at last MOT.

Thanks Graham. I'll give it a good check-over for rust and see if a test drive reveals any knocking, etc. The only advisories - according to the totalcarcheck website have been for brake pads/discs, tyres, an oil leak and corrosion on the exhaust. The latest MOT (in January this year) had no advisories, but that might mean nothing, given as they are discretionary. If it looks promising, I'll do a full check.

Punto GT turbo

From what I'very read, classic car insurance is only £280 a year. I'm not sure if this applys to 18 year olds

Thanks for the tip, Dan. Stepson really doesn't like the Punto (of any non-Grande type!). I'd be amazed if anyone would insure an 18-year-old in any car with the words "GT" and "Turbo" for £280. Unless that's per week...!