I know most of you are brilliant and all knowing about cars. So I thought I'd turn to you.

My son has passed his driving test (I know, I look far to young to have a son that old ). He's based over in Germany with the RAMC now, but he's home for Christmas (we know a song about that don't we boys and girls?).

I want to give him his first car. It needs to be small engined and cheap to run and insure. What do you think of this1999 VOLKSWAGEN POLO 1.0 L 3dr Hatchback as a first car for an 18 year old?

Tidy.
Offer him £700 and show him the cash as you offer (he will have already spent it in his own mind ) tell him thats as much as you can get out in one day and you've got more cars to see.
Check- the back of the front wheel arches especially- for rot.
Green cars are supposed to be unlucky. I've had 2. 1 rear ended.1 nicked and burnt.
The service history/low milage+owners are really good though.

Good luck with the insurance though.

We were looking at a 1.1 W reb Fiesta for the 19 year old Son & Heir. Even with us on the insurance it was £2800.

For another £500 we could have on the Range Rover insurance and that fecker is a 4ltr

He's been quoted €130.00 per month, which is affordable.

Originally Posted by Legs

He's been quoted €130.00 per month, which is affordable.

Cripes!!!!!!!!!!!

Get in there and buy it!!!!!

Anything you don't mind him crashing.

Buy an old banger, or better still get him to buy an old banger, by all means go with him and (if you don't) at least act like you know what your doing and have come along to make sure he doesn't get ripped off (lots of looking at panels and checking for white goo in the oil cap and oil in the engine coolant).
Best he starts making his own mistakes straight away so he'll learn for the next time, because he will twat the car and most probably write it off. Don't expect a car without some problems my first car was a nail the seat broke off when I was cornering fast, I had to hang onto the steering wheel the head gasket was blown and I could only put 1/4 of a tank full of petrol in as there was a hole in the tank.
There were actually loads of other small probs but you get the idea.

Don't instantly think small. When I passed I looked at a Nova 1.2 merit which would have cost me £2700 tpft. Ended up with a Mondeo aspen 1.6 which was £1600 tpft. Small cars = hot hatch and will attract an equal premium. A small van (astra, escort, etc) will work aswell. I feel for anyone passing now as I don't know how they do it. To be honest it's wrong to punish someone financially for something they haven't done yet.

I've never had a Polo but VWs are good cars, and are very reliable in my experience and £130pm for a first car isn't bad. Will the car be up to the Fally Calais rally?

A mate of mine used to look at cars and, if he was seriously interested, would ask the owner if they minded him taking it for an MOT.
He would then get it MOT'd , tell the examiner to highlight anything and everything likely to need attention in the next two years and then go back to the owner.

He'd use the advisory notices as a haggling tool if he still wanted it.

Worst case scenario - he is down the cost of an MOT

Best case, he gets the car cheaper and it has 12mths MOT which he knows is legit.

Worth a thought. If the owner refuses, walk away as there must be a reason.