scooby222

dont get the wrong idea were not trying to put you off buying a scoob but you really would be better off waiting a couple of years- i was desperate for one when i was 16 and still pretty young at 21 when i did get one but i appreciated it sooo much more. and they aint joking about running costs your looking at 150 to 200 for a n average service at least every 6000 miles and 400 minimum for the 30000 mile service-front brake pads 100, discs 250 clutch 500-700 and thats before bits start wearing out or you get the moding bug. and fuel, i did 20000 miles 2 years ago and worked out that i paid about 6 grand in fuel. do get one, but wait until you have the experience and finances to enjoy it

wilb

To be honest though, what car would cost less than this? My previous car was a *cough* Saxo Vtr *cough* when I bought that it needed new brake pads, 2 tyres, etc etc ended up costing me over £500!!!!!
Still think he should get a Sport.

BigAl024

Keep your money for a few years until the insurance is more reasonable, and you've a few years driving behind you. Spend some of the money you save, on having a life (Birds/Beer/Holidays)If you bought a scoob now, unless your in a v well paid job, you wont have much spare cash!

Leeroy

Honestly m8 it's a bad idea at your age I've always been obsessed with cars from the word go and wouldn't listen to advice when I got my first car back in '94 (Cavalier Sri130). I can't for a minute imagine my first car being a Scoob - like others have said I don't think I could have handled one.

Anyway, the ******* thing cost me a fortune in insurance, and I even started off on my dads insurance to begin with to keep the costs down (bad idea).
Servicing was cheap though - I did it all myself! I even changed a clutch. Tyres were also very cheap - I bought used/remoulds and fuel consumption wasn't bad.

However, on a scoob, all the above are very expensive and you can't skimp on parts/servicing/tyres on a car like this. 20mpg and 4 new expensive tyres when bald are serious costs. Oh, and don't forget you'll most likely need a tracker fitted to get cover, which is another cost.

As for a couple of hour test drive - are you kidding? A second hand car dealer will not give you this long behind the wheel - a new car dealer will usually not give more than a short drive. Look at it from their point of view - they're likely to think your just a test pilot/tyre kicker because of your age.

Leeroy

Most cars if you buy an oldish model and do home servicing! Also good to get an understanding into the oily bits.
Avoid using a $tealer until you really have to!

Leeroy

At 18?
What self respecting employer would pay an 18 year old top dollar?!

theboy

I turn up at my rugby club in my WRX PPP and it amazes me when i see the young lads in there Corsas etc how they have not been killed. When i had my Cooper S i had trouble shaking off these young kids in standard corsa,escort etc.

I would get a little hot hatch. My first car was a Fiesta 1.4S, all i wanted was a rev counter but i could not afford the Nova SR

wilb

That service was just the 2 year old one!

steve nic

only one thing i can say insurance are you im not been nasty or anything but you need to gain more life experiance and ncd,insurance is an unnessary evil that we can all do with out

WRX_Dazza

nothing to do with price mate,
you seem not to realise that having a reasonable job, and living with parents etc.. these youngsters can afford prettty much what they like.
you need a lot of respect for these cars, and i know lots of younger people that do. as said above, any car is a lethal weapon, in fact a 1.1 fiesta with 155r13 tyres on it, doing 90mph on a wet dual carriageway is more worrying with a 17yr old behind the wheel!!!

i think if someone works hard and wants to buy one, good luck to them, whatever their age.

Dazza
ps: i'm an old git, by the way!!!

chimpy

to be fair, i dont own a scooby, never have.

but at 17 i bought a Lancer - which i wrote the **** off

so dont do it.

andythejock01wrx

Ditto. Agree with the oldies such as NewScoob and Simon .

My first car was a 56 bhp Vauxhall Chevette. Still managed to put the tail out into the path of an oncoming HGV on a narrow country road the day I passed my test !! (no impact as i got it under control). Next car was a Nova SR (with rev counter ). 70 bhp, in a light car, that was plenty and I drove it too fast at that !

By something sporty, but not mental. Got anything else in mind ?

Andy

Andy

frayz

iTrader: (7)

Agree with Alloy 100%

I had a 350bhp 4x4 cossie @ 19, had it for 18months, loved every second of it, then bought my 2002 STI prodrive @ 21.

If youre a **** of a driver you will crash your car and hurt yourself and others no matter how old you are!!

If thats what you want mate go for it.. enjoy it, respect it and respect those around you.

Ben v7

Just such a waste of money a Scooby at 18... three grand on Insurance just isn't worth it. In my opinion you will be dangerous in a car with that level of power and the temptation too great to resist. If I had my car at 18 I would certainly be dead now.

You should get a hot hatch as suggested - learn to drive properly in that and spend what you would of spent on the Scooby going travelling for example or doing other things. Life is long and short at the same time. Don't commit to the financial burden the Scoob will be at that age.. why not do other things and then get that when your in your 20s. I spent all my money on cars from a young age and at times regret it.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

I know of no insurance company that will insure an 18 year old on an Impreza Turbo.

andy.downes

iTrader: (1)

Okay mate, am I the only one that says get it if you want it??

Seriously, don't let anyone put you off if you really want one, go for it.....however, please be aware of the following costs of a 24 year old professional per annum

1) Tax x 2 £190
2) Major service £440
3) Intermediate Service £120
4) Cam belt £270
5) Cam shaft seals £100
6) Tire £40
7) Punchure repair £10
8) Dump valve £40
9) At 280 miles a tank of fuel, my baby costs me £100 a month in fuel so thats £1200 a year
10) insurance £1200

okay my scoob ownership of the last year or so has cost me the grand total of £3610
jeez that is a lot, i'm selling !!

Gangsta Smurf

so much boring twaddle in this thread.

Basically dude if you can get insured on it go and ******* do it. Don't listen to all this bollox about building up through hot hatches and the like. If you have the cash and have wanted one for ages then go buy one and enjoy the experience. You can choose to drive the car in any fashion you desire ... if you are an idiot and start thinking your charlie big bananas you are likely to end up in a ditch or a wall, if you treat it with respect and always remember that your driving abilities are at the start of a learning curve you will be just fine, and will enjoy the car.

The fact that you are 18 is irrelevant. It is not a label which indicates you are going to crash, despite what the insurance companies think. The fact that the price of older scoobs (and some newer ones) is falling out of the sky is a very very good thing because it means the chance to experience one of the best pound for pound drivers cars ever made is available to all. I for one would love to see more scoobs on the road ... will just go further to cement their heritage as a classic in years to come.

Go and do it bud!!

Torquesteer

That is not what the statistics say Gangsta Smurf! The biggest cause of death for 16-21 year olds are RTA's.

Tidgy

£40 a tyre??? bloomin heck thats cheap what you got on there?

thats presuming nothing goes wrong with it.

I used mine at the weekend/eveing and do less than 6k miles a year and here is what mine cost me last year approx, this bit costs, not mods

1) Tax £190
2) Service (including brake pads) £500
3) Tyres 2 @ £70
4) Suspension £250 (rough guess due to uprating th lot)
5) insurance £660 (got a big discount cos i wrote one off before and had remaining sinurance)
6) oil change x 3 £100 per change £300

total £2040

fuel approx 700 litre for the year so approx £1 a litre

£2740 sure theres a few bits and bobs i've missed, and also i was fairly lucky cos only problem i had was the suspension.

then start in the mods list

1) Suspension £1400, shocks, springs, antiroll bar, droplinks, stearing bush's, antilift kit
2) Partial decat £310 (downpipe)
3) Remap £850
4) map tweek for other mods £150
5) defi's £800
6) shortshift £75
7) strut brace £90

£3675 Although i spent more but cant remember what else.

Total for the lot £6415 and thats by no means all i wanted done.

having a turbo and being young has other disadvantages, being 18 and i bet looking like you've just come out of school your gonna get pulled for spot checks everytime you go out in it more or less.

The other big question is have you got the driving skill and experiance to be able to control a car like that? I'm not trying to insult you or your driving but it would be a real concern that you have to think very hard about.

I'm 24 and got my first tubo at age 22, it lasted 3 months before i killed it, and i might add was very lucky to walk away from the crash, more than a few people have asked how the hell i got away with just a few aches and pains.
The main problem wasn't my driving ability it was my decision making, to cut a long story short a pedestrain crossed the road in front of me and i had to swerve to avoid them and clipped a bank and rolled in big stylee. If something like that happened now the same situation would accure, however i would have slowed down as soon as a i saw them and been able to stop. Things like that are only learnt by time spent driving and gaining experiance

this is what it looked like before and after








now i'm not that i'm saying the same thing will happen to you, but you have to ask is it wise to go from a small car to a big power car?

my recomendation would be to get a sort, 2.0 none turbo but also AWD, which again i bet you have never driven AWD other than the quick test drive, and learn how to drive it and gain road experiance. You only tart to learn to drive after you have passed your test. There pretty quick, gets you into a scoob and also give you a chance to build up your experiance and also your no claims, which will save you money.

Gangsta Smurf

statistics mean absolute **** matey ... in many cases they are weighted and bias so if you rely totally upon them you are foolish man!

Tidgy

maybe so, but being one the 'statistics' and knowing how alot of young drivers i know drive i would have said there is some truth behind the figures.

EddScott

Phate,

You got pretty much the same response from overclockers. Plus this lot don't know your current situation re: job/car etc.

I was going to post a link but I'm not that much of a tight-****

Tidgy

its a fair comment, however, being 18 hes got a max 1 years experiance on the road, do you think thats enough to be driving a car like a scooby turbo?

Torquesteer

No it isn't. And anyone who thinks that it 'is' enough, is a foolish man!

Tidgy

see above for the reason y lol

Gangsta Smurf

it makes no difference at all!!! If he drives the car with respect then he won't have a problem.

Jensen button was racing Formula 3 cars at 18 ... age means absolute dick!!!

Torquesteer

He also started his racing career when he was just 8 years old.
So that gives 10 whole years of experience before he stepped into that F3 car!

Moley

iTrader: (9)

Don't have to be wary of other road users as much in Formula 3 though....not many t-junctions on the race tracks

Torquesteer

Exactly! Very poor example there gangsta smurf.

andy.downes

iTrader: (1)

i think the question that should be asked first is 'can you afford it'

the majority of 18's year olds are not a fantastic wage