Find your car
BMW Touring
The BMW touring series is an amazing piece of engineering. A car that has stood the test of time which is really all that needs to be said. With the first release of the touring in 1987, BMW sold over hundred thousand e30 Tourings. If you look carefully you can now find an e30 Touring for under £10,000.
Whether you are looking for a classic or modern estate car, the BMW touring is perfect car for a road trip. Today you can find a 17 reg BMW 540i with a 6 cylinder turbo charged engine producing over 300bhp, for under £30,000. Although these might have a bit more mileage under their belt, the German reliability can never be doubted. The aggressive kidney grill and xenon lights means that the average beamer driver will have no problems getting anyones attention when tailgating.
The early generations such as the e34 was fitted with a naturally aspirated M60 4.0 litre V8, producing 286 bhp, directed to the rear wheels. This was an amazing iteration of the touring series with its retro design, thundering V8 engine and enough space to host a small festival. You can now find one in decent condition for under £15,000, making it my personal choice for the touring spec.
aston Martin
There is no car that really says class more than an Aston Martin. The jaw dropping timeless beauty of an Aston Martin across almost every iteration always has the ability to put a smile on your face. With its elegant design and luxury interior, some could argue that there is nothing else that you would want to drive along the Mediterranean coastal roads. Plus who doesn’t want feel like they work for the secret service.
There is a range of Aston Martins that could be considered; like any car this significantly relies upon the budget you have, as a high end super car brand this can make it difficult. Nevertheless, through extensive research (procrastination), there are a few astons that seem achievable. The Aston Martin Vantage from 2007-2009 is a perfect car to take along the everlasting picture postcard Mediterranean coast. You can pick up a V8 vantage for under £45,000 with low mileage, or under £30,000, however you will have to settle with a little more mileage, that is no problem due to the notorious British engineering that won us the war.
Road trip
Subaru Impreza
The Subaru Impreza is a convoluted car, as there more iterations of this car than the average agri-yob can count to. Regardless, the Subaru Impreza is well tuned high function instrument to be loved by any car enthusiast. The wagon version maybe slightly controversial. However, it provides extra boot space and an airy interior which is and important criteria to address when going on a road trip.
Knowing full well this might upset the Subaru community and not all the of the iterations can be mentioned, but the 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX wagon is a brilliant toy to take on any trip. If you can get your hands on the WRX STI even better, the only STI you really want. Fitted with a nut of an engine: a 2.0 litre turbocharged flat four pumping out 276 bhp to all four wheels. With the legendary Subaru rally pedigree there will be no mountain high enough or no Vally low enough that you won’t be able to tackle.
This is not to say that the Impreza saloon is not a good road trip car, but the estate version means that you have more space making it slightly more practical for expeditions.
Mercedes SL
The Mercedes Benz SL series is one of the most elegant convertible roadsters to grace the roads of Europe. Its presence in any setting just seems right. Whether you are cruising slowly down the Kings Road or gliding across the hills of the German countryside, it is a brilliant choice. The SL series has come with many iterations, although the W113 was an absolutely beautiful car, it will cost you at the very least £95,000. Which is why the R107 is a more practical choice. Still painting the SL elegance and without having to take out a second mortgage.
A favourite would have to be the R107 380SL, manufactured between 1972 - 1989. Due to the moderate affordability whilst maintaining a substantial amount of power and being fitted with a 201 bhp V8 directed the rear wheels, there is no real better paring that with a convertible roof. The stunning elegance of the car and German engineering, allows you to drive with grace and peace of mind whilst taking this on a road trip. With of course careful picking, you can find one between £10,000 -£30,000 depending on it condition. Other specifications are available, for different prices.
Ford Fiesta
Unsurprisingly the Ford Fiesta is on this list. There is no reason why it shouldn’t make it. With its first release in 1976, Ford have sold over 15 million fiestas since its first release - making it one of the best selling cars of the Ford Motor Company.
A favourite of Ford Fiesta series for a first car is the Zetec S, preferably the Mk 5. With its sporty styling and slightly larger 1.6 litre engine. It is a wonderful car to drive. Producing around 100bhp and lightweight build means that it is amazing fun to drive. Its lightweight and compact build allows to chuck it down country lanes easily, having fun sticking it into a corner. As well as comfortably sitting on the motorway, achieving around 45mpg, making it practical on longer journeys without burning a whole through your pocket.
However, due to its lightweight build, it can be affected by larger vehicles overtaking. Or an experience I have had when testing it, is crossing a bridge, which can be entertaining due to the cross winds. Although this is a common occurrence with smaller hatchbacks due to their lack of weight.
Being in an insurance group of 14, it is relatively cheap to insure, you can also find them on various websites for under £3,000 with not too many miles on the clock. This then makes it a serious contender for a first car.
MG ZR
The main reason for this page is to show you cars that you might not have considered. That is exactly what the MG ZR, a car that you might have thought of but is fantastic little car, packed with lots and lots of fun. Yes lots of other cars can provide you will similar handling and fun. However, this is not the reason why you would get a MG ZR. You would consider this option because it is something different to the bog standard VW Polo that everyone and their mums are driving, literally.
The MG is a fun looking little car, with a hot hatch sporty design; spoked wheels and a little spoiler to bring out the inner 8 year old. The MG ZR is one of the best cheap hot hatches for any learner driver, it looks the part and it is fantastic to drive. Its extremely light, weighing only a 1 ton, but if you look carefully you can find MG ZR 1.4 trophy for under £2,000, with a 4 cylinder 101 bhp engine. This epic little car not only looks the part but also drives amazingly, and is a serious competitor for some of the bigger names.
First Car
VW Golf
For something that has a bit more stability and space to it, a VW Golf is solid choice, although it would b advise to for the 1.4 TSI model, as it has both a solid 1.4 litre injection engine and enough space for 4 people comfortably. The VW Golf is a well appreciated car due to the rugged German engineering and endless practicality. Even though it is a hatchback it has the ability to give a spacious feel in the front and back.
It works incredible well as a first car as it can please your parents for being incredibly safe, with its 5 star NCAP rating for adults. Whilst the young driver can still have a great deal of fun when driving it, as the 1.4. litre injection engine produces around 147 bhp to the front wheels, allowing plenty of grip when keeping tight to the apexes on the way to school.
Similar to the Fiesta, it has a relatively low insurance group sitting at the 13 and ULEZ compliant for a 2008 model. You can easily find a VW FSI 1.4, for well under £3,000, making it a very viable option to look into for a first time driver. Although, there is a chance that it could have higher mileage as VW Golfs usually are for motorway cruisers or school runs, this is certainly something to consider.
Nevertheless, Golfs are amazingly bomb proof cars and will always serve you well.
Suzuki Cappucino
Ok, this may seem like its a joke to try and suggest this as a first car, however this is actually a very good suggestion for a number of reasons. First and foremost is the fact that it is a little two door convertible sports car with a cashew of an engine. It is also called a cappuccino. Who does not want to turn up at school, university or your mates party in a little Japanese two seater convertible. It look brilliant and sounds fantastic.
Enough time fantasising over this amazing little car, let’s get down to business and justify why you should get a cappuccino. First of all its insurance group is 13, which is similar to the other suggestions. Built in the 90s it is slightly older, but we all know that the greatest cars were built then. Pre-2000s was a the golden era for all the cars that we love.