also a lot of the 1.4 leons can suffer from sludge in the oil sump which can lead to big problems..
i think if you buy a crappy car for your first car you wont have any respect for it. at least if you buy a car you really want and like you will be more likely to take care of it and not drive the crap out of it like ya would in a saxo 106 etc... and lets face it a 1.4 leon aint the fastest car you will find!!
i think if you buy a crappy car for your first car you wont have any respect for it. at least if you buy a car you really want and like you will be more likely to take care of it and not drive the crap out of it like ya would in a saxo 106 etc... and lets face it a 1.4 leon aint the fastest car you will find!!
Pass Plus isn't always as black & white as that. When I looked into it when I was 17, it would have cost me something like £100 in lessons, and only took off £20 from my insurance on a 1.3 Yaris. So I didn't bother. Although it does reduce it more if you do pass plus and you're a woman.. surprise surprise!!!
And insurance was cheaper for me when I got my mk3 ibiza 1.4 compared to when I got a quote for Leon 1.4, cheaper by quite a lot (about £500 if I remember correctly).
The pass plus 'should' open up other insurers who can do a cheaper price, although I'm afraid I'm going off friends experiences rather than my own (I'm too old to have had the pass plus available!). My closest friend (unfortunately female so you might be on to something there) saved a small fortune with the pass plus. But other 'new drivers' have also saved more than the lessons cost.
I'm very surprised about the Ibiza being cheaper though, that's not what I've found. But then again, insurance is definitely a personal thing, and they seem to make up numbers as they go along!
The pass plus 'should' open up other insurers who can do a cheaper price, although I'm afraid I'm going off friends experiences rather than my own (I'm too old to have had the pass plus available!). My closest friend (unfortunately female so you might be on to something there) saved a small fortune with the pass plus. But other 'new drivers' have also saved more than the lessons cost.
I'm very surprised about the Ibiza being cheaper though, that's not what I've found. But then again, insurance is definitely a personal thing, and they seem to make up numbers as they go along!
Well at my 6th form it was only girls taking the pass plus as it wasn't worth it for us lads
and most insurance companies only gave you the 'pass plus discount' within your first year of driving only if I remember correctly, so it definitley wasn't worth the money really. They should give the pass plus more of an incentive to young / new drivers. I'm sure would save so many more lives!I suppose it is hard to judge how much insurance is between cars though as they take into consideration a lot more than just the car size / engine. Where you live, if you've crashed, age, gender, where you keep the car.... the list goes on and on and on and on....
It's nice big wing mirrors you get with vans that make it nice and easy...
... that and if you hit anything it's more likely to come off worse than you
It's nice big wing mirrors you get with vans that make it nice and easy...
... that and if you hit anything it's more likely to come off worse than you
lol i did reverce into a police car once in my old van it wasn't pritty
First post, woohoo!, can't comment on a 1.4 as never driven one, but the 1.9 tdi is only £250 more per year compared to my old 1.2 8v clio (19 year old driver). I'd advise going for a cheaper first car as statistics prove you might end up crashing! Agree with the people talking about a polo/ibiza, great build quality/engines, easier to park than the leon (rear visibility really isn't great, especially for a learner) and cheaper to run. Finally I did pass plus within a year just after writing off my C2 and it pretty much evened up my policy so can't complain, well worth it in my mind.
Just to throw in my opinion! I never had any problems in my first year of driving (or since - touch wood).
My first car was a 1.4 Nissan Sunny and I looked after it and thought it was just fine speed-wise for a first car.
I say go for it. If you can find a nice 1.4 Leon there's no reason on earth you shouldn't buy it and have any problems.
For insurance, some people would recommend getting your dad to insure it and add you as a named driver. Technically illegal, but let's just say hundreds of thousand of people do it and have no problems.
My first car was a 1.4 Nissan Sunny and I looked after it and thought it was just fine speed-wise for a first car.
I say go for it. If you can find a nice 1.4 Leon there's no reason on earth you shouldn't buy it and have any problems.
For insurance, some people would recommend getting your dad to insure it and add you as a named driver. Technically illegal, but let's just say hundreds of thousand of people do it and have no problems.
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im 17, and been driving my 1.6 leon for 8 months. and in that time the only thing ive had to do to it is the coilpacks. and as anyone will tell you.. these are a bast*rd on almost all leons and pretty much any VAG vehicle of that age. There great easy cars to drive, great visability, quiet and comfortable on long journeys, however if you do do a lot of long journeys i have heard the the 1.4 can be a bit underpowered on the motorway, but my 1.6 pulss fine. So have a look at some 1.6's, the insurance is only 2 groups higher than the 1.4 i think, so compare the prices. The biggest suprise of my car has got to be the economy, for teh power it has(105hp) gettin 41+ mpg, you cant really complain. Great cars mate. GO FOR IT!
It's nice big wing mirrors you get with vans that make it nice and easy...
... that and if you hit anything it's more likely to come off worse than you
the taillift on one i drive at work is useful like that, good at trashing gates and fences
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