A car for Nathalie.

[georann]

Renault Clios are great reliable cars, drive well, are still considered a cool car and all renaults are some of the safest cars about.
If you can get one in good nick thats a few years old it should be cheap to insure (mine is anyway) but as above, put her as a named driver and you as the main driver and you'll save a wedge. Some insurance companies will even let her build no claims as a named driver. Theres also a few insurance companies about that do really cheap insurance whilst shes still a learner as she'll always be with another driver (but wont insure you when shes passed). A black box/tracker thingy is also worth considering when she's passed to bring the price down.

Good luck to her driving either way

Oh and don't buy an automatic.

 

[demographic]

Bought my daughter a Fiat Punto for £190 as her first car, pre dinged but perfectly serviceable and she loved it.
After quite some time she blew the head gasket so a mate fired another engine in it and away it was again.

Never see the point in new drivers getting perfect cars cos they just scabble them soon enough anyway.

 

[santaman2000]

The last time I was in an automatic was when I was 12 - the last one I saw was Drews...
Automatics are as rare as hens molars around here.....

Yeah that's what it was like when I was there Just didn't know how much it had changed in 20+ years.

 

[santaman2000]

I think it's pretty much the same here. Female drivers were viewed as a lower risk by insurers, until the EU d@@kheads decided that insurers could not offer premiums based on gender. An auto box may be an option down the line, but for now she needs to learn and practice in a manual. I don't know how it is is the US,
But in the UK, if you pass your test in an automatic, you are stuck with automatics. Pass your test in a manual, and you can drive both.
Atb
Colin.

LOL. I passed my Mississippi test in a manual at age 15. Didn't test again for until I had to renew an expired liscence in Florida in my early 30s. That time I was driving an automatic. But I can still drive both (here or there) as the only restriction on my license is corrective lens. And a full size motorcycle as well (also here or there) Not sure my CDL would be valid there though.

That said, I wish our test was more like yours in that respect. There are far too many here who can't drive a stick.

In any case the point of the advice is to stay away from anything that might be considered a "sports" car. They generally seem to draw the wrong kind of attention. Not only from the insurance companies, but also from her friends her own age who will want to ride in the sportier car.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Thanks for all your help guys, it's much appreciated.

You have a friend with a Ferrari?

Lucky chap.

As I always tell him, he has a nice Ferrari, but I have a nice life.