Maz was looking for a safe and spacious car for her 17 year old son Duncan to learn to drive and then have as his first car. This significant investment for the family should therefore maximise the value for what they spend, and cover all bases. Duncan is over 6ft tall, so small cars like Aygos, or I10s, which are typical for learner drivers, were out and we wanted to find a traditional supermini with a little more space.
Whenever I hear supermini, I think Ford Fiesta. That may sound boring, but there is a reason they have been consistently the bestselling supermini for so many years running. They are fun to drive, reliable, economical to run, and to mend if anything does go wrong, or there are any little mishaps when learning to drive. In addition to the Fiesta, we would also look at Corsa’s, Polo’s, Yaris’ and even the Vauxhall Adam, which the family had a soft spot for.
"We have been looking for a while for a first car for our son, we are not mechanically minded at all. We were struggling until we found Anthony Hinde who was our saving grace. Anthony took time to find out what we wanted and needed, he gave us a list of cars to suit our needs with pros and cons to suit. Once we agreed he then set upon looking for our perfect car, he found it in a small amount of time.
He works so hard and keeps you up to date with his findings. He has taken all the strain out for us and I would 100% recommend him. He is honest, reliable and trustworthy.
My son is over the moon with his car and it’s all thanks to Anthony. Highly recommended." - Maz (Duncan's Mum)
Although the Fiesta is a very common car, we were looking for a very specific model which was in Group 3 insurance, the extremely elusive low hp 1.2 model, since the 82 hp Zetec made insurance impossible for a new driver. After tracking down some good examples of each type, it really came down to a decision between the Adam and the Fiesta. Although the Adams were easier to find at the right price point, the Fiesta was really my recommendation as it is a superior car both dynamically and in terms of space to the Adam.
I was therefore delighted when a privately owned 2 owner car with very reasonable mileage appeared in Essex. To not waste any time I went to view the car that day, and after checking the bodywork for damage, old MOTs for the history of care, and the service records and HPI report I was satisfied the car was not hiding any mysteries. A short test drive to ensure the car was mechanically sound and we were able to land a bargain for Maz and the family.The car had clearly been treated well and drove like it was just a year old.
Duncan was really surprised to find he had what seemed to be an almost new car, and nothing like a tired and well used example they might find a local dealers. It was also great that he could actually fit in it, with a passenger behind him too. I was really satisfied to have found such a gem privately, and it showed that if you are patient and look for long enough there are still well cared for excellent condition second hand cars in the private market. The family had invested in a safe, reliable and good looking car with many reliable years of service ahead of it.
