New, Clueless, Young.

[Matty-MK3]

Welcome!

I highly doubt you'll get ANYTHING other then a 1.4 on insurance.

Young people around here are raped, 1.4 is THE LIMIT on what most insurance companies will insure, let alone the cost.

[gazpowells]

welcome mate 

[DubFan]

Welcome.

Getting a low spec Golf is a good starting point, but I think you've got your insurance groups mixed up.

The Mk5 GTI that your friend has, is not insurance group 8, it's group 17.
See here: http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/specs/Detail.aspx?deriv=28653

As for the Mk4, here's some specs (copied from Parkers.co.uk cos I got loads of time right now):
1.4 - 75bhp - insurance group 4
1.6 - 100bhp - insurance group 5
1.6 16v - 105bhp - insurance group 6
1.8 non turbo - 125bhp - insurance group 10 (labelled as a GTI but most agree it's too slow to be a proper GTI)
2.0 - 115bhp - insurance group 10 (sometimes labelled as a GTI, but again too slow)
1.8Turbo - 150bhp - insurance group 14 (standard GTI)
1.8Turbo - 180bhp - insurance group 16 (GTI with higher spec engine)
2.3 V5 - 150bhp - insurance group 15
2.3 V5 - 170bhp - insurance group 15
2.8 V6 - 204bhp - insurance group 17
3.2V6 - 237bhp - insurance group 18

So as you can see as a learner/new driver anything above the 1.6 16v and you'll be screwed on insurance.
The 1.6 should be fine for a starter car anyway, you don't want too much power till you've got some real driving experience (ie after you pass).
A friend of mine passed his test and bought a little rear-wheel-drive sports car with a modest engine, but didn't have the experience to handle it and within 3 weeks had spun it and written it off.

That said, you should enjoy driving your own car, having the freedom to go where you want, when you want. So if you want a Mk4 go for it.
Take a look at this thread to see someone's experience of the Mk4 1.4 Golf http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=120673.0

[Christopher]

Thanks for that DubFan - Really helped, thanks for taking the time to do that for me! 

I believe he's been telling me a few white lies then, after looking up the car myself that he's on about, It's apparently a 1.9 TDi, not the 2.0 GTi he told me 

That list is great though! Exactly what I was after. So, from that list its saying that the 1.8 non turbo 20V are classed as GTi's, but actually don't have the power to be a true Gti?.. So if it's a GTi model or not, doesn't effect the insurance?
I'm not sure on a 1.4 as I wont be changing around too much, I'm thinking a 1.6 16V would be perfect, Insurance seems good too. The only reason I'd get anything more than that, is for my dads benifit too. Say a 1.8 20V non turbo model & my dad will be insured on it too, hopefully bringing it down quite some!

But definatly worth going for the 16V version of the 1.6 over the standard would you say? Or just get my dad insured on it too and have the 1.8 20V non turbo?

My dad's admin on putting me through some rally course or something before I'm aloud to drive so I know how to handle a car, which I think would be perfect! As he's an ex rally driver from back in the day I'm sure he'll keep me on the strait and narrow 

By the way only reason I'm not definate on the 1.4 is simply due to hearing about the fuel economy as it's a heavy car or something along those lines? But I'll get a good read of that thread you posted there!

Thanks alot,
Chris

[GOLF_STU]

welcome to the site 

[Dinky]

welcome to the forum hun

Dinx