My oldest has been saving since he was a young lad for '...one day I'll be driving my own BMW'. And I must say that he has done a remarkable job. School, sailing, working and saving. He nearly has the money for a 1 series.
Currently, he's going up and down the coast (100 miles single trip) twice every week for his sailing training. Currently, he's using my VW Up! But my wife -and as always she's right- considers a VW Up! not to be the most suited car for those trips, safety-wise. So she's willing to cover the last part to get my son in his beemer. Insurance-wise it's not a good idea to put him in an M-series. On the other hand, insurance in Holland for young drivers isn't over the top like in the UK.
Hence the question: what to choose and what to avoid? 114, 116, diesel or petrol. Packages vary here and in the UK and not all pre-owned cars in a certain price range have all the goodies one desires. A towbar -or the possibility of adding one- is essential. (I remember our company car BMW 320d EDE with an ultra-smooth and ultra-efficient engine. But it was impossible to hook something behind it. The factory specs were not suited for a towbar).
Tips, tricks, do's and don'ts please!