Get something cheap and reliable. No problem looking at sticking some alloys on, that kind of thing, but premiums for 17 year olds can be astronomical, so maybe it's a good idea to look for ways to get the premium down rather than bump it. Get a named driver on it, but don't 'front' it. (Google it).
Some insurers take the mickey with mods. I can only imagine that'd be magnified as a new young driver.
But..... You might get lucky. If you draw the line (for now) at lowering springs and a set of alloys you shouldn't narrow your insurance options down too much. Pick the right car and the right wheels and you'll have a sorted motor that you can obsess over, keep immaculately clean, learn about, that (most importantly) looks the dogs.
Going into more detail, I'd avoid Helios, as they're 19", and rubber will be expensive. The wheels themselves will be expensive too. No point putting a grand's worth of wheels and tyres on a car that might be worth less. Lots more choice in 18" and you can get tyres that'll work in an emergency for a decent price.
If you can find a good mk4 Bora, you might end up with a pretty special first car. From memory, the 130 diesel is a lower insurance group than the equivalent 130 diesel mk4 Golf. I'm not saying you should specifically go for a 130, but in theory a Bora would be cheaper to insure like for like against a Golf of the same engine. The 115 diesel is a good option to look at. Torquey, economical and reliable. It'll feel quite quick.
Don't get fixated on 'scene' mods. They're expensive and often pointless. Try and buy a standard car. Don't think about power upgrades, at all, for a few years.
Get a shortlist of 5 cars in your head. Phone round the insurance companies and get quotes on each, as standard, and then as modified with alloys and a drop. Then your shortlist should get shorter and you'll be in the position to go hunting.
Don't ever be tempted to modify the car and keep it quiet from the insurers. Big no no.
Good luck.
