can anyone point me in the direction of a good beginners harness .I dont want to spend mega bucks at the moment as we both may hate it but i dont want to compromise on her comfort either.also would i be able to use a tracking harness as a safety harness in the car?

You can use the webbing harnesses available at Pets at Home etc made by Canac, I am not sure if they can be used as car harnesses too. Usually car safety harnesses are designed slightly differently and have a much higher breaking point. I use webbing harnesses on my dogs as puppies.

If you find the harness rubs you can put sheepskin nosebands over the straps.