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Compare the best cheap first cars

High quality cheap first and learner cars from rated and reviewed dealers

Rated 4.6/5 from 49,181 reviews
grey kia picanto driving down a city road

Best cheap first cars of 2024

Buying your first car is a rite of passage for all drivers. However, it’s also one of the trickiest car purchases you’ll ever make – as a new driver, insurance will be high on anything too powerful, and because of your inexperience you will probably want something smaller and easier to manoeuvre. New drivers also tend to be younger with smaller budgets, making it even more important to get your purchase right the first time.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of our favourite new cars that are cheap to buy, cheap to insure and not too intimidating to drive.

Dacia Sandero

1. Dacia Sandero

8/10
Dacia Sandero review
Hyundai i10

2. Hyundai i10

8/10
Hyundai i10 review
Volkswagen Up

3. Volkswagen Up

9/10
Volkswagen Up review
Toyota Aygo X

4. Toyota Aygo X

7/10
Toyota Aygo X review
Ford Fiesta

5. Ford Fiesta

7/10
Ford Fiesta review
Volkswagen Polo

6. Volkswagen Polo

8/10
Volkswagen Polo review
Kia Picanto
2024
Smart Spender Award
Highly Commended

7. Kia Picanto

7/10
Kia Picanto review
Citroen C3

8. Citroen C3

6/10
Citroen C3 review
Vauxhall Corsa

9. Vauxhall Corsa

7/10
Vauxhall Corsa review
Skoda Fabia

10. Skoda Fabia

9/10
Skoda Fabia review

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Advice about cheap first cars

Cheap first cars FAQs

The Hyundai i10 is possibly the most reliable cheap first car you can buy, at least according to Warranty Direct, which rated it above such other reliable cars as the Toyota Yaris and Volkswagen Polo. According to consumer experts Which? Honda, Mazda, Toyota, Volkswagen, and somewhat surprisingly, Citroen all make reliable small cars too.

Don’t be afraid to travel far and wide to find the right car at a price that works for you, and hit the phone to track down what you want alongside looking online. If you want a new car, check dealers towards the end of the month or financial quarter, and see if they’ve been doing a bit of sneaky pre-registering. If you’re buying used, scour the car supermarkets. And, of course, check out carwow for the best deals on new cars as well as used cars!

The Kia Picanto, Volkswagen Up, and basic versions of the Volkswagen Polo are all in Group 1 for insurance, so it’ll be tough to get a better quote than you will with one of them. The Ford Fiesta, Skoda Fabia, Kia Rio, and SEAT Ibiza all start in Group 2, while the Renault Clio, Hyundai i10, and Dacia Sandero all start in Group 3.

Read our guide on car insurance groups to find out more.