What Is The Best Small Car For A New Driver?
When you first start to drive the thought of going out in a car and driving about by yourself can be scary. One thing that can make your experience a lot easier or harder is the car that you drive. It is recommended that you get a small car so it’s easier to fit drive on tighter roads and way easier to park. The question a lot of young people ask is “what is the best small car for a new driver?” In this this post I will take you through what I think are the best first cars for new drivers.
Skoda Citigo
The Skoda Citigo is a great all-around car and definitely meets the requirements to be a small car as it’s one of the smallest cars on this list. You may recognise the car as it is very similar to the Seat Mii and VW Up which are all part of the VW group. The reason I chose the Skoda out of the 3 is because it is the lowest price starting from just over £8,000 and it doesn’t perform much different to its sisters. The Citigo comes in both 3 door and 5 door variations and is very cheap on insurance, sitting in insurance group 1 or 2. Despite only having a 1 litre engine that provides either 59bhp or 74 bhp (depending on the model) it is a nippy car around tight areas like city centres. All the power is transmitted through the front wheels using a five-speed manual gearbox. Surprisingly, for its size the car has a good ride and is quiet on faster roads. Even with the lack of power because of how small the car is it feels nimble and can reach speeds of just over 100mph. One of the big selling points of this car is that it can produce a combined mpg of 67! Finally, to give you peace of mind the Citigo comes with Skoda’s warranty of 2 years with unlimited miles and a third year up to 60,000 miles.
Ford Fiesta
We couldn’t make this list without including the Ford Fiesta as it is the best-selling UK car and it’s easy to see why. The car looks amazing and drives just as good as it looks. Like the Citigo the Fiesta is a 1 litre, front wheel drive, five-speed manual the main difference between the 2 cars is the size difference. If you are looking for something that is a bit more practical the Fiesta is something you should definitely look at and it also comes in both 3 door and 5 door models. The acceleration and top speed of the Skoda and Fiesta are very similar. The big disadvantage of the Fiesta is the price tag, starting from nearly £15,500 you will need a good job or kind parents if you want this to be your first car. The car comes with Ford’s standard 3-year, 60,000-mile warranty and for nearly double the price of the Skoda it’s up to you whether it’s worth the extra cost. Keep in mind that the Fiesta does come with a handful of features such as Tyre Pressure Monitoring System and Hill-start Assist which are great additions, especially for your first car!
Kia Picanto
The Kia Picanto is another car that is one of the smaller ones on this list, but only comes in a 5-door version. The price starts from just under £10,000 and for that you get features like Hill-start Assist Control and Automatic Headlight Control, both great features so you have one less thing to worry about when you are getting used to driving. Like the other cars on this list the Kia runs a 5-speed manual, powered by the front wheels and producing 66bhp, taking it to a top speed of 100mph. It accelerates at a similar speed to the Skoda & Ford, so you won’t be left behind. Fuel consumption isn’t bad either, producing 59mpg, so you won’t be spending most of your time at the petrol station. One of the best things about the Picanto is that it has Kia’s 7 Year, 100,000-mile warranty! This gives you complete peace of mind and means you won’t have to worry about your car breaking down and having to fork out large amounts of money.
Toyota Aygo
The Toyota Aygo, to start off with it’s a Toyota, which if you didn’t already know are bulletproof. As well as been very reliable, Toyota’s are known for been very safe. Prices starting from just over £9000, means this is in the lower price range on this list. For that price you get Hill-start Assist, Tyre Pressure Warning System and many other features. This car is great value for money and as it can produce 68mpg, so it’s dirt cheap to run. Again, this car is a 5-speed manual, front wheel drive and produces 68bhp, propelling it to a top speed of 99mph. Its acceleration is on par with the Skoda, Kia and Ford so you can still get around them tight cities with speed. The Aygo comes with either 3 doors or 5 doors, so you can choose which one suits your needs best. The insurance group is slightly higher than most on this list as it is in group 6, but for the price of the car plus the insurance it will still be cheaper than the Fiesta without insurance. Toyota offers a 5 year, 100,000-mile warranty making it the second longest warranty on the list only behind the Kia. However, as it is a Toyota it will probably run on many more years after the warranty has expired.
Does the Toyota Aygo interest you?
If the Aygo is a car you could see yourself buying, why not book it for the weekend with Indigo. You can pick an Aygo up for the weekend for only £69, this is a great opportunity to try out the Aygo and see if it’s the perfect car for you. If you are interested in the Toyota offer please contact Indigo via call on +44 (0)113 880 0748 or email at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk.
Dacia Sandero
Yes, I admit the Dacia Sandero is not the best-looking car on this list, but apart from the looks it ticks every other box. The starting price is just under £7,000! That makes it the cheapest car on this list and the low-price tag doesn’t mean it compensates anywhere else, in fact quite the opposite. Like all the other cars on this list it is a front wheel drive, 5 speed manual that pumps out 71bhp and tops out at 98mph. It is the slowest car on the list, not by much, but it will accelerate just as quick as the other cars on this list and keep in mind this car is only £7,000. If you did want more power you can upgrade the engine, which would make it the fastest accelerating car on this list by a long way and still all for under £10,000. For such a cheap price it still comes with Hill-start Assist and a Tyre Pressure Monitor. The Sandero sits in insurance group 3 and generates 53mpg. This is definitely the perfect car if you are on a budget and as it comes with a 3-year warranty you will be able to save your money for doing things you love.
Vauxhall Corsa
Finally, the Vauxhall Corsa, I’m sure most of you have heard of the Corsa as it’s probably the most popular first car for young drivers. The sporty look is an attention grabber for young people, starting at just under £12,000 it is the second most expensive on this list. For your money you will get Hill-start Assist and Cruise Control with Speed Limiter as standard. This is very helpful so you can make sure that you don’t end up speeding by accident. The car is also a front wheel drive, 5-speed manual and despite having the slowest acceleration on this list it can still reach 101mph. It is in insurance group 3 so won’t burn a hole in your pocket when you come to insure it. Fuel consumption is average, coming in at 50mpg and the car comes with a 3 year, 36,000-mile warranty. The car can be bought in either a 3 door or a 5 door, depending on if you want a sportier look or more practicality.
Final Verdict
In conclusion, each car on this list is a great first car for a new driver. It’s up to you what you are looking for, if you want a cheap car the Dacia is the car for you, on the other hand, if you plan on keeping the car for a long time you might opt for the Kia or Toyota, as they have a longer warranty. Whichever you decide to buy make sure you stay safe on the roads and enjoy having your own freedom to travel about independently.
