This is actually the moment you feel like you’ve already been waiting for all your life. The trainer has just confirmed you’ve passed your own driving test, meaning automotive freedom is justa round the corner. Borrowing a car from your parents sucks, though, meaning you’ll be seeking your own wheels. So , what’s this going to be?
Because the Vehicle Throttle YouTube team has demonstrated time and time again, you can grab all manner of cars for very little in the united kingdom used car market. The problem for the typical 17-year-old with a fresh license, naturally , is insurance.
To ensure each of these cars are insurable pertaining to younger drivers, we obtained estimates for a fictitious 17-year-old student residing in a Cambridgeshire city. ‘Geoff Stevenson’ has a clean driving record on his new license, will drive up to eight thousand miles a year, and is the only individual on the policy. Our man may insure these cars from £1350 to £2500, with a telematics package needed to get the lowest prices : more on the pros and cons of those devices another time.
We haven’t listed individual rates for each since they vary greatly based on your circumstances, so it’s super crucial that you get your own quote before buying something.
The cars are arranged into three brackets based on the cheapest price you can get a decent one for, even though with many of these vehicles enjoying lengthy production runs, it’s possible to invest much more on a newer example in some instances.
Starting price from below £1000
The Ford Ka was considered the go-to very first car before 2021’s 17-year-olds had been even born, and it remains a fantastic choice today, not least because it is the cheapest to insure on this checklist for Geoff. Supplies are still great, helped by how disarmingly easy these things are – there’s valuable little to go wrong and destroy them off, save for corrosion.
The Ka’s brand giant grey bumpers (some had been body-coloured) look distinctive and ensure any kind of manoeuvring fails shouldn’t leave your pride and joy with unpleasant battle scars.
The particular 69bhp offered up by Ford’s 1 . 3-litre inline-four may not seem like much, but as we found out race one of these in the EnduroKa series , they’re thrilling to drive.
You can’t hate at the Panda – it’s an lovely little workhorse that’ll take all you throw at it. Those box-like dimensions mean the already large 200-litre boot grows to an enormous 861 litres with the seats collapsed flat, and with them up, there is a decent amount of space for people.
Fiat made this era of Panda for nine many years, giving used buyers a massive quantity of choice. Whether you want a sub-£1k discount or something more recent, you’re protected. There’s even a 4×4 version, even though, for affordable insurance, you’re greatest off sticking with something like an early 54bhp 1 . 1-litre example.
The Fully Integrated Robotised Motor (FIRE) petrol engines need a cambelt change every 36, 000 kilometers, so it’s worth checking with regard to evidence of this in any included assistance history. Also, head gasket problems aren’t unheard of, so do the usual check out under the oil filler gap just for gunky white stuff indicating a good unceremonious mixing of fluids.
The Citroen C2 had the particular thankless task of following in the much-loved Saxo. Reception was lukewarm, but fast forward to these days, and the supermini is looking much more tempting. You can now pick one up for control keys, whereas you’ll struggle to find a Saxo at all.
It’s one of the most interesting cars here and is a great deal safer than its predecessor. There exists a VTS model, but don’t obtain too excited – it’s not outstanding, and you won’t be able to insure this anyway. Instead, your chariot is going to be powered by a 1 . 1-litre inline-four producing 61bhp.
Remember, this is a mid-noughties Citroen, so anticipate patchy build quality. It’s also one of the most expensive cars to insure right here.
Starting price from £2000 – £3000
They may all have different producer and model names, but these 3 are effectively the same car constructed on one production line in the Czech Republic. Interestingly, though, the insurance quotations we got varied significantly among models.
Go with whatever one you can cover for the cheapest figure, and if there isn’t a lot difference between, let the styling manual your decision. Engine choice is nice and easy: you’ll be going for the 1 ) 0-litre inline-three petrol producing 67bhp, as the 1 . 5-litre diesel can be painfully slow and extremely rare considering that few buyers bothered with it initially.
Water ingress with the rear window and light groupings is a known issue, so look into the boot for any damp patches.
That’s right, your first car does not necessarily have to be a tiny hatchback. Every single slower two-door we could think of (Honda Civic coupe, Hyundai Coupe etc) returned a ‘does not compute’ with our chosen insurance company (and a few shocking premiums with firms we have never heard of on a popular evaluation site), with the exception of one: the Toyota Paseo .
It may be slow generally terms, but its 0-62mph time of eleven. 2 seconds actually makes it among the fastest things here. It appears great, you can pick one up for not a lot more than a grand, and they cost nuts to run. The only issue is obtaining one – there are very few enduring examples out there.
Yes, the two is a Ford Fiesta underneath, but Mazda ‘s take on the supermini is much more interesting. The Mazda 2 appears better, is a less obvious option, and was praised for great dealing with when first launched.
The particular third-generation ‘DE’ 2 is the someone to go for. This is the version that cast off the weirdly tall, MPV-like entire body for a more conventional shape, whilst also trimming the weight figure in accordance with its predecessor.
You will be wanting to go for the 74bhp version of the 1 . 3-litre inline-four petrol to keep the insurance premium lower, although there is a Miller Cycle edition producing a more useful 89bhp.
The Sport may be the Suzuki Swift that will gets all the praise, but the basic version of the hatchback shouldn’t become overlooked. You get interesting looks, dependability and decent handling all covered up in a thoroughly affordable package deal with one of these.
The one 3-litre Swift is one of the more powerful vehicles on our list with around 90bhp to its name, although that will does come at a cost of increased insurance premiums. In 2010 a heavily up-to-date version arrived, which sits a way between being a facelift and a good all-new model. It’s worth choosing if your budget allows.
Beginning price from £2000 – £3000
Just to toss a curveball into the mix, here is the MAGNESIUM ZR. Using the bad starting point of the Rover 25, the particular brand came up with a surprisingly desired hatch with great looks plus sharp handling.
The particular 1 . 4-litre inline-four version remains reasonably pokey with around 100bhp to its name, making to get a circa 10-second 0-60mph. So as nicely as being the most fun to drive, it is also the quickest car right here. And yet, with a bit of shopping around through adding Geoff’s equally fictional 44-year-old mother Julia to the policy, i was able to find some reasonable estimates out there.
Downsides? Nicely, there aren’t many left out presently there. You might luck out with a discount, but most of the ones we’ve noticed kicking around are later, more tidy examples and are priced accordingly. The particular ZR’s K-Series engine also has the deserved reputation for popping mind gaskets, although it is at least much better than the bored-out 1 . 8 suited to more powerful versions.
If you would like the simplicity of some of the old vehicles here like the Ford Ka but in a safer, more modern package deal, look no further than the Dacia Sandero. The particular bargain-basement Access-trimmed models are refreshingly basic, with an absence of electric home windows, air conditioning, alloy wheels and even remote control central locking. Like the Ka, these types of entry-level Sanderos also eschew body-coloured bumpers.
If that is too basic for you, the mid-grade Ambiance is a good compromise, and it leads to more engine options. Alongside the particular 75bhp 1 . 2-litre inline-four you are forced to pick with the Access, there is a more economical 90bhp 0. 9-litre four and a 1 . 5-litre diesel powered which can clock up to 80mpg should you be careful.
Despite becoming one of the younger cars here, even though, early Sanderos can suffer from corrosion issues. Be sure to check any possible purchase thoroughly.
When the Toyota Aygo and its chums were released, VW ‘s answer to the city car question was your Fox. Which wasn’t particularly great. Thankfully, the car that replaced this, 2011’s Upward! (exclamation mark optional) is a whole different ball game.
Like the Aygo, it was one of 3 near-identical siblings, with the Skoda Citigo, Seat Mii and the Toyota many built at the same factory in Bratislava, Slovakia. The Up is the best searching and has the best badge, while the Skoda arguably represents the best value.
The Seat should be discounted, even though – you can’t go far incorrect with any of these. They’re cleverly developed, well thought-out cars that should not give any expensive surprises in the future. The sole engine on offer is an one 0-litre inline-three, although it’s manufactured in different states of tune. Greatest stick to the entry-level 59bhp for reduced insurance costs, though.