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Best first cars 2021
First cars should be cheap to run and easy to drive, but that doesn’t mean boring. This list of best first cars will help you find an ideal first car if you’ve just passed your driving test.
1. VW Polo
The VW Polo is the ideal first car. Fitted with a 1.0-litre, 80hp engine it should be cheap to insure. It’s not the most exciting car to look atbut it has a well-built interior with plenty of easy-to-use tech. Step up to an SE model and you get a range of safety kit to give you that extra peace of mind.
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2. Peugeot 208
The Peugeot 208 is a superb first car. It comes with generous levels of equipment and cheap-to-run economical engines. You might find the infotainment system a bit tricky to get used to.
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3. Vauxhall Corsa
The Vauxhall Corsa has been one of the biggest sellers for years, and first drivers will account for a big chunk of that, as it is cheap to buy and run and easy to drive. This latest version even looks cool as well. It’s a bit cramped in the back, however.
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4. Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is the ideal first car if you love driving. It’s great fun on the road and comes with the tech young drivers love. It’s not the cheapest of its kind to insure, though, and some desirable safety kit costs a bit extra.
5. Hyundai i10
The Hyundai i10 feels as much like a TARDIS as a car – despite its small size, its interior is surprisingly roomy. Unlike the VW Up, the i10 actually has a full rear bench, able to carry three of your mates, rather than two. You’ll want to stick with the S or SE if you’re a first-time buyer, as those models, when powered by a 1.0-litre petrol engine, fall into insurance group 2.
6. Skoda Fabia
If you fancy the practicality of a VW Polo but don’t want to spend quite as much money, then the Skoda Fabia could be worth a look. It shouldn’t be expensive to insure and the cabin can stand up to the worst abuse your mates can fling at it and has a rear bench that can sit three of them side-by-side comfortably. It’s not very exciting however.
7. Fiat 500
The Fiat 500 is one of the most stylish first cars you can buy, with its iconic looks and a huge range of customisable options. Other first cars are more comfortable, better equipped and more practical, though.
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8. Volkswagen Golf
It’s one of the most expensive first cars on this list but it pretty much as everything you’d want in a car. It’s easy to drive, spacious and well equipped. It comes with great tech too, although some its features can be tricky to use.
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9. Toyota Yaris
The Toyota Yaris is a reliable all-rounder and one of the most dependable first cars you can buy. The cabin is spacious and you also get Toyota’s famous reliability, which means the Yaris should last you a long time. If it doesn’t, you still have peace of mind thanks to its five-year warranty. Many of the car’s less expensive trims also fall into insurance group 2.
10. Nissan Micra
The Nissan Micra is one of the funkiest and most eye-catching first cars out there. It’s easy to drive and get a model with a 1.0-litre petrol engine and it will not only fall into the cheapest insurance group, but also give a claimed 53mpg. It’s not the cheapest nor the most spacious car of its type though.
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Best cars for learner drivers
A car for a learner driver should be above all stress-free and easy to drive, but should also be cheap and safe. If you’re 17 years old, picking from one of the 500+ models on sale can be overwhelming so below you’ll find the five best cars for learner drivers as picked by our car experts.
1. Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf has pretty much everything you’d want when you’re learning. It’s easy to drive and comes with lots of great safety kit and tech, even if some of it is a bit tricky to use at first.
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2. Suzuki Ignis
The Suzuki Ignis is a funky-looking small car with a roomy cabin and light controls that make it a doddle to drive. Its narrow body makes it perfect for practising parallel parking, but there’s still enough space in the back for two tall teenagers to get comfy. Its very easy to see out of, too.
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3. Hyundai i10
The Hyundai i10 is does a surprisingly good job ironing out bumps and potholes around town for such a small car, so there won’t be any distractions when you’re getting to grips with your mirror, signal manoeuvre practice. All models come with front and back doors as standard, and you can get it with a smartphone-compatible seven-inch touchscreen, too.
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4. Toyota Aygo
The eye-catching Toyota Aygo is a compact car that’s just about big enough to carry four. It’s easy to drive and its cabin is sensibly laid out – so you won’t have to go searching for awkward buttons when you’re driving along. It’s far from the fastest car around, but it comes with a frugal petrol engine that’s pretty perky around town and very cheap to run.
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5. Dacia Sandero
Now, a Dacia Sandero is hardly the most desirable car for a 17-year old but glance over the looks and what you get is a lot of value for your money. The gearshift in the Sandero is light and easy so you won’t be too annoyed in a traffic jam and if you go for the most basic one, you get unpainted bumpers and steel wheels meaning you won’t have to stress about small scrapes or scuffed wheels.
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Best cheap first cars
The cost of simply buying a car isn’t the only concern for young motorists - another is insurance, which is continuing to rise year-on-year. However, we’ve grouped together the best cars in the lowest insurance groups for you. Naturally, they also cost peanuts to run.
1. Hyundai i10
The Hyundai i10 is the company’s smallest and cheapest car to buy, and if you opt for one of the lesser trim levels, it sits in just group 2 (out of 50) for insurance costs. It’s also a superb little car, being spacious enough for four adults to sit comfortably inside and offering good handling, a comfortable ride and frugal engines.
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2. Skoda Citigo
The Skoda Citigo is one of the best city cars around. It has strong-but-fuel-efficient engines, great handling, is comfortable and good space inside. The good news is, that if you stick it its lesser engine and trim levels, it’s also brilliantly cheap to buy and insurance, too, sitting way down in group 2.
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3. Citroen C4 Cactus
The Citroen C4 Cactus shows you can defy convention and still build a brilliant family car. Its quirky styling makes it look like a pseudo SUV and the spacious interior is even quirkier than the outside. It even drives differentially to other cars, its squidgy, comfortable suspension makes for a refreshing change to the increasingly sporty set up of other small cars. With that in mind, you’ll not be surprised to hear the C4 Cactus won the Comfort Award at carwow’s 2018 Car of the Year Awards.
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4. VW Up
The Volkswagen Up and Skoda Citigo very similar, but we’ve included the VW because, if you budget stretches a smidge further, it offers a more upmarket cabin for not a lot more cash. Of course, it has the same furgal engines, comfy ride and spacious cabin that the Citigo does too. Best of all, the cheapest models are in the group 2 for insurance costs.
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5. Nissan Micra
The Nissan Micra makes the list because it’s a small car, with city car insurance costs. The entry level model sits in the lowest group 1 insurance category, yet offers more grown up driving experience than most city cars, while naturally providing more space for passengers and luggage. It’s a no brainer if you need the extra room onboard.
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Safest first cars
If you're learning to drive or recently passed your test, you'll want to have the peace of mind that the car you or your loved ones are driving is safe. Here are five that come with five-star crash test ratings.
1. Renault Clio
The Renault Clio is a small hatchback with a plush-feeling cabin. OK, so it doesn’t look as eye-catching or feel as comfortable to drive as some alternatives, but it has a full-five star Euro NCAP rating under the toughest 2019 testing rules.
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2. Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is practical, good to drive and comes with great safety tech. In fact it comes with so much safety kit, it got a top-score five-star safety rating from crash test specialists Euro NCAP. Some of it’s features aren’t the most intuitive to use, however.
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3. BMW 1 Series
The BMW 1 Series is a high-tech small hatchback with eye-catching looks and a posh cabin. Sure, it’s not the cheapest but it has got a five-star Euro NCAP rating under the latest stringent safety tests.
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4. Ford Focus
The Ford Focus is superb to drive and has the latest driving technology onboard. Interior quality isn’t the best, but it did score five stars in the latest Euro NCAP crash tests.
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5. Mazda 3
The Mazda 3 has a high-quality interior and is fun and easy to drive. Sure, it isn’t the most comfortable car of its kind but it did get a five-star rating under the toughest 2019 testing procedure from Euro NCAP.
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