Looking for your first car? I found my sister this Kia Picanto, and I reckon it’s ideal for the job
Car changing is a big deal
News editor Jamie Edkins has spent a week helping his sister learn to drive in her 2011 Kia Picanto, and here’s why he thinks it’s the ideal first car.
It’s been almost 11 years since I bought my first car, and I still remember how excited I was to pick up the keys. It was a 2004 Ford Fiesta for which I paid £1,900, and the insurance was another £900 on top of that.
I thought that was quite steep back then, but now my kid sister is learning to drive and it opened my eyes as to just how expensive motoring is for new drivers in 2026. Lessons are more expensive, used cars cost more and insurance is nothing short of astronomical.
Choosing your first car is therefore harder than ever, and we trawled through options for hours before finally settling on this: a 2011 Kia Picanto. After spending a week driving it around, and helping my sister hone her skills, I think it was the perfect choice.
Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on Carwow. And you can sell your car, too. We’re here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.
Used Kia Picanto review: why did we pick this car?
My sister will be the first to admit that she’s not all that interested in cars, so she was quite happy for me to take the lead when creating a shortlist. She had only a few criteria: it had to have five doors, it couldn’t be a boring colour and it had to cost less than £3,500.
After weeks of searching, this Picanto popped up at a reputable dealer not far from her. At £3,200 it was under budget, she loved the colour and after a test drive from dad to confirm all was in order mechanically, “Winnie” came home with us.
It’s the most basic Picanto you could get in 2011. A “1” spec with plastic wheel trims, no phone connectivity and, unfortunately during the recent heatwave, no air conditioning. However, it’s a low-mileage example in great condition with good service history.
Used Kia Picanto first car review: insurance and running costs
Insurance is one of the biggest factors to consider when buying your first car, because getting cover can cost more than the car itself as a first-time driver.
My sister started driving quite late. She’s 26 now, so her insurance isn’t too bad at around £400 per year. If you’re 17 though, it’s a very different story.
I shopped around for some insurance quotes pretending I was 17 again. For the sake of this I’m living at home and working part time in a kitchen, and I’ve just passed my test today. Some of the quotes were eye-watering.
Below are the best prices I could get on six different cars. The Kia Picanto, Skoda Citigo and Peugeot 107 are all tiny city cars, while the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo and Vauxhall Corsa are slightly larger hatchbacks from the class above, but are also very common first cars.
| With black box | Without black box | |
|---|---|---|
| Peugeot 107 | £1,597 | £2,687 |
| Skoda Citigo | £1,607 | £2,703 |
| Kia Picanto | £1,766 | £3,342 |
| Ford Fiesta | £1,971 | £4,612 |
| Vauxhall Corsa | £1,935 | £4,760 |
| Volkswagen Polo | £1,945 | £5,157 |
For these quotes I used the most basic version of each car to keep things in line with the Picanto, and they’re all worth £3,250.
It’s pretty clear that you’ll need a black box as a first time driver to get cover for anything like a reasonable price. Without one, insuring the Picanto would cost more than buying it, and insuring a Volkswagen Polo is an eye-watering £5,200.
Insurance costs vary massively depending on where you live, where you park the car and what you do for a living. Out of curiosity, I set the address to Carwow’s office in Victoria, London, and the price went up to almost £10,000. Running a car in the capital will be incredibly challenging for young people. As a baseline though, the little Kia sits bang in the middle in terms of insurance costs.
It also only costs £20 per year to tax, which is the same as the Peugeot and Skoda but £150 less than the Volkswagen, Vauxhall and Ford.
The Picanto may not be the cheapest small car to insure, but there are a few reasons I’d still choose it.
Used Kia Picanto first car review: interior, equipment and practicality
This Kia Picanto may be the most basic version you can get, but it still has all the equipment you really need in a first car. It has electric windows and remote central locking, two things you don’t get in an entry-level 107 or Citigo, and if you step up to the “2” version you get even more kit.
That car gets air conditioning, Bluetooth hands free and electric mirrors, and you can find one of these for less than £3,500. It may sound sparse by modern standards, but when you’re new to the roads it’s best that distracting tech is kept to a minimum.
I was also impressed by just how roomy the Picanto is inside. I can sit in the back in reasonable comfort, and the 200-litre boot is around 60 litres bigger than the 107’s. A Skoda Citigo does offer a bit more boot space though.
The Skoda also has a slightly posher interior, but the Picanto feels solid and there are some silver trims inside to brighten things up.
Used Kia Picanto first car review: engine and driving
It’s been a long time since I’ve driven something as stripped back as this Picanto, and I found it pretty refreshing.
It’s got a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder engine with no turbocharger, and when it was new it had a dizzying 68hp. Safe to say, it’s very slow. It does 0-60mph in 14 seconds, but in some ways that’s actually good for a learner.
There’s no better way to learn about gears than by driving an underpowered car around the hilly countryside of Cornwall. You have to be one step ahead, changing down before the car runs out of puff halfway up an incline and slows to a crawl.
It’s a great way to learn car control, but having so little power does get tiring on motorways or faster-moving roads. Any overtaking manoeuvre has to be planned well in advance.
Other than the lack of power, the Picanto is a great little car to drive. Visibility is excellent, the controls are all light and easy to use and the suspension does a decent job of dealing with bumps.
A Skoda Citigo is a bit more comfortable, and it doesn’t get buffeted around on motorways quite as much, but the Picanto never failed to put a smile on my face.
Final verdict: is a used Kia Picanto the perfect first car?
First-time drivers are facing higher costs than ever, so a tiny hatchback such as the Kia Picanto makes a lot of sense as a first car. It’s cheap to buy, cheap to run and cheap to repair thanks to vast parts availability.
The Picanto also stands out thanks to its spacious interior and grown-up driving experience, but if you plan on using your car for long journeys on a regular basis then I’d spend a bit extra for something slightly more substantial, such as a Ford Fiesta.
But for getting your confidence up in your first few years of driving, you can’t go wrong with the Kia Picanto.
Car change? Carwow!
Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.
Want to see the latest car content first? Add Carwow as a preferred source here. Click here to follow us on Reddit, where you can keep up-to-date with all the latest news, reviews, advice guides and videos. You can also subscribe to our WhatsApp channel to get the latest news sent straight to your phone.