Best First Cars for New Drivers 2024

Getting your first car is one of the most memorable and important moments of your life. New drivers, both old and young, will always want that perfect car to kickstart their new life on the roads.

And this process can be a bit of a headache, as the automotive industry is ever-growing with new car brands, models, and external motoring factors to consider such as new laws and regulations.

When searching for your first car, you should approach the task with an open mind – you should consider your options and don’t just set your sights on the first car you like.

You should be factoring in the following when exploring your potential first car:

• Is the car good value?
• Is the car cheap to insure?
• How reliable and safe is the car?
• Is the price fair in alignment with the mileage of the car?
• When is the car’s MOT due?

Once you think through on the above, you can start to compare your options and base your decision on the factors outlined.

But first, you need to know what cars are best suited for a new driver, which is what we will cover here today.

1. Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall are no strangers to building reliable cars, with the Corsa being at the forefront of their model line-up.

The Vauxhall Corsa has been one of the top selling cars in UK history for good reason. The Vauxhall model is equipped with a 1.2-litre engine, giving motorists in the UK a fairly priced car with reliability for a number of years.

A new Corsa is available from around £18,000. If you are looking for a used Corsa, a 2019 model is priced at around £7,500-£8,500.

Regarding UK driving, it is important to note that a petrol & diesel ban is due to be introduced in 2035. Therefore, you can always consider the Corsa-e, Vauxhall’s staple electric car that will start to overtake the original Corsa variant once the ban is in place. Corsa-e prices start at around £32,500.

2. Fiat 500

Italian giants Fiat have some models that have a shout to be on this list – the Fiat Panda, or even an older model in the Punto to name a couple.

However, the most noticeable and new-driver-friendly car from the Italian car manufacturers is the Fiat 500.

The Fiat 500 has been a mainstay in the automotive world for over 6 decades, offering 500 owners a comforting and safe driving experience since its release in 1957.

Due to its safe mechanics, small size and attainable pricing, the Fiat 500 is one of the cheapest cars to insure on the market.

The standard edition of the Fiat 500 offers a 1.0-litre mild hybrid engine, being available at brand new for around £16,750.

If you are considering EVs, the electric variant of the Fiat 500 – the 500e – has a retail price ranging from £28,195 to £31,435.

3. Ford Fiesta

Whilst this car has recently been discounted, we still can’t forget all about the iconic Ford Fiesta.

The Fiesta has been a very popular model for first time drivers over the years, so much so that by 2014 it was ranked as the best-selling UK car of all time.

Even though Ford discounted the Fiesta in 2023, you can still pick up the latest Fiesta model for around £19,500.

If you opt with the Fiesta, you can pick up a 1-litre EcoBoost variant of the car for around £4,000-£5,000 (used), which is positioned as an eco-friendly hybrid version of the Fiesta.

4. Volkswagen Polo

Along with the Golf, the Volkswagen Polo has been a high-selling model for VW in the UK market for a number of years.

Even though the Golf is Volkswagen's highest selling model, we recommend the Polo over the Golf for first time drivers, purely down to the fact that it is cheaper to purchase insure.

With prices for a brand-new Polo starting at around £19,850, the hatchback car gives you that famous German efficiency paired with reasonable pricing.

The latest range of Polos arrive with a 1.0-litre petrol or diesel engine, with power outputs of up to 110PS.

5. Peugeot 208

The Peugeot 208 is one of the more modern cars on this list, as it only replaced the Peugeot 207 back in 2012.

Since 2012, the 208 has been an affordable vehicle that motorists around Europe. Evidence of this is highlighted through a recent 2022 ‘Used Car of the Year’ award presented by Car Dealer.

If you are looking for a new Peugeot 208, you will be looking at prices in the region of £19,250, with used prices for the French supermini being around £5,995. The EV equivalent of the 208 is the Peugeot e-208.

Much like all cars on this list, its safe dimensions and engine outputs makes the car attainable for cheaper insuring at any level of driving.

6. Citroen Ami

Now for the wildcard of this list: the all-electric Citroen Ami that has top speeds of only 28mph!

You might ask; why would I want a car that can’t pass 30mph? The answer is simple – you can drive the Ami at 16 years old.

As the vehicle is technically a quadricycle, any 16-year-old with a full AM moped licence can drive this quirky contraption.

Given that this road vehicle can be driven by someone who is 16, the Ami is a good avenue for teens to get used to the roads before they even start sitting driving lessons.

Being priced at only around £10,495, the Citroen Ami is a fun and practical vehicle to get started with driving.

7. Hyundai i10

Hyundai have made a name for themselves amongst car enthusiasts for being a top brand since their inception in 1967.

In recent times, a big success for the South Korean manufacturers has been the Hyundai i10.

The i10 is a great option for those looking at cars for a reasonable price and solid performance – the Hyundai model finished 1^st for ‘Price/Performance ratio’ in a fan voted Auto Bild poll, gathering 67 per cent of the votes. If that doesn’t highlight the car’s suitability for first time drivers, I’m not sure what will.

If you are interested in the i10, prices for the latest model will come in anywhere at around £15,450 to £19,000.

8. Toyota Aygo X

The Toyota Aygo has been a popular car amongst the UK roads since its first generation arrived back in 2005.

A new iteration of the Aygo is the new Aygo X, a compact SUV crossover vehicle that is seen as a larger version of the original model.

Still having similar features to the original Aygo, the Aygo X has been branded into the same 'small car' category as its sister model, gaining prestigious awards in the small car category such as being awarded "Best Small Car" at the Car of the Year Awards in 2023.

The Toyota Aygo X features a 1-litre, 71hp engine that has a torque of 93 NM, giving the vehicle that safe and efficient performance.

Prices for the Aygo X start at £16,100, with insurance being generally cheap due to its small engine size.

9. Suzuki Swift

Given that Suzuki entered the UK market in 1963, it should come as no surprise that the brand has established themselves amongst new drivers with their best-selling car to date, the Suzuki Swift.

Suzuki has been on a roll as of late, with media outlets such as Fleet News regarding them as the most improved car manufacturer back in 2020.

With Suzuki riding on the momentum they have garnered over the last few years, more and more new drivers are considering Suzuki’s flagship model as a viable option for a first car.

Defining practicality on the roads, the Swift is a reliable choice to consider when looking for that perfect first vehicle.

The hatchback car has price ranges from £17,199 to £21,199.

10. Renault Clio

Last but not least, the classic Renault Clio.

Since its release in 1990, the Clio has been the French car manufacturer’s best-selling model in Europe, closely followed by the Renault Captur.

Renault have shifted a lot of focus towards new drivers with the many Clio generations over three decades, stating the Clio is “everything a first car should be”, and is “practical, economical, easy to handle, reliable, and above all, fun-filled.”

The RRP range of the Renault Clio is anything between £16,830 to £24,000.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the list provided here should give you better outlook on what cars to look out for when decided on your first vehicle.

It is important to remember that even though prices outlined today are new car prices, you can always search for used cars to save money if you are sticking to a specific budget.

As stated at the start of this article, try and broaden your options so that you have plenty of cars to chose from, and that includes not just going for one of the aforementioned car models throughout this list.

It is exciting times picking that first car, but make sure it's the right one when you do so!