Good First Cars

Passing your driving test is one of the best things in the world, but when you get your license, the joy can be short lived when it comes to finding a car.

With stupid insurance prices, it puts many models out of the teenagers reach but don’t worry, there are models out there than can be insured cheaply.

If that sounds too complex, there is a new scheme that puts a black box in or on your car and charges you accordingly.  Drive like an idiot, and pay the price.

You need to accept that the insurance is going to cost you more than the car but you can also help by taking a Pass Plus course or asking to be added to your parents policy as a named driver.  You will need to talk about it with them first though.  I recommend visiting your local car supermarket for one of these below.

Here are a few options of what you could go for.

Ford Ka

Cheap to buy, run and fix when something goes wrong, not to mention the thousands that are already on the road to choose from.  For under £1,000 you can pick up models with air-con, CD player and everything else, but be sure to keep an eye out for rust under the sils, behind the bumpers and around the fuel cap.  If possible, but the latest model you can afford.

Fiat Cinquecento

This little city car is extremely cheap to run, and insurance won’t cost you an arm or leg either but don’t expect much as there isn’t much equipment and keep in mind they can be a little unreliable.  The last thing you want is to be cruising down the highway and then it breaks down.  Not cool.

Citroen C1

The C1 is the Peugeot 107 and Toyota Aygo’s little sister.  Not much changes apart from the badge.  Because it’s pretty new, it’s safe, but because it is new, the insurance will be a little bit more than the others and it will be hard to find one with air-con.  The fuel economy is good, shame the same can’t be said about the amount of equipment.

Toyota Yaris

The Toyota Yaris is highly reliable, so if you want to avoid repair costs, choose this car.  There is quite a lot of space inside for you and your rugby mates and if you can pick up a diesel model, which will result in fewer petrol station stops.

Insurance is pretty good for this car, but the cost of the vehicle reflects that.

Peugeot 106

The 106 can be brought for peanuts with a choice of engines and trims that will suit most people.  Most of them are pretty basic, but they’re entertaining to drive and reasonable to insure.  On the flip side, reliability is questionable and some of the service history is a bit sketchy, so get it fully serviced as soon as you buy it.  I would opt for an hpi check before you buy too.