Best small cars for new drivers

The best small cars for new drivers are affordable to run, easy to drive and cheap to insure. The good news? You don’t have to sacrifice style, tech or driving fun to get those benefits.

In this guide, we’ve picked eight small cars that make brilliant first cars. They’re compact, confidence-inspiring and packed with useful features. They come with plenty of mod-cons, which can put a smile on your face while keeping your bank balance healthy. Here, then, are our top eight small cars for new drivers. 

• Kia Picanto

• Toyota Aygo

• Skoda Fabia

• Vauxhall Corsa

• Renault 5 E-Tech

• Volkswagen Polo

• Ford Fiesta

• Renault Clio 

Low ownership costs are a must, and a big part of that is a low (group 1-10) insurance group rating, since premiums for young drivers can be prohibitively high. Decent fuel economy, a solid reliability record and a good level of safety features are other key requirements.

Kia Picanto

The Kia Picanto’s appeal as a first car is that it's a small, budget-priced city car that doesn’t look or feel like one. In a good way. For starters, it’s available with the kind of features you usually expect from a car that costs twice as much. LED headlights, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, and a reversing camera? It really is a little car that thinks big. 

The Picanto also feels surprisingly grown-up on the road, and although it’s cosy inside, there’s more legroom than you might think. More load space, too, since the Picanto has a larger boot than just about any other city car. Lower-spec versions don’t have all the gadgets we mentioned just now, but every Picanto is well-equipped. Every version is fuel-efficient, and some versions have a group 1 insurance rating. 

Toyota Aygo

Cheap and cheerful sums up the Toyota Aygo nicely. It’s one of the most affordable options if you’re looking for a low-priced first car, yet its sharp styling and the option of some bold exterior colour combos are sure to put a smile on your face. So too is the fact that the Aygo is one of the most reliable used cars you can buy. It was sold new between 2014 and 2022, so most used Aygos are eligible for Toyota’s incredible ten-year/100,000-mile warranty, as long as they’re serviced each year at a Toyota dealership.

Admittedly, the Aygo is small and basic on the inside, but it’s robust and well-designed. Insurance and fuel costs don’t get much lower than this, and the Aygo’s tiny dimensions and responsive feel make it a great city runabout. 

Skoda Fabia 

If you’re looking for a solid, sensible option for your (or your offspring’s) first car it’s hard to look beyond the Skoda Fabia. It has a solid, reassuring feel on the road, which is a great fit for new drivers still getting to grips with the whole driving thing. 

While it might not be the most glamorous small car, the Fabia has a sharp-edged, modern look, and sportier versions are available. Where it really excels, however, is comfort. Compared with most small cars, the Fabia has an impressively smooth ride, while the interior has an air of quality and offers more passenger and boot space than most rivals. Go for a post-2023 model, and you also get lots of advanced safety features as standard, including an automatic braking system and a lane-assist function that keeps the car on the right track on the motorway. 

Vauxhall Corsa

The Vauxhall Corsa has always been hugely popular with driving schools thanks to its outstanding value and easy-to-drive character. Those same qualities make it an excellent choice for first-time drivers.

Simple controls and good visibility make it easy to get settled behind the wheel, and once you’re on the move, the Corsa has a responsive, reassuring feel. All versions give low running costs, although the latest (post-2020) model has higher insurance group ratings than the previous model. The Corsa costs less than many small cars, though,  and because it’s such a big seller, there are thousands to choose from on the used market. That means you can afford to be picky and to negotiate on the price. And if you want to ‘go electric’ with your first car, the Corsa is a great way to do it since used battery-powered versions cost about the same as petrol models. 

Renault 5 E-Tech

If you can afford a new or nearly-new model as your first car, the Renault 5 E-Tech is well worth considering. Not only is it one of the best electric cars you can buy. It's also one of the best small cars. In fact, it’s one of the best new cars full stop. 

It doesn’t hurt that it looks awesome, and we’re especially keen on the ’Pop Green’ and ‘Pop Yellow’ paint options. There’s substance to match the style, because the 5 E-Tech is also brilliant to drive, practical and very well-equipped. Maximum battery range is 192 miles for standard models or 252 miles for long-range versions, so a day trip or weekend break shouldn’t be a cause for range anxiety. As with most electric cars, insurance costs are on the high side, but if you have access to a home charger with the right energy tariff, you could pay a lot less for electricity than you would for petrol. 

Volkswagen Polo

If you’re after a first car with a touch of class, look no further than the Volkswagen Polo. Everything about it feels a cut above the norm, whether that’s the way it drives, the materials inside or its design. In short, it feels like a premium product.

The good news is that although it costs a bit more than most rivals, the Polo isn’t crazily expensive and even the lower-spec models have a good level of tech and safety features as standard. Above-average space, comfortable seats and a surprisingly big boot make the Polo a great companion for a weekend away, and it gives a smooth, quiet ride. Running costs are a match for most other small cars, with very fuel-efficient engines and especially low insurance group ratings that include a number of group 1-rated versions. 

Ford Fiesta

Want a first car that makes the joy of driving even more joyful? Then the Ford Fiesta is for you. Thanks to its sharp handling, responsive steering and precise gearshift, it’s a car that you can enjoy any journey in, and that makes it perfect for new drivers who want to build their confidence behind the wheel.

Don’t worry, the Fiesta ticks the other important boxes for a first car,  thanks to its user-friendly dashboard, low running costs and a high level of safety features (including a lane-keeping aid for newer models). Later versions also feature a heated windscreen that makes all that scraping on a frosty morning a thing of the past. It’s no longer sold new, but the Fiesta was one of the best-selling new cars for a long time, so there are a huge number of used Fiestas to choose from, and you should be able to find one that suits your needs and budget. 

Renault Clio

The Renault Clio has been a popular first car for more than 30 years, and the latest version is the best yet. It combines the kind of chic design and on-road sophistication the model is famous for with all the latest features, yet it remains outstanding value for money.  

Elegant yet modern on the outside, it’s just as stylish on the inside. At the heart of the interior is a large infotainment screen that looks great and is extremely user-friendly. Standard features for the latest model are remarkable for a car of this size and price, and include LED headlights and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto support. As a petrol model, the Clio has the largest boot of any small car, and even though hybrid models have less load space due to their additional battery pack, they still offer more than most similar cars.