The Best Used Cars for Students and Young Drivers
10 affordable used cars for students and young drivers.
10. Volkswagen up!
The Volkswagen Up! Is a class leader in the city car sector. Volkswagen make use of almost every square inch inside the squared-off body to give the Up! A Tardis-like feel. You’ll be blown away at just how much space there is inside this car. It’s also a real joy to drive too. The steering is predictable and precise while the engines aren’t exactly quick but they’re rather characterful. The Up! Has held its value much better than most competitors so expect to pay close to £5,000 for a clean example. On our site, there are some 2015 models available for just £62 a month, which is pretty good value.
9. Toyota Aygo
The latest Aygo has been on sale since 2014 and its proved to be a hugely popular car, particularly with young drivers who appreciate the cheap running costs that come with the 1.0 VVT-I engine and the playful nature of the driving experience. It’s also quite a good looking car and the cabin boasts modern technology and brilliantly ergonomic styling. The Aygo is also particularly easy to insure which will go down a storm with young drivers. You’ll want to spend around £4,500 on a good 2015 model with low mileage, but the reputable dealers on our site will break that down to just £77 per month.
8. Fiat 500
Since its introduction, the Fiat 500 has become the go-to choice for young girls who are keen to get out on the roads. The tiny dimensions mean it is super easy to park which is ideal for new drivers, the interior is stylish, comfortable and feminine too. Best of all, it’s ridiculously good on fuel. The little 1.2-litre petrol engine can achieve up to a massive 60 mpg! Right now there are over 1,500 models on our site with less than 60,000 miles on the clock that are under 5 years old, and some are as cheap as just £3,990!
7. Hyundai i10
Hyundai’s have a benefit that few others on this list do, which is that they come with a massive 5 year warranty which is attached to the car and not the owner, so if you can find a model less than 5 years old then there will still be some warranty left on the car from the manufacturer. This should help give young drivers the peace of mind that if anything does go wrong with the car then they should still be covered. There are currently plenty of examples for sale from approved dealerships on our sites with low mileage 2015 models even selling for under £4,000 or just £74 per month.
6. Peugeot 108
The 108 doesn’t try to be a class leader. It promises a realistic, affordable and sustainable solution to young drivers who are looking for a safe, smart and easy to insure vehicle. The 1.0-litre petrol engine with Stop/ Start will return up to 74.3 mpg on motorway journeys, which is particularly student loan friendly. Looking at reputable dealers with low monthly payment options, you shouldn’t need to spend over £4,400 to get a low mileage 2016 model.
5. Citroen C1
The Citroen C1 certainly isn’t the biggest car in this list, in fact, it’s pretty tiny both inside and out. The boot doesn’t fit an awful lot and the rear seats are pretty cramped. However, the C1 prides itself on being excellent fun to drive, extremely economical and surprisingly pokey in acceleration. The styling is desirable for young people too and running costs are nice and low. It’s best suited for inner city driving but handles itself reasonably well on motorway journeys. The C1 has one or two drawbacks but also a lot to shout about elsewhere. Expect to pay around £4,500 for a nice example for an approved dealer on our site, which should work out favourably on a low rate monthly deal - roughly around £90 per month.
4. Vauxhall Corsa
My first car was a Corsa and I simply cannot sing its praises highly enough. I loved how simple it was to drive and park and how agreeable the maintenance and running costs were. The boot is much bigger than that of any ‘city car’ too. Vauxhall sold thousands upon thousands of these in the UK which means that the used car market is saturated with them. We’d suggest looking for 2015 models around the £3,500 price tag as this offers the best balance between age and price.
3. Dacia Sandero
The Dacia Sandero is an extremely affordable car when being purchased brand new from the dealership, with prices starting from just £6,995 for the entry-level model. You’re best off choosing the 1.5 dCi diesel model if you’re going to be covering loads of miles on the motorway between your home and the student digs because the ultra-frugal engine can return up to a massive 80mpg. The Sandero also has the biggest boot out of any car in this list with a massive 320 litres of space to play with, which extends to a further 1,200 litres when you fold the rear seats down. That should be plenty of room to get all the washing home at the end of each term. There are plenty of examples on the used market and we’d suggest spending around £4,000 for a good value 2016 model.
2. KIA Picanto
Remember we were singing the praise of the extended Hyundai warranty earlier in the list? Well, the KIA warranty is even better. Every KIA model comes with a 7-year 100,000-mile warranty which is attached to the car and not the owner. So, if you or your child is off to university this September, get them a 4-year-old Picanto on a low rate finance deal and it will still be covered under warranty by the time graduation day comes round. There are over 400 examples for sale on our site from reputable dealers right now, with 2015 models starting around the £4,500 mark. Not bad at all.
1. Ford KA
When the previous generation of the KA was released back in 2009 it was praised for being better to drive than the Fiat 500, easier to park and it also had a bigger boot. The 226 litres of luggage space in the back of the KA isn’t monstrous by any stretch of the imagination but it is more than enough to get a whole wardrobe's worth of clothes from home to halls. Ok, maybe you’ll need the back seat too, but it’s possible. There are over 50 examples of the KA on our site now for less than £5,000, all with under 60,000 miles on the clock and less than 5 years old. We’d recommend spending around the £4,500 mark which should land you with a high spec Zetec model with start-stop technology on a 15 plate.