Top 10 Used Cars For Young Drivers

For many people, the excitement of recently passing your test can soon be clouded by the expense of owning a car and all of the other costs that come alongside it. With factors such as car insurance, road tax, fuel efficiency and more influencing young drivers’ decision on their new car, it can be tricky to find the best one.

Here at Quest Motor Group, we’ve done the research for you. We’ve put together a list of the top 10 Used Cars for young drivers, not only evaluating the car itself, but also typical insurance costs, fuel efficiency and road tax.

1. Vauxhall Corsa / Adam

The Vauxhall range is well known for its popularity amongst young drivers, and for good reason.

First up, the popular Vauxhall Corsa. Named the nations favourite car for young drivers in a recent motoring report, it’s easy to see why the Corsa is so popular.

Affordable, dependable and easy to drive, it’s a no brainer for many people. It’s also well equipped, with the older models featuring all the basics and the newer models including handy extras such as Touchscreen Entertainment, Parking Sensors and more. You can expect to pay around £140 in annual road tax with insurance bands ranging depending on the age and model of your chosen Corsa.

Alongside the popular Corsa, the Vauxhall Adam is becoming increasingly popular amongst young drivers. The Adam is small, smart and affordable. The newer Vauxhall Adam Energised in particular is highly fuel efficient and includes a whole host of handy spec. Averaging around insurance band 2, it’s definitely an affordable option – also with an annual road tax of around £140.

2. Ford Fiesta

The Ford Fiesta is one of the UK’s best-selling cars, and it’s particularly popular for young drivers. It’s fun to drive and packed full of handy features that make driving a breeze for first time car owners. With the Fiesta also being amongst the most popular cars for driving instructors, it’s a natural progression for many young drivers once they pass their test too.

Not only is the fiesta easy to drive, but it also scores highly in the safety area. With the newer models including a function called MyKey, parents feel reassured that their children are going to be safe out on the roads. This innovation allows parents to set certain functions such as speed, a seatbelt reminder and even a maximum volume for the stereo. These settings are coded to one key, but are set back to standard if the other key is used, making the Fiesta perfect for the whole family to enjoy.

The fiesta often features in the lowest insurance groups, making it one of the most affordable cars for young drivers. You can expect a fuel efficiency of between 46 – 74mpg, also making it cheap to run.

For young drivers with a higher budget and on the lookout for something with a little more power, the Fiesta ST is the perfect option. The EcoBoost engines in particular are highly economical and there’s a huge list of standard specification.

3. Citroen C1

The Citroen C1 is small, stylish and cheap to run, making it the perfect option for many young drivers. With fantastic fuel efficiency and an advanced level of standard specification, the Citroen C1 is certainly a desirable first car.

With Citroen now offering Free Insurance to young drivers, it’s a no brainer for many people in the car market at the moment.

Whether you’re looking at the older or newer model, there’s plenty of choice depending on your budget.

4. Fiat 500

The Fiat 500 is another popular choice for many young drivers. Although small, they are definitely fun to drive and cheap to run making it the perfect car for younger drivers. With older models starting at around £2,000 there’s plenty to choose from depending on your budget.

With the newer models featuring a great spec including an infotainment screen, aux and more, it’s easy to see why its such a popular model. With the 1.2l engine sitting in insurance group 7, it might not be the cheapest to insure but it’s still fairly low for young drivers.

5. Renault Clio

The Renault Clio is still one of the most popular cars for young drivers, with both old and new models still being many young drivers first car choice.

With used older models being amongst the most affordable its definitely a great choice. But if you’ve got more of a budget to work with, it’s worth considering one of the newer model Renault Clio’s. The 2018 Renault Clio gives off more of a sporty vibe, but equally still affordable and cheap to run.

It ranks high amongst young driver because of the advanced technology you get alongside the fantastic looking car. Packed with features such as Sat Nav, Bluetooth, Pan Roof, Tinted Windows and more – it’s no wonder it’s a popular choice.

With the average model sitting around insurance band 3 and producing 56mpg, it’s definitely one of the more cost-effective options.

6. Kia Picanto

The Kia Picanto is definitely an ideal car for young drivers as they are highly economical and practical. Oddly spacious for such a small car, it really does make it a great choice particularly for those looking to ferry friends and family around too.

One of the more standout facts about Kia Picanto’s is the seven-year warranty that it comes with. Kia are well known for their confidence in their cars and the seven year warranty puts buyers minds at ease and makes the car even more cost effective – particularly as it’s unbeaten by any other car manufacturer.

With the 1.0L model sitting around insurance band 5, it’s certainly one of the more affordable options, especially alongside the 65mpg that Kia claim the Picanto has.

7. Volkswagen Polo

Similarly to the Ford Fiesta, the Volkswagen Polo is known for being a household name. Being a small car, it’s certainly easy to manoeuvre but still with plenty of room inside for passengers.

The newer model comes with an abundance of safety features including Pedestrian Detection, Emergency Braking and more – definitely giving it a big tick from many safety concerned parents.

As one of the cheaper cars out there in terms of both efficiency and insurance, it’s a no brainer for many young drivers. For example, opt for the S or SE models and you’ll find yourself in group 1 insurance with Volkswagen also claiming a 64.2mpg average.

8. Ford KA

The Ford KA is definitely a classic young drivers car and with the models becoming more and more modern, the appeal is definitely widening. With the KA being cheap to run and insure, it’s a no brainer for many young drivers.

Space might be on the smaller side, but the KA makes up for it with its funky interior and specification.

The KA models are found in insurance groups 1 and 2 making them extremely cheap to insure and when you combine this with low running costs and a fantastic fuel economy, it’s definitely competing with the more popular Corsa and Fiesta.

9. Hyundai i10

The Hyundai i10 may be one of the smallest cars in the Hyundai range but it certainly makes up for it in value and comfort.

Recognised for its modern interior and premium finish, it’s the perfect small city car. Cheap to run, easy to drive and more spacious than it initially looks, it’s definitely considered great value. It’s also known for its great fuel economy, boasting around 55mpg.

Many owners of the Hyundai i10 praise its size due to the ability to park and manoeuvre the roads. Whatever your budget, there’s a Hyundai i10 model for you. Opt for the newer range and they even come with a handy 5-year warranty alongside air con, DAB and Bluetooth allowing you to stay connected.

Sitting around insurance band 2 and with an annual road tax of £140, it’s definitely one o the more affordable used cars for younger drivers.

10. Toyota Aygo

The Toyota Aygo is another popular choice amongst young drivers. With excellent fuel economy, low cost insurance and a similarly low road tax cost, its easy to see why.

Whether you decide on a new or used Toyota Aygo, there’s an array of options to suit your preferences.

Sitting in group six for insurance, it may not be the best, but it’s certainly still cost effective and not going to make a big dent in the bank account.

Here at Quest Motor Group, we have a range of used vehicles in stock perfect for young drivers. Get in touch with our friendly team today to discuss your requirements!