10 Best First Cars for New Drivers in 2024 | carwow (2024)

As with all cars, Hyundai’s little i10 is a bit pricier than it used to be but still offers a lot of value. The i10 is roomy enough inside for four (although the boot’s tiny) but the good stuff here is a frugal little 1.0-litre engine, and Hyundai’s solid reliability and warranty. The car is not un-stylish, either.

This is the one to buy if you’re on a tight budget but want a practical cabin. Around £14,000 gets you a Polo-sized hatchback, with space to spare. The basic 90hp turbo 1.0-litre engine is lively, but not thirsty, and instead of a touchscreen, you get a clamp to hold your mobile phone and an app to connect it to the car’s speakers. Neat, if cheap. The safety rating (two NCAP stars) is a bit grim, though.

It may be more expensive than the smaller Hyundai or the budget Dacia, but the Peugeot 208 deserves a place on any new driver’s shortlist. The cabin is stylish and distinctive, with a small steering wheel that looks like it belongs in a go-kart. There’s lots of space up front (though the rear seats are quite cramped), and autonomous emergency braking is standard. There’s even a fully electric version, which is great for the eco-conscious new driver.

If safety is a top priority, this is the one to buy. The Polo is built like a bank vault and performs like one in a crash test - scoring five stars in Euro NCAP testing and very highly across the individual categories. Some Polos may seem a bit too sensible for their own good, but a bright paint colour brings the styling to life.

The SEAT Ibiza offers many of the same sensible qualities as the Volkswagen Polo but is wrapped in a more stylish, eye-catching body. A mid-life refresh a couple of years back gave the cabin a lift, too. The Ibiza is super-safe and well-equipped for the money.

Skoda is usually the sober, mature choice among VW Group brands, and the Fabia fits that mould – the styling is smart but inoffensive. Inside, the Fabia is roomier than most small cars, although some plusher plastics would give the cabin a boost. The Skoda is easy to drive – exactly what you want from a first car.

Once upon a time, the best thing about a Yaris was that it was indestructible. That solidity hasn’t changed, but Toyota has injected the latest Yaris with a jolt of styling brio, and a chassis that feels more deft and engaging than you’d expect. The pricey hybrid is super-economical, but it suffers from small back seats and a tiny boot.

A driving school favourite for decades, the Corsa has been much improved with this latest version. It looks quite sensible inside and out, but it’s sweeter to drive than it used to be, and you can even get an electric version if you want to future-proof your first car.

Cheaper than the equivalent Hyundai, which is nice, and arguably nicer to look at with chunky, square-edged styling. Not the roomiest thing in the world, but it’ll do, and Kia’s seven-year warranty is reassuring when it comes to reliability. You might just crack 60mpg if you drive carefully.

Though its current iteration is getting a bit long in the tooth, the Suzuki Swift makes for a compelling choice of first car. As well as being roomy inside and available with a lot of tech, its 1.0-litre turbocharged engine is quite frugal and offers just enough performance to enjoy.