Best buys: first cars

Nothing compares with the thrill of buying your first car, but before hitting the road, novice drivers have crippling costs to contend with. Young males pay around £3,000 per year for insurance, and females £1,000 less.

As a result, the most popular first cars tend to be the most insurance-friendly – so with the help of specialist provider Adrian Flux, we’ve come up with the best models around.

Dan Clark is an insurance scheme technician at the firm. “Many first-time buyers assume they should buy a cheap car in a low insurance group,” he said.

“But it’s not that simple. We find that very cheap vehicles aren’t looked after by their owners, so claims are common, and we build up our own profile for each model. This explains why two cars with the same insurance rating can attract different premiums.”

So if you can afford it, try to spend at least £2,000 on your first motor – it’s likely to require less maintenance than a £500 banger, and your insurer will assume you won’t abuse it. It’s also a good idea to opt for something mainstream, such as a Ford or Vauxhall, rather than niche models. Modifications are frowned upon, unless it’s a classic, where sympathetic upgrades will make the car safer.

As crash rates among new drivers are high, safety is key, too. It’s worth taking a look at the Euro NCAP website (www.euroncap.com), which shows how well most mainstream cars from the past decade will look after you. 

A high Euro NCAP crash test score will appeal to worried parents, but those footing the bill will be more concerned with the size of the insurance premium.

Lauren Thomas from Hagley, Worcs, passed her test in April, aged 17, and looked at Ford Kas and Renault Clios because of their low insurance rating.

She told us: “I could insure the Clio for £1,300, but couldn’t afford to actually buy one in the first place. I decided to share my dad’s car instead, which meant he had to downsize. We opted for a 10-year-old Ford Fiesta. I thought the £1,800 premium wasn’t too bad, especially as others had quoted up to £8,500 in my own name.” If finding insurance is tricky for women, it’s harder for men. When trying to get cover for his decade-old VW Golf, Chris Gould, also from Hagley, was shocked to find that the lowest quote was £8,000.

“The only way we could insure it was to have the policy in my dad’s name,” he said. “I’m the main driver, and my parents are also named. It’s insured with Aviva, which said this would be the cheapest way of getting cover as it could then match my dad’s no-claims bonus.”

So both are driving on a parent’s policy, which means they aren’t building up any no-claims bonus – yet they’re still paying nearly £2,000 each for cover. Take into account maintenance, fuel and road tax costs, and it’s no wonder there’s not much left in the pot for the car itself.

With the help of Adrian Flux, though, we’ve come up with five great first buys. They’re all readily available, and some even boast a four-star Euro NCAP rating. For each of the cars, the premium is based on someone living in a mid-risk area, such as Peterborough, Cambs, with a medium-risk job, such as an office worker. In each case, the first price given is for a male, and the second is for a female.

Toyota Yaris 1.0 (1999-2005)

Best for reliability: The only Japanese car here, the Yaris is renowned for its reliability, and always scores highly in our Driver Power satisfaction survey. But due to its excellent reputation, it’s easy to pay a lot more for one than for an equally capable European supermini. Choose a Yaris, though, and you’ll enjoy some of the lowest insurance costs around.

17-year-old male/female: £1,500/£900

18-year-old male/female: £1,350/£810

Typical used value range: £1,000-£4,000

Euro NCAP rating: Four stars

Ford Focus 1.4 (1998-2004)

Best for space: Not everyone wants a really small runaround for their first car – if you need something bigger, the Focus makes an excellent choice, thanks to its ready availability and spacious cabin. It features excellent driving dynamics, too, but many of these first-generation cars are now looking tatty, with corroded sills, wheelarches and door bottoms.

17-year-old male/female: £1,800/£1,100

18-year-old male/female: £1,620/£990

Typical used value range: £750-£3,000

Euro NCAP rating: Four stars

Citroen C1 1.0 (2005 to date)

Best for MPG: The newest design here and, as a result, it’s one of the safest. Although the C1 is the most costly of the group to insure, it still looks great, is a blast to drive and will return 60mpg. On the downside, many examples don’t have air-con, while cabin space is tight and refinement isn’t especially strong.

17-year-old male/female: £2,140/£1,620

18-year-old male/female: £1,926/£1,458

Typical used value range: £3,000-£10,000

Euro NCAP rating: Four stars

Peugeot 106 1.0 (1991-1996)

Best for fun: Two decades after making its debut, the 106 has aged well. It’s not just a pretty face, though – the Peugeot baby is great fun to drive, and as most were fairly basic, reliability is a strong point. However, many have been thrashed and neglected by young owners, while uneven tyre wear is common and a symptom of tired suspension.

17-year-old male/female: £1,830/£1,450

18-year-old male/female: £1,647/£1,305

Typical used value range: £400-£1,000

Euro NCAP rating: N/A

VW Beetle 1.3/1.6 (up to 1978)

Best for style: An amazing social scene and endless opportunities for personalisation make the original Beetle hugely appealing. Using one every day might test your patience, though. The rear-mounted air-cooled engine leads to tricky handling and crash protection is minimal, although insurance is very competitive.

17-year-old male/female: £1,400/£1,250

18-year-old male/female: £1,260/£1,125

Typical used value range: £1,500-£6,000

Euro NCAP rating: N/A