New vs used cheap cars: Kia Picanto or MINI Cooper?
We all love a bargain, but where will you find the best one?
Everyone loves a bargain, but if you’re looking to save the pennies when it comes to your next car, you might be wondering whether buying a brand-new or used car will net you the very best deal. For a budget of around £16,000, you can nab a fresh Kia Picanto or a lightly used MINI Cooper. Both of these are attractive cars in their own right, so which one is the best investment?
Our road testing experts have carefully evaluated both of these cars, and have weighed up the pros and cons of buying new vs used in order to help you decide on the very best purchase. We’ve also included links to our very own Find a Car service in order to help you find the latest offers.
So, should you choose the Picanto or Cooper? Read on for our expert advice.
New: Kia Picanto
- Our pick: Kia Picanto 1.0 2
- Price: £15,870 (saving £550 off RRP with metallic paint)
- Standard kit: 14-inch wheels, rear parking camera, electric windows
- Key stats: 54.3mpg, 116g/km CO2, 15.4secs 0-62mph
- VED: £220 in first year, then £190
- Insurance group: 4
- Warranty: Seven years/100,000 miles
City cars are becoming an endangered species, but tiny tots like the Kia Picanto continue to prove that smaller can be better. Combining low running costs, lots of useful tech and family-friendly practicality, the compact Kia delivers a surprising amount of new car for your cash.
Used - available now
2024 Volkswagen
Tiguan AllSpace
21,700 milesManualPetrol1.5L
Cash £19,997
2013 Renault
Clio
50,834 milesAutomaticDiesel1.5L
Cash £6,295
2022 Nissan
Qashqai
50,645 milesAutomaticPetrol1.3L
Cash £15,700
2024 Cupra
Formentor
37,877 milesAutomaticPetrol1.4L
Cash £20,900Despite prices starting at just £15,845 for the entry-level 2, the recently facelifted Picanto isn’t short of kerb appeal. Taking its cues from the brand’s imposing EV9 SUV, the Picanto’s angular lines and bold light treatment make it stand out.
The Kia feels roomy, while the five-door layout and 255-litre boot boost versatility. Its interior isn’t as stylish as the exterior, but it’s packed with tech, including an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a reversing camera, and air-conditioning.
The Kia’s not short of safety kit either, with autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist and an intelligent speed limiter. That said, Euro NCAP only awarded the Picanto four stars when it tested the pre-facelift car in 2017.
There’s a choice of two petrol engines, but at this budget you’re limited to the 62bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol. The thrummy unit feels eager around town but needs to be worked hard to keep up with the flow of traffic on the open road – although the slick five-speed manual gearbox means this is no hardship.
Light steering and dinky dimensions mean the Kia is pretty agile and easy to drive, while the suspension does a surprisingly good job of soaking up the worst bumps.
As you’d expect, the efficient Picanto costs peanuts to run. Kia claims a fuel-sipping 54.3mpg and CO2 emissions of just 116g/km, while the 2 spec falls into a lowly group 4 for insurance. Better still, like all models from the brand it gets a generous seven-year and 100,000-mile warranty.
It shouldn't suffer much in the way of reliability issues, either. Not only did Kia finish an impressive third overall in our 2024 Driver Power satisfaction survey, the Picanto ranked an excellent 12th out of 50 models in the same poll.
Used: MINI Cooper
- One we found: MINI Cooper Classic 5-door
- Price: £15,695
- Mileage/year: 17,300/2021
- Standard kit: 18-inch alloys, Apple CarPlay, air-con
- Key stats: 51.4mpg, 127g/km CO2, 8.4secs 0-62mph
- VED: £190
- Insurance group: 19
Kia has tried hard to give the refreshed Picanto some visual pizzazz, but when it comes to style it has to play second fiddle to the previous-generation MINI Cooper, which is fashionable, fun to drive and oozes premium appeal.
For around the same money as a box-fresh Picanto you’ll be able to secure a mint 71-plate Cooper Classic 5dr with less than 18,000 miles on the clock. There’s plenty of choice too, with our Find a Car service revealing numerous lightly used examples.
The MINI also steals a march on its new rival when it comes to interior ambience. High-grade materials
are used throughout, while the smart design adds to the Cooper’s upmarket vibes. It’s well equipped too, featuring an 8.8-inch touchscreen complete with Apple CarPlay, and ambient cabin lighting. The 2021 example we found featured extras including a Harman Kardon hi-fi and a heated steering wheel.
Keen drivers will get a bigger thrill out of the MINI, its characterful 134bhp 1.5-litre three-pot petrol delivering warm-hatch pace, while the car's quick steering and nimble handling make it great fun on a twisty back road. The taut suspension is a little firm around town, but excellent refinement, a six-speed gearbox and supportive sports seats make the Cooper a superior long-distance companion.
However, its practicality is a downside. Despite being around 400mm longer than the Kia, there’s only a little more space for rear-seat passengers and the 278-litre boot is barely any bigger. What’s more, despite having a decent haul of safety kit, the Cooper was awarded the same four-star rating as the Picanto by Euro NCAP.
By now the MINI’s three-year warranty will have expired, but a fifth-place finish in our 2024 Driver Power owner satisfaction poll suggests it should be a trouble-free choice. Claimed fuel economy of 51.4mpg and the brand’s excellent servicing packages mean the Cooper won’t cost a king’s ransom to run either.
Used - available now
2026 MINI
Cooper
7,581 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £19,192
2026 MINI
Cooper
6,614 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £23,295
2026 MINI
Cooper
12,525 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £21,979Cheap car buying advice
In terms of space, practicality, running costs and standard kit, there’s little to separate these great-value small cars.
With its generous warranty and low running costs, the Kia makes sense for those wanting a trouble-free runaround. However, for us the MINI’s upmarket image, sparkling driving experience and classy cabin just offset its fractionally higher running costs.
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