Used Car Hunter: low mileage, low cost first cars for £5,000
Our Car Hunter has £5,000 to spend on a low-mileage first car which is small and economical
Dear Auto Express, my daughter wants a well looked-after first car which is small, economical and with a low mileage for £5,000 or less. Which models would you recommend? - Paul Grayling, via E-mail
If you or anyone you know is looking to buy their first car, you won’t be surprised by the prices being asked for cars these days. Even the most common used city cars, superminis and hatchbacks are all attracting a premium price.
The inability of manufacturers to meet the demand for new metal in recent years has led to people holding on to their cars for longer, which ultimately means decent used cars have been in short supply at every level. The result? A five- grand budget means that even a small and economical car with decently low mileage will be getting on a bit.
Luckily, these days even city cars are built to a standard that seems to shrug off the years, and low-mileage examples being sold by careful drivers are not too hard to find. We’ve cast an eye over the listings for sub-60k mile Ford Kas, Fiat Pandas and Kia Picantos – three popular starter cars – to find out how far £5,000 will stretch.
Here's our expert pick of three small first cars available for a budget of £5,000, together with links to buy them through our Buy a Car service…
Ford Ka - the pragmatic choice
- For: Lots of choice, reliable, decent looks, cheap to run
- Against: Dull to drive, three doors only, cramped interior
The first-generation Ford Ka was a smash hit for the Blue Oval, but its 2008-2016 follow-up felt dated compared with the VW up! (and closely related SEAT Mii and Skoda Citigo) plus the likes of the Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto.
It’s not as practical as those rivals either, with a more cramped interior and only three doors, but it’s still a sound choice for a starter car, thanks to its reliability, low running costs and wide availability. A budget of £5,000 nets a 2015 Ka in Zetec Black Edition trim with just under 31,000 miles on the clock and a 1.2-litre petrol engine.
This follow-up to the original Ka was co-developed with Fiat’s 500 and Panda, and although Ford did enough to make sure the Mk2 Ka handled more crisply and rode better than the two Fiats, it wasn’t enough to match the class best.
There was a 1.3 TDCi diesel available early on, but most cars feature the 1.2 Duratec petrol (both are rebadged Fiat engines), which offers an insurance-friendly Group 3 rating, a 13.4-second 0-62mph time and up to 57.8mpg. There are plenty of trims to choose from, running from basic Studio and Style models up to the well equipped Zetec and posh Titanium.
Fiat Panda - the utilitarian choice
- For: Cheeky feel-good nature, practical, cheap to run
- Against: Not the most refined, utilitarian, feels cheap
This version of the Fiat Panda arrived back in 2012, and it offers cheeky looks, a practical five-door body style and an engaging frugal-but-fun nature that’s hard to ignore. Although it came with a well reviewed 0.9-litre TwinAir two-cylinder engine and a diesel, plus a 4x4 option, it’s the entry-level 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine you’ll find with low mileage in this price bracket.
With a budget of £5,000, you can get a 2017 Fiat Panda in Pop trim with around 40k miles on the clock. A more luxurious Lounge model at this price will be a year or so older.
There are elements of an MPV in the Fiat Panda’s design, and that utilitarian nature is backed up by a wide range of options, including a 1.3-litre diesel engine and a 4x4 that works brilliantly in the Alps.
In the UK, you’re much more likely to find the basic 1.2-litre model in Pop or Easy trims. The former boasts electric windows, ESP and central locking, while Easy gives you roof rails and air-con. Top-spec Lounge models have electric mirrors, foglights and alloy wheels. Insurance also starts at a very reasonable group 3, with the 1.2 offering 0-62mph in 14.5 seconds and 44mpg fuel economy.
Kia Picanto - the smart choice
- For: Lots of space, reasonable to drive, frugal
- Against: Less relaxing on motorways
We haven’t included the Volkswagen up! in this comparison because it commands slightly higher prices meaning you’ll only scrape into a tatty example, given our money and mileage criteria.
However, the Kia Picanto offers all the quality and refinement you need in a city car, if not the image, and every trim is well equipped. It’s a decent car to drive in town, if a bit stretched on motorways, and it’s generally on a par with its rivals for ride quality, comfort and performance. We’ve seen a couple of 2016 1.0 Picantos at around £5,000, but bargain hunters will more likely find a 2015 car or older at this price level.
Given that it offered a significant upgrade over its predecessor in terms of quality and performance, the second-generation Kia Picanto was a turning point in the development of the Korean city car.
Available with three or five doors, the Picanto also had the option of 1.0-litre and 1.25-litre petrol engines, plus an automatic gearbox. And as well as being nicer to drive and more refined than the Mk1, it had more space in the cabin and boot, making it more competitive in the class. Insurance starts at a lowly group 2, and the smallest 1.0-litre engines can manage up to 67mpg in the official tests. The 0-62mph sprint takes 13.9 seconds, which is par for the course in this class.
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