Help! I need a small, nimble first car for £7,000

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a day ago

Dear Auto Express, I need a first car that's small, nimble and easy to drive. My budget is £7,000. What can I get that's safe and relatively modern? - Jamie Fern, E-mail
Passing your practical driving test is a significant moment for anybody. Once you're torn up your L-plates, the only barrier between you and a new level of freedom is finding your first car. Advertisement - Article continues below
Of course, being a newly qualified driver, you'll probably be on the lookout for something which is small enough to help you to gain confidence when navigating narrow streets or tight carparks, while also being cheap to insure and run.
Typically, the Citroen C1 has ruled the roost among new drivers. If you aren't drawn by its cute styling, you might be convinced by its dependable three-cylinder engine, which it shares with its Toyota Aygo relative. It's not the most sumptuous city car, but some colourful personalisation options do spice up the cabin.
The SEAT Mii is the Spanish brand's twist on the Volkswagen up!, making it by default one of the most complete small cars you can buy. It boasts great build quality, grown-up handling and a surprisingly spacious cabin. The styling might be too conservative for some, though. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
The same can't be said for the quirky Renault Twingo. Being rear-engined and rear-wheel drive, the French city car is the reverse of its two competitors here, and this layout gives the Twingo fantastic manoeuvrability in cities.
Here's our expert pick for three of the best first cars available for £7,000, together with links to buy them through our Find a Car service… For: Solid build, slick dynamics, roomy
Solid build, slick dynamics, roomy Against: Plain design, fiddly parcel shelf Advertisement - Article continues below
Stubby dimensions, short overhangs and clean detailing give the SEAT Mii a pleasant if not distinctive look. From behind the wheel, the Mii is hard to beat. It shares a platform with the Volkswagen up! so the handling is crisp and it's surprisingly enjoyable to drive.
The ride is supple, too, and wind and tyre noise are well suppressed for this class of car. The most powerful 74bhp version offers solid performance for town driving and the three-cylinder engine feels peppy enough. A 60,000-mile 2019 Mii falls well within budget.
None of these models is especially plush inside, but the SEAT gets closest to providing the feel of a bigger class of car. The dashboard layout is user-friendly, the switchgear is sturdy and the hard plastics feel durable rather than terribly cheap. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
The Mii is also surprisingly spacious, with more accommodating rear seats than the Citroen and a respectable 251-litre boot. Lower-spec SE models are equipped with alloy wheels, electric front windows, air-conditioning and a leather steering wheel as standard. A DAB radio can also be specified, along with a dashboard-mounted navigation system and Bluetooth connectivity.
See our used SEAT Mii deals For: Tight turning circle, rear seat space, robust interior
Tight turning circle, rear seat space, robust interior Against: Vague steering, small boot Advertisement - Article continues below
With its engine over the rear axle and powering the rear wheels, the Twingo's set-up is closer to a Porsche 911 than it is to most other hatches or city cars. The design is unique, with rounded surfaces, tiny overhangs and a sloping glass tailgate.
By relocating the engine and freeing up space at the front of the car, the Renault Twingo has a turning circle to rival a London Taxi. There's lots of body roll and the Renault tends to fidget over bumpy roads, but although wind noise builds at higher speeds, it's comfy enough. You can get a 2016 Renault Twingo with 20,000-miles on the clock for under £7,000.
Renault added splashes of colour inside the Twingo to lift the ambience, with coloured accents on the steering wheel and air vents. It may not be as well screwed together as the SEAT, but the cabin feels solid and durable on the whole. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
Visibility is great, too, and standard equipment includes a DAB radio, Bluetooth and a USB connection. The standard stereo is a six-speaker set-up, but some models also feature a subwoofer for punchier sound. There's plenty of space in the rear, even for four adults, although the rear-engined Twingo has the smallest boot in this company, at a mere 188 litres. Advertisement - Article continues below
See our used Renault Twingo deals For: Distinctive looks, easy to drive, affordable
Distinctive looks, easy to drive, affordable Against: Cheap interior, tight rear seats
Closely related to the Toyota Aygo, the Citroen C1 uses that car's running gear. However, while it does its best to maximise the space inside, and has a glass rear hatch that makes it look more distinctive than the SEAT, the driving experience isn't quite on the same level.
Its 1.0-litre three-cylinder motor is shared with the Aygo, and can feel out of its depth on a motorway, because it's short of punch even compared with its rivals here. It's fine around town, though, and the C1 is very easy to drive, with light controls. For £7,000, you can bag a 2018 Citroen C1 that's covered 26,000 miles.
Like Renault, Citroen offers a variety of coloured panels and trims to add a dash of personalisation to the cabin of its city car. However, material quality isn't up to the best in the class, and the layout of the controls isn't as intuitive as the SEAT's interior. Still, all versions offered for sale other than the entry-level C1 Touch received a seven-inch touchscreen that's equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on the higher-grade models; this is useful because the standard interface isn't particularly slick compared with its rivals'.
Unfortunately, while the C1's boot is bigger than the Twingo's, the rear seats are very tight for taller adults to squeeze into. Those approaching six feet tall will be short on head and legroom.
See our used Citroen C1 deals
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