Best first car revealed by expert mechanics as compact hatchback with its own touchscreen – and costs less than £5,000

Scottish Sun

30-04-2025

Plus, two other cheap and cheerful contenders
FRONT RUNNER Best first car revealed by expert mechanics as compact hatchback with its own touchscreen – and costs less than £5,000
THE best first car has been revealed by experts as a compact hatchback with its own touchscreen - for under £5,000.
Newly qualified drivers will likely be counting the pennies when it comes to their first car - in-part due to already high insurance costs.
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Experts have recommended the Peugeot 108 as the perfect first car
Credit: Alamy
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It can go from 0-62mph in 13.8 seconds and has a top speed of just under 100mph
Credit: Alamy
So the Peugeot 108 may well be the perfect option, according to YouTuber @MotorBodies.
Speaking to his followers, the car aficionado said: "I mean you need something cheap and affordable.
"This Peugeot 108 right here. That's the one."
The Peugeot 108 is ideal for those prioritising price over power - with its 1-litre engine producing just 72bhp.
It can go from 0-62mph in 13.8 seconds - with a top speed of just under 100mph.
@MotorBodies also recommended the Toyota Aygo or Kia Picanto - similarly small-engined vehicles that are cheap to both buy and run.
"These are all basically the same cars," the YouTuber added.
"These cars here are only a 1.0 litre so they are cheap on insurance and on fuel.
"And if you ever get in a ding then parts are really cheap to replace. Pick a car up like this for easily under £5k.
"In my opinion, this is the best first car to get."
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Last year, Matt Watson, the Chief Content Officer at Carwow, an online marketplace for new and used cars, shared his top five starter cars for under £5,000.
Speaking to The Sun, he said: "Buying your first car is a rite of passage, but the difficulty in choosing your first car is that it has to do a little bit of everything.
"It needs to be in the lowest insurance group to have a chance of returning an affordable quote, while also being easy to drive, practical enough for your needs and cheap to run.
"Finding a car that's good value, safe, and not so desperately uncool that your friends insist on still taking the bus are also pretty important factors to consider.
"The good news is that there are lots of cars that can fit the bill, with a little bit of online research.
"There are great condition options for less than £5,000, making an affordable entry point to the world of car ownership."
Top of his list was the Vauxhall Corsa, which he said was "as unthreatening to a new driver as a kitten is to a mountain lion".
Matt pointed to a 2015 1.4-litre example with 70,920 miles on the clock for smack bang on the £5,000 budget.
Also among his recommendations were the Fiat 500, Ford Fiesta, Renault Clio and Kia Picanto.