“Congratulations, you’ve passed.”
Hearing these three words when you’re sat behind the wheel, parked up at the test centre following your practical driving test has the potential to change your life forever.
Likely to be offering your first taste of real independence, you are now legally allowed to head out on to the open road in a car, yet the next thing you might have to think of is which car to get.
Concern yourself no more, however, as detailed below are five of the best cars for new drivers, offering the nice drive and high level of safety any new drivers, and their parents back at home, will be looking for.
Vauxhall Corsa
There is a high possibility that you may have learnt to drive in a Vauxhall Corsa as it is the car of choice for many driver instructors out there.
This car ticks all the boxes for new drivers looking for their first car, due to the fact that it falls into a low insurance bracket, has affordable spare parts should you be unfortunate enough to have any minor scrapes, and is most importantly solidly made, ensuring the highest possible level of safety for a vehicle of this size.
Ford Ka
Another popular choice for new drivers is the Ford Ka, a vehicle that will have you falling in love with being behind the wheel.
The Ka is affordable to buy, run and insure so meets all the requirements in terms of finance. It may not be as large as the Corsa, but the Ka is surprisingly airy with plenty of room in the front.
The boot space is also more than acceptable for a small car, ensuring you have sufficient storage space for any college/uni work as well as an abundance of CDs to play to your hearts content.
Suzuki Swift
For a small car with a bit of a punch, the Suzuki Swift is the car for you. With a 1.5-litre engine, it could be argued that this car offers slightly too much power for new drivers, but this is a car that you can grow into.
Whereas you may look to move on to other cars following your first car pretty quickly, the Suzuki Swift is a vehicle that you can keep for a prolonged period of time.
With a Euro NCAP rating of 4 stars alongside being in insurance group 3, you will need to pay slightly more to get this car in the first place, but you certainly won’t regret it.
Citroën C2
The Citroën C2 can be classed as the perfect city car, so if you are off to University and want to take a car with you to ensure you can travel around easily, this is the one you want.
From £1,500, this car is very reasonably priced and whilst it only has a 1.1-litre engine, it is ideal to be driven around a city or the suburbs.
Being in insurance group one also ensures you won’t be breaking the bank to insure it, and thanks to its classy design, it will look great wherever you are driving it.
Fiat Punto
Like the Suzuki Swift, the Fiat Punto is another car that is great for a first car but also has the ability to stick with you for a number of years.
The Punto has the highest insurance rating of the cars in this list (being in insurance group 4) and is likely to require a considerable outlay to purchase initially, however it is a great car to get to grips with driving in.
Available in both two- and four-door models, there is plenty of room for passengers whilst the ride, thanks to the 1.2-litre engine, is comfortable without ever being risky.
If you are currently learning to drive or have just passed your test, be sure to consider one of the five cars listed above when it comes to buying your very own first car; you certainly won’t be disappointed.
