THE CHEAPEST NEW CARS ON SALE – AND WHICH ONE YOU SHOULD BUY
Cars aren’t as cheap as they used to be. Even a fairly basic family hatchback costs upwards of £25,000 – and you won’t get much change from three times that if you want a luxury SUV.
With prices as high as these, you might imagine there are no cheap cars left. Well, you’re half-right. In fact, the prices of the cheapest models have risen considerably as manufacturers pull from sale their bargain-basement models with whisker-thin profit margins.
But there are a few holdouts – brand-new cars costing considerably less than you might expect. You can even get a sensible five-door hatchback for less than £15,000 – and for just a little more, there are some genuinely good value alternatives to be had, too.
Here, then, are the 10 cheapest cars on sale in the UK today – and we’ve picked one as our Best Buy.
MG 3
Price from £18,495
A hybrid at this price? Yes, MG’s new 3 looks like remarkable value, bringing the benefits of a full hybrid powerplant to the small car class for a low, low sum. There’s just one problem: Renault has now undercut it with an even cheaper Clio E-Tech Hybrid. And that makes the MG, with its tacky interior, small boot and bouncy ride, feel like a lot of money – even though it makes it into this list.
Citroën C3
Price from £17,990
Citroën’s new C3 is shaping up to be a very capable contender. Except for the Dacia Sandero, you won’t find another car that offers this much interior space for the price, while the C3 manages to avoid feeling like a hair-shirt thanks to its perky SUV-esque styling, smart colour options and attractive interior. On the road it’s comfortable and forgiving – an ideal urban runaround, in other words. And you can choose between a pure petrol engine, an efficient mild hybrid or fully electric power.
Fiat 500
Price from £16,800
The 500 is cheap for one main reason: it’s ancient. The mild hybrid model – as opposed to the much newer electric version – has now been on sale virtually unchanged for almost 20 years, which is why Fiat can afford to sell it so cheaply. But this is still the same cutesy little hatchback it always has been – and its design has aged well, which means it still holds as much appeal as ever, inside and out. The only difference? That style now comes at a bargain price. Keep in mind, however, that the back seats are quite small and the boot is tiny.
Toyota Aygo X – Best Buy
Price from £16,515
Think of the Toyota Aygo X as a city car like its predecessor, the plain old Aygo – but it has gained a spot of SUV-style attitude, hence the X. For all that, there’s no additional ground clearance (the off-road touches are purely cosmetic). But the Aygo really impresses beneath the skin, with a smooth ride for such a small car and a well-built interior. You also get Toyota’s unbeatable reputation for reliability – which in itself is priceless.
Hyundai i10
Price from £16,380
The front of Hyundai’s latest i10 divides opinion, but see past that and you’ll find it’s still the extremely likeable small car we’ve come to know and appreciate. There’s plenty of room for a car with such a compact footprint, while the i10 drives surprisingly pleasingly. It should prove reliable, too, and there’s a five-year warranty to back that up. The only real downside is that it’s getting on so its crash test scores could be better.
Leapmotor T03
Price from £15,995
Studying its odd proportions and skinny tyres, you might expect this electric Chinese city car to be awful. But it isn’t. Granted, the interior plastics are scratchy, the touchscreen is glitchy and the 165-mile range limits the vehicle to shorter journeys, or you can use as a second car. For the price, however, the T03 is well equipped, roomy, reasonably comfortable and even feels pretty sturdy. So while it might be a little pricier than the Dacia Spring (see number 3, below), it’s probably the one we’d choose in preference.
Kia Picanto
Price from £15,845
The new Kia Picanto’s child protection crash test scores are even worse than those of its i10 cousin. The Picanto is largely the same under the skin, which means it matches the Hyundai’s perky driving style and impressive space; however, its interior is slightly more appealing to sit in and easier to use. And the warranty is up to seven years, which is why it’s good news that you can get a Picanto even more cheaply.
Dacia Spring
Price from £14,995
Let’s not beat around the bush: the fact Dacia has brought a cute, fluent electric car to market for less than £15,000 is impressive, demonstrating that affordable EVs are just around the corner. But let’s not get too carried away. The Spring’s range means it’s best restricted to urban duties, it’s exceedingly tinny and its crash test scores are parlous. As a result, there are plenty of ways in which you get what you pay for here.
Dacia Sandero
Price from £14,200
The Sandero has become famed as the cheapest car in the UK for most of its time on sale; only when Citroën released the Ami was it knocked off that perch. The Sandero remains a brilliantly affordable and eminently usable small car, however, which won’t set your heart alight but will provide surprisingly spacious and attractive transport for the money. Just keep in mind that, like so many other cars at this price, its crash test scores aren’t great.
Citroën Ami
Price from £7,695
Does the Citroën Ami even qualify as a car? After all, the Government classifies it as a quadricycle and as such it’s restricted to 28mph. But it is the cheapest thing you can buy on four wheels, by a long chalk; with two seats and proper weather protection, some might say it’s surprisingly usable for the price. Just don’t forget it lacks almost every mod con you might expect to find in a normal car – and when going uphill, the top speed drops to little more than a brisk jog.
2024-09-03T06:33:19Z