Buying your first car
What to consider
Insurance groups
Cars are rated in insurance groups from 1-50. Lower numbers are cheaper to insure. As a new driver, consider cars in groups 1-10 initially.
Running costs
- Fuel efficiency (mpg)
- Road tax (based on emissions)
- Service intervals and costs
- Parts availability
Popular first cars
- Ford Fiesta
- Vauxhall Corsa
- Volkswagen Polo
- Toyota Yaris
- Hyundai i10/i20
Checks when buying
- HPI check for outstanding finance, theft, or write-off history
- Full service history
- MOT history (free to check on GOV.UK)
- Test drive in various conditions
- Independent inspection for private sales
Insurance tips for new drivers
- Get quotes before buying. some cars cost much more to insure
- Consider black box (telematics) policies
- Adding an experienced named driver can help reduce premiums
- Pay annually if possible (monthly costs more overall)
- Compare quotes from multiple providers
first carbuying guidenew driver
About the author
DriveThruL Team
Written by the DriveThruL team of DVSA-approved driving instructors based in East London, with over 15 years of combined experience teaching learner drivers.