Nervous driver car advice

[JustBeginningAgain]

Hi all,

I desperately need to get myself a car and have no idea where to start. Would massively appreciate any advice from people more knowledgeable than me!

The checklist is:
Small (I feel a lot more nervous in a big car, and I don’t love tight parking so the smaller the better)
Relatively cheap (need to get on finance and don’t have a huge budget)
Won’t need to do motorway driving or massive distances.
Reliable

My last car was a Fiat Punto and I loved it but I’m struggling to find one with decent enough mileage near me now they’ve come out of production.

Thanks so much for any help!

Also should’ve said, doesn’t need to fit car seats or carry passengers!

I'm thinking of trading my car in for a different one after Christmas and like you I want a nice small one that's easy to park. My work commute is only 10 minutes so I don't need a big gas guzzler. DH has suggested a Toyota Aygo or VW Up for reliability, I like the look of the Aygo so hopefully I can find a second hand dealership where I can get a test drive.

Thank you! I’ll have a look at both of those. My commute is short too but just about quadruples in time using public transport so I really need to bite the bullet.

Get a loan instead of finance

I was looking at HP rather than PCP but would you say loan is better?

A bank loan is usually a lower interest rate than finance/HP.

After paying off the bank loan the car is yours

I loved my Skoda Citigo (if they still do them). I'm not a car snob though!

Agree with bank loan not HP. The car dealer HP is usually very expensive.

I'd go for a small hatchback - something like a Corsa, Fiesta. Buy an ex-demo if you can. I wouldn't get a tiny car.

If your commute is short, could you cycle?

Nissan cube or micra

Smart car

Susuki SX4 - 15 years old, cost less than 2k
Replaced clutch
Needs new tyres next year
We do drive on motorways
No computers to go wrong !
Cheap insurance

I’d definitely recommend a Toyota Aygo. Most reliable small car I’ve ever come across

The Hyundai i10 is worth a look too actually

I love my Fiat 500, and have it only to please myself.

I switched from a Dacia Duster to an i10 in May - I love it. I do drive a fair bit but it’s economical to run, drives well and has a long warranty - would recommend although it is a bit of an electronic nag!

I’ve got a little two seater convertible smart car and absolutely love it. Nippy around town but also holds its own on the motorway, dead easy to park, cheap to tax, insure and run. The boot is surprisingly roomy as well, I go camping with mine and it fits my gear in easily.

Mine is ancient but very low mileage. The last two service and MOTs have been under £250 but I go to a small independent garage.

We were thinking of trading in our 17 yo car now the kids have passed their tests. Our trustworthy local (repair) garage owner said to keep our old banger because it’s in such good nick. He said if we were hellbent on changing it, the Hyundai i10 and i20 were super reliable, so much so he recommends them whenever a customer asks but lamented it would put him out of business if we all took his advice. 😄

Money Savings Expert has good info on low insurance group cars.

The Toyota Aygo & Yaris would both suit your needs, and are known to be very reliable. As is the Honda Jazz.

The VW Up, Skoda Citigo & Seat Mii are the same car with different badges & would also suit you well.

Hyundai i10, Kia picanto, Toyota aygo

Following as may be looking at replacing my car on a budget in the new year

I got a Hyundai I10 in 2023 after not driving in 20 years. Quite happy with it.

2014, 8k miles on the clock, cost £8k with a loan at 5.8% interest.

If it needs to be cheap I would check insurance first and see what group the various models are in and shortlist the cheaper ones to insure.

Problem with small cars is that new drivers go for them & then insurance is correspondingly more expensive. You may find some that are more "old lady" cars (sorry!) and less common for a new driver

My i10 is £25 a month to insure 😂

but I am an old lady

Automatic so much easier, I was a nervous driver but I've never looked back since changing from a manual.

from another nervous (no longer nervous) driver, a Honda jazz. Reliable. I got a 2011 and upgraded to latest gen because I loved it so much

(the autos are a bit more but honestly cured me)

I can’t suggest a specific small car, but do you have off road parking at your house? If so, I really recommend looking at electric cars. I’ve always been a terribly nervous driver but since getting our automatic electric car, I feel SO much more confident. It’s a dream to drive, fast acceleration when turning out, really responsive breaking and no clutch to worry about. There’s a bit of an outlay to get a charger at home but there may be some grants for this (there were when we got ours). Charging away from home is still a bit of a pain but if you’re not doing motorway driving you don’t need to worry about that really. We have a Kia e-Niro which is a fantastic car but much bigger than you need (although my MIL just upgraded to one from a 20 year old Toyota Yaris and is thrilled).