We look at the best used first cars for young drivers with a maximum budget of £1000.
Nissan Micra MKII
While it may not have the most exciting image the MKII Nissan Micra proves to be a great choice for those looking for something cheap, reliable and with a fair amount of practicality. As with modern variants of the Micra the vast demographic of Micra MKII drivers will have been rather mature which is great news for finding well-kept low mileage examples. Alongside the usual checks keep an eye out for any rust issues and you should be on to a winner.
Volkwagen Polo MKIII
It might look like it was styled using only a ruler but the little Polo MKIII helped VW enforce its image in the 90’s of providing solidly built and reliable cars. Available with a range of petrol engines from 1.0 to 1.6 the Polo offers a fair bit of choice. It may be worth noting though that the 1.0 is woefully slow while the 1.9 diesel has all the refinement of a tractor. Impressive MPG though. A lot of people on the modding scene like to ‘slam’ them to make them apparently look cool while rendering their car almost un-driveable. Be on the look out for underbody damage and rust around rear arches. If body panels do not match bear in mind it may be a Harlequin edition.
MK1 Ford KA
When the Ford KA first emerged in 1996 it was the first Ford to feature the new ‘Edge’ design. While it looked radical back then now it just looks pretty ordinary. Thankfully its radical looks were also backed up by some substan with a great chassis and steering set up making the KA a bit of a hoot to drive while also being relatively comfortable for long journeys. Well, if you were sat in the front anyway. The KA sold in huge numbers so there are plenty of examples to choose from meaning you can afford to be picky about spec etc. Just watch out for the big Achilles heel on the KA – rust. Can be epic levels of rust on arches, doors and around the fuel filler. If it’s got the rust it will make you go bust.
Peugeot 306
The 306 is the largest car in this selection so this makes a good choice for those that are perhaps a little too tall for a supermini or just fancy a bit of extra practicality. The highlight of the 306 has to be the chassis which was one of the greatest of the era. Nimble handling and stability make it one of the most favoured drivers cars and it can also be credited as being the first to produce a desirable diesel hatchback. Later models are the ones to go for as Peugeot packed them full of kit like rain sensitive wipers, air conditioning, heated mirrors, four airbags and the GTI bodykit. As an ideal blend of performance and practicality look out for a HDi Meridian. Cambelts can be an issue on the petrol and diesel models if not changed so make sure that if it has not been done recently then it’s a haggling point.
Skoda Felicia
The Felicia was the dawn of a new era for Skoda and long gone were all the jokes of old when people realised what good value the Felicia offered. It was the first car created under the joint venture with VW, as a result built quality was much improved and there were a couple of VW engines available which are the ones to go for – the 1.6 petrol and 1.9 diesel. The Felicia drives well but thanks to skinny tyres and rather a lot of body roll it’s not a car that really wants to be driven quickly, you won’t have to worry about that anyway if you go for the diesel. In 1998 it received a facelift and along with some other improvements it also gained decent rust proofing so one of these models are the ones to go for.
Ford Fiesta MKV
The Ford Fiesta has always been one of the best selling cars from Ford and the MKV is one of the best. There are plenty available and the Ghia models offer plenty of kit for only a few pennies and the Zetec S model is a cracking little warm hatch. Highlight of the lot has to be the 1.25 petrol though as the revvy engine offers a decent blend of performance and economy. As with all Fords of this era be sure to keep an eye out for issues with rust and make sure that they have not been badly modified by the barry boy brigade.
Toyota Starlet
The Starlet is one of those cars that you always forget exists, mainly due to the fact that it is so dull it can actually induce fatigue. But all that could be ignored if you just want something dependable that will just keep going no matter what you thow at it. Prices actually remain pretty stable for the Starlet so if you just want it as a stop-gap car then it’s ideal to purchase at a good price and be able to sell it on without making a loss. Keep an eye out for imported cars to make sure they have correct paperwork and be careful with the ‘hot’ Glanza models. They’re a bit fun.
Citroen Saxo/Peugeot 106.
These two are basically the same car so pick whichever one takes your fancy when it comes to styling. The Peugeot 106 and Citroen Saxo are incredibly cheap cars with a wide range of engine options available and ‘hot’ versions include the 106 1.6 8v XS and 1.6 16v GTi while the Saxo equivalents come in the form of the VTR and VTS models. The petrol engines offer decent economy and as the cars are so light none of them feel particularly underpowered. The 1.5 diesel while sluggish can achieve in excess of 60mpg. While both cars are fun to drive they do unfortunately offer the lethal combination of speed and not much in the way of safety, they really are wafer thin while the rear suspension set up can cause lift-off oversteer which can be lethal in novice hands.
Suzuki Liana
Purely for the comedy of driving the original ‘reasonably priced car’ the Liana should preferentially be purchased in light blue. Aside from the jokes you would receive the Liana offers pretty decent value for money as a used buy. The interior is pretty dull but functional and for fans of the 1980’s it even has a digital dash and rev counter. There is only one engine option in the form of a 1.6 petrol which offers reasonable fuel consumption. The main strong point of the Liana though is that they seem to be indestructible according to owners, the only negative point of the Liana aside from its white goods image of dullness is that they are actually pretty rare.
Toyota MR2 MKII
Always fun to go for a bit of a wildcard and sneaking into all the classifieds for around the grand mark is the MKII Toyota MR2. Insurance will be one to look out for with this but come on look how cool it looks? It really does not look like a car that was originally launched in 1989. The driving experience does not quite live up to the looks but reliability is good and it actually has a boot that is an ok size for a mid-engine car. With rear wheel drive and a mid-engine the MR2 is not necessarily the friendliest car to drive briskly but all official UK models were non-turbo so less likely to get you facing the wrong way. In a ditch.
