Choosing your first car

Buying your first car is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll make as a new driver. It's exciting, but with thousands of cars to choose from and plenty of conflicting advice online, it's very easy to focus on what a car looks like rather than whether it's actually right for you.

Buy your first car earlier than you think

One piece of advice that often surprises people is: don't wait until you've passed your driving test before buying your first car. In fact, I'd start thinking about it before you begin lessons, with a view to buying once you've mastered the basic controls and can safely practise with a suitable supervising driver.

Having your own car allows you to practise between professional lessons, experiencing different roads, weather, traffic conditions and times of day while building valuable experience behind the wheel.

In my experience, manual learners who also practise privately need 7.6 fewer hours of professional lessons – about 26% fewer. That's around five 90-minute lessons you won't need to pay for, a substantial contribution towards the cost of your car.

There's another advantage. With practical driving tests often difficult to obtain, having access to your own car means you can continue driving regularly and maintain your skills while waiting for your test.

Learner insurance can be surprisingly affordable

Many people assume learner driver insurance will be prohibitively expensive, but it can represent excellent value. In some circumstances, a month of learner insurance may cost little more than a single professional lesson, potentially giving you many hours of additional supervised practice.

I often recommend Veygo because of its flexibility – it can either be standalone insurance or cover in addition to an existing policy. (I don't receive any commission for recommending them; clients like the solution.)

Insurance products and terms change, however, so always read the policy carefully and compare your options before buying.

Safe. Reliable. Affordable. In that order

If you remember nothing else from this guide, remember three words: safe, reliable and affordable — in that order.

Safe. Reliable. Affordable. In that order.

It's easy to be distracted by the badge on the bonnet, the colour, the sound system or how good a car looks. Instead, ask three questions: Is it safe? Is it reliable? Can I genuinely afford to buy, insure and maintain it?

Only when the answer to all three is yes would I consider buying it. Almost everything else in this guide follows those principles.

Research the car and the insurance

One of the first places I look is AutoTrader.

Once I've found a promising vehicle, I use its registration number to obtain insurance quotes before going any further. Insurance costs can vary enormously between seemingly similar cars, particularly for young or newly qualified drivers. Finding that out before buying the vehicle can save you from a very expensive mistake. If you're still a learner and want a rough idea of what the car might cost to insure once you've passed, you can run a comparison quote with the details as they'll be after your test – but only ever buy a policy using details that are true today.

Then use the Government's free MOT history service to understand how a vehicle has been treated. Look at its mileage history, previous failures and, particularly, recurring advisories involving tyres, brakes, steering or suspension. A single advisory wouldn't necessarily concern me; the same problem appearing repeatedly might. Conversely, an advisory that disappears at the next MOT may indicate that the owner dealt with it promptly. You're looking for patterns rather than isolated faults.

Service history matters enormously too. Look at the receipts and documentation. I would much rather buy an 85,000-mile car with comprehensive evidence of regular maintenance than a 45,000-mile example with little indication that anyone has looked after it.

The same applies to age. An immaculate nine-year-old car can be a far better purchase than a neglected four-year-old one. Buy on condition and history, not simply mileage or registration year.

Buy from someone you trust

Private sales can offer excellent value, but they naturally involve greater risk. I'd be particularly cautious with online marketplace adverts unless you're satisfied that you're dealing with the genuine owner and that everything about the vehicle checks out.

If buying from a dealer, look beyond the star rating and read what customers say about how problems were handled after the sale. That tells you far more about a business than reviews written immediately after someone collected a shiny new car.

The same applies to warranties. Read the small print carefully because apparently generous cover can include surprisingly low claim limits. I once bought a car that developed an air-conditioning fault costing around £2,000 to repair. The warranty technically covered it, but only up to £500. Fortunately, the dealer was reputable and repaired the car without charge.

That experience reinforced something I already believed: a trustworthy dealer can be worth far more than an impressive-looking warranty.

What I look for in a first car

Whenever possible, I recommend a five-door car. It's more convenient, but I also prefer it from a safety perspective because rear doors make access to back-seat passengers considerably easier, including in an emergency.

For a manual, I generally favour a five-speed gearbox. Six-speed gearboxes can be excellent for motorway economy, but their closer ratios can mean more gear changing. For a new driver, a straightforward five-speed gearbox is often simpler and more forgiving.

I'd also think about visibility when choosing a colour. Personally, I tend to avoid black first cars because darker vehicles can be difficult to see in poor weather, at dusk and in changing light. Lighter colours such as white and silver can be easier for other road users to see. White also has the practical advantage that minor scratches can sometimes be less conspicuous.

I'd avoid heavily modified cars too. Lowered suspension, oversized wheels, loud exhausts, engine remaps, aftermarket steering wheels and modified lighting can increase insurance costs, affect reliability and sometimes suggest that a car has previously had a rather enthusiastic life!

Power is another area where more isn't necessarily better. For most first-time drivers, somewhere around 70–100 horsepower is perfectly adequate for everyday driving, including motorways, without unnecessarily increasing performance or insurance costs.

What to check before you buy

Test every electrical item you can: windows, mirrors, central locking, radio, Bluetooth, heating, air conditioning, lights, wipers, washer jets and heated rear window. Small electrical problems can become surprisingly expensive repairs.

Inspect the tyres as well as simply checking the tread. Are they the correct size? Are they wearing evenly? Are they recognisable, reputable brands? Four matching quality tyres can sometimes be a useful clue that a previous owner was prepared to spend money maintaining the car properly.

Finally, ask whether the car has two keys. Modern replacement keys can cost hundreds of pounds once programming is included, so if there's only one, factor that into your negotiations.

Don't spend your entire budget

If you have £8,000 available, I wouldn't spend £8,000 on the car. I might spend £7,000 and keep £1,000 in reserve. Even a good used car will eventually need servicing, tyres, brakes or an unexpected repair. Having a contingency fund means your first maintenance bill doesn't immediately become a financial crisis.

Cars I regularly recommend

Volkswagen Polo

If I had to recommend one first car above all others, it would probably be the Volkswagen Polo. There's a reason I use one myself for teaching.

It offers an excellent combination of safety, build quality, comfort, refinement and value for money. It's forgiving to drive, feels reassuringly substantial for a small car and, when properly maintained, tends to age well.

A Polo in "disguise"

It's also worth knowing that Volkswagen Group produces several closely related cars. Depending on the model and year, the Škoda Fabia, SEAT Ibiza and Audi A1 can share engines, gearboxes, platforms and other components with the Polo.

That means you can sometimes find much of what you like about a Polo wearing a different badge — and occasionally at a better price or with cheaper insurance.

Other cars worth considering

I'd also happily investigate cars such as the Renault Clio, Hyundai i10, Hyundai i20 and Toyota Aygo. They're popular for good reason: small, economical and generally well suited to the needs of new drivers.

Whatever model you choose, though, the individual car's condition and history matter more to me than the badge on its bonnet.

Cars I'd think twice about

Ford Fiesta EcoBoost

The Ford Fiesta has been one of Britain's most popular small cars and can be lovely to drive. However, I would research older EcoBoost models particularly carefully because some versions use a wet-belt timing system where correct servicing is extremely important and repairs can be expensive if maintenance has been neglected.

I've also had a pupil experience a serious gearbox problem that left their Fiesta unable to select gears correctly. That doesn't mean every Fiesta will suffer the same problem, but combined with the known importance of correct servicing on certain EcoBoost engines, it makes me cautious about recommending an older example without excellent history.

Fiat 500

The Fiat 500 is undeniably stylish, but it's one of the cars my pupils most frequently tell me they wish they hadn't bought.

I've encountered a number of frustrations, from surprisingly expensive faults to an unforgiving clutch, and unusual manual gearbox ratios that can make a relatively underpowered car feel unnecessarily busy to drive. Taller pupils can also find the driving position cramped — one memorably described feeling like "Godzilla" sitting in it!

I've seen a very talented parent literally welding the engine manifold back together, and one pupil paid hundreds to repair a failed rear number-plate light so the car could pass its MOT.

Although the Fiat 500 complied with the safety requirements applicable to it, for a first car I would personally favour a slightly larger five-door alternative offering easier access, greater practicality and a more confidence-inspiring driving experience.

What about electric cars?

I haven't included many electric vehicles among my main recommendations, but that certainly isn't because I dislike them. I drive and teach in a Renault 5 E-Tech, and I think it's fantastic: smooth, quiet, enjoyable and incredibly easy to operate.

The principal issue for many first-time drivers is cost, particularly insurance. Some EVs can fall into relatively high insurance groups, and a seemingly affordable used electric car can become considerably less attractive once a newly qualified driver obtains an insurance quote.

If the numbers work, however, I would happily investigate cars such as the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia e-Niro and Renault 5 E-Tech.

One model I would research particularly carefully is the Renault Zoe. Many owners have had perfectly good experiences, but I've also encountered discussion of reliability and ownership problems.

EVs will undoubtedly become increasingly relevant to first-time buyers as used prices fall and the market develops. For the moment, though, I still think a well-maintained small petrol car represents the best combination of safety, reliability and affordability for many new drivers.

Give your first car a name!

This may sound ridiculous, but it's something I've encouraged pupils to do for years: give your car a name.

Once a car develops a personality, people often seem to take greater pride in it. They keep it cleaner, look after it and perhaps even treat it a little more gently. (Hence why I have Penny the Polo and Rene the Renault!)

My method for choosing a name is highly scientific: press the horn. Seriously! Does the car somehow sound masculine or feminine? You'll be surprised how quickly a name starts to emerge. Bonus points if you can make it rhyme with the make or model.

Your first car is one you'll probably remember for the rest of your life. It deserves a memorable name.

Your first drive in your new car

Once you've bought it, don't immediately drive somewhere difficult.

Even if you're already a competent learner, a different car can initially feel completely unfamiliar. Take it somewhere quiet and familiar where you can concentrate on the vehicle rather than simultaneously dealing with busy junctions, pedestrians and heavy traffic.

Spend some time learning how the accelerator, brakes and steering respond. In a manual, pay particular attention to the clutch. Its biting point, pedal travel and feedback may be completely different from the car in which you've been learning.

If you've learnt in a relatively new driving-school car and bought an older, lower-powered petrol car, you may also discover that it needs more acceleration to move away.

My final advice

Choosing your first car doesn't need to be complicated. Keep returning to the same three priorities:

Safe. Reliable. Affordable. In that order.

The safest car isn't necessarily the newest. The most reliable isn't necessarily the one with the lowest mileage, and the cheapest car to buy can sometimes be one of the most expensive to own.

Take your time, research the car and its history, obtain insurance quotes before buying, and don't be afraid to walk away if something doesn't feel right.

The right first car won't simply help you prepare for your driving test. It will give you the freedom to practise, gain experience and develop the confidence to enjoy driving independently for years to come.

Happy car hunting — and don't forget to give it a name.