CHEAP RUNNERS
Car experts reveal best three used motors for new drivers that are ‘super reliable’ – and cost under £5,000
ReDriven presenters pick out motors with bang for your buck
A CAR expert has revealed the best three used motors for new drivers that are "super reliable" and cost under £5,000.
YouTube presenters Adam Morris and Jim Hull shared three models that are ideal for cheap first cars.
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The Ozzy car fanatics singled out the Suzuki Alto for its price point and simplicity.
Adam explained: "The first pick for us is the Suzuki Alto, a pretty basic small car. It's got a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine so it's not the most powerful thing out there but it's very economical."
Jim added: "They're super reliable too. There's less of them around [compared to rivals] so we don't see a lot of them, but the ones that we do get in the workshop are almost always fine, there's very rarely a problem."
Buyers can drive away in an Alto for just £1,000, with higher spec models going for around £2,000.
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Adam and Jim suggested that buyers try to find a 2013 or 2014 example, which features safety features and a decent specification.
The experts also recommended the second-generation Mazda2.
Adam said: "On the flip side [of the Alto], as far as power goes, there's the Mazda2, [built] from 2008 to 2014. It's got a 1.5-litre engine so it's going to be a little more fun to drive.
"In fact, Mazda's tagline for the longest time was 'Zoom Zoom', and this is a pretty enjoyable little car to drive."
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Five best cars for under £5,000
Jim added: "Again, they are super reliable; we hardly ever see any real issues with them. The engine mounts occasionally need work but there's rarely a problem."
And last but not least, the experts picked out the Hyundai i20 for motorists.
Adam added: "Then there's the Hyundai i20 from 2014 to 2015. It has six airbags, loads of tech, loads of features. This is a car that was designed to attract buyers away from Toyota and Mazda, so Hyundai were throwing features at it."
Jim explained: "I think it's a standout too. We do see plenty of these [in the workshop] because they are so popular, and, in a budget car, you want that.
"You might need to do a repair on the cheap, and you're going to be able to get more parts available second-hand."
How to get cheap car insurance
CAR insurance is an essential cost that you hope to never use but will need to cover the costs of theft or damage to your vehicle.
It's a legal requirement to have car insurance, and going without it could land you with a £300 fine, six penalty points on your licence and even a criminal conviction.
But there are several ways to slash your premiums.
Pay upfront
Insurers give you the choice of paying for insurance monthly or upfront.
Paying monthly spreads the cost of your cover but the insurer adds interest charges which means the average motorist pays around ten per cent more overall.
If you pay for your car insurance annually you don’t pay any interest.
A typical motorist can save up to £225 a year by paying in one go, according to comparison site MoneySuperMarket.
Increase your excess
The excess is what you agree to pay each time you need to make a claim on your policy.
You can usually choose your own excess when setting up a policy and it can be as low as £100 and as high as £500 or more.
The higher your excess, the lower your premium and vice versa.
This means you could bring the cost of your insurance down by agreeing to pay more if you do need to make a claim.
But before you hike your excess, make sure you would be able to pay in the event that you do need to make a claim.
Tweak your job
Certain jobs are seen as more risky than others for insurance purposes.
Making small but accurate changes to your job title can save you money.
For example, swapping your role from "chef" to "caterer" can save you £20, comparison site GoCompare found.
And changing your role from "fast food delivery driver" to "delivery driver" could save you £40.
But lying about your job could invalidate your policy so make sure any changes are legitimate and accurate.
Shop around
Not all comparison sites have the same range of insurers so to get the best price it’s a good idea to check two or three from Go Compare, Comparethemarket, MoneySupermarket and Confused.com.
Insurer Direct Line is also not on comparison sites so check its prices directly.
You can also get a free cash bonus by going via a cashback site such as Topcashback or Quidco.
Save the date
Renewing your car insurance sooner rather than later could save you some cash.
New cover becomes more expensive the closer you get to the renewal date.
But you can buy your car insurance up to 29 days before the policy start date and 'lock in' the price you're quoted on that day.
A typical driver can save up to £265 buying new cover at least 27 days before their current policy ends, according to Go Compare.
A spacious supermini that's loved by Jeremy Clarkson can now be yours for under £4,000.
The famous petrolhead once raved about the Citroen DS3 in a review he wrote in the Sunday Times - describing it at the time as "an iPod on wheels."
In his review in 2011, Clarkson said "Citroen decided to look to the future" with the DS3 by creating "motoring’s equivalent of the iPod."
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He added: "Thanks to a few tiny tweaks to the steering and suspension, the DS3 feels like a Mini. It feels brilliant."
Rather incredibly, he added: "The only other car I’ve ever wanted this badly before I drove it was the Aston Martin DB9."
Top 10 used cars for new drivers
THESE are the top ten cheapest cars for new drivers, ranked by the combined price of the car and insurance:
- Nissan Micra - £4,748
- Vauxhall Corsa - £4,885
- Renault Megane - £4,986
- Citroen C1 - £5,306
- Smart Fortwo - £5,507
- Vauxhall Astra - £5,664
- Vauxhall Meriva - £5,682
- Renault Clio - £5,990
- Nissan Note - £6,065
- Citroen C3 - £6,124
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