TRAINING WHEELS
Four small but safe motors to buy for under £2,000 – including Ford that’s ‘easy to live with & cheap to run’
Watch a run through of the affordable motors above
MOTORING experts have shared their top four picks for small but safe cars you can buy for under £2,000.
You can pick up bargain basement superminis in great condition for as little as £1,000.
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Alex Robbins, contributing editor for , put together a list of some of the best options on the second-hand market in 2024.
He wrote: "With such high inflation, you probably don’t have a huge amount of free cash so you’ll want something affordable.
"Then again, cheap doesn’t necessarily mean safe.
"Is there a best of both worlds – a happy medium between cost and safety?
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"That’s a lot of criteria to fulfil...but such cars do exist."
Vauxhall Corsa
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Alex particularly recommended the Corsa for new drivers thanks to its excellent economy rating and the fact that its very "easy to drive".
The Corsa D, which ran from 2006-14, is the best bet here, with the model winning What Car's Car of The Year in 2007.
Models of that vintage start from as little as £1,500 so there are great deals to be had.
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The motors whizz managed to find a 2012 example with 66,000 miles on the clock for £2,795.
Renault Clio
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The third-generation Clio's headline figure is that it achieved a five-star rating on the Euro NCAP assessment - the standardised test that measures car safety across Europe.
Five best used cars under £5,000 2024
Combine that with a gentle ride, spacious interior, top-notch reliability and the fact that they can be bought for as little as £1,000 these days and you have a real pocket dynamite car.
A 2006 Clio with 65,000 miles on it would set Alex back just £1,950 while still being in great condition.
The expert did warn about potential electrical gremlins in older models but added that, in general, "surprisingly little tends to go wrong".
Kia Rio
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As well as coming out near the top in terms of safety rating, the Rio also importantly sits in a very low insurance group.
These groups determine the average premium paid on a motor, with allowances for driver age and experience.
Alex described the little motor as a "sensible" and "head over heart" option but did praise its dependability.
These start at around £2,000 but a little extra (£4,990 to be exact) will get you a 2013 version under 60,000 miles.
Ford Fiesta
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There was a good reason that the Fiesta was the most popular car in Britain before it was discontinued in 2023.
Alex explained: "It’s good to look at, great to drive, easy to live with and cheap to run.
"All of which makes it a good first car – but what promotes it to a great one is its excellent safety rating."
Like the Clio, the Fiesta returned home from the Euro NCAP testing centre lugging five stars in its roomy boot, including an adult occupant protection rating of 91%.
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They can cost as little as £1,500 and just under £4,000 will be enough for a 2011 model with 58,000 miles on it.
However, Alex did urge drivers to watch out for versions using the 1.0-litre turbocharged engine setup as they require a timing belt change every ten years, which can cost around £1,000 a pop.
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