What is the cheapest new car?
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January 02, 2012
We take a look at the cheapest new car on sale, along with the 9 other cheapest. We've also given a quick summary of what the experts thought of each car, along with the price range, mpg and number of seats.
Below each car is also a buzzScore, out of 10, which is an aggregated score that experts gave to the car. The higher the score the better experts think the car is.
It's interesting to see how much of a difference there is between these cheap cars, despite similar prices. There are certainly a couple that aren't even worth considering!
Nissan Pixo
The Nissan Pixo is the absolute cheapest new car on sale. As one of the cheapest cars on sale, you can’t expect too much from the Pixo - which is probably just as well, as it doesn’t deliver too much either. It won't cost much to own and run, but then so neither will all our other bargain basement vehicles in this list.
The Pixo makes a decent attempt at being fun to drive, so it should be perfect for scurrying around city streets. It isn’t quite as suitable on the motorway though, thanks to the slightly nasty interior you probably wouldn’t want your journey to last too long anyway. Reviews for the Pixo are fairly poor, we'd recommend trying to stretch the budget slightly further as there are better cars below that cost just slightly more.
Price: £6,995 - £8,895
MPG: 54 - 64
Seats: 4
buzzScore: 6.0
Perodua Myvi
Blimey, didn’t realise these were still around! What you’re looking at here is essentially a Daihatsu Sirion with a different badge and all the same problems. Namely, the interior is naff, it’s poorly suited to higher speeds and has a dubious crash test score.
It’s not all bad news though. If you can get over the badge snobbery it actually looks quite sporty with those sharp lines and flared arches, and the upright shape liberates plenty of interior room too. In contrast to some of the other cars in this list, equipment levels are also decent. The big issue is that the Myvi is just not in any way a class-leading vehicle. Avoid.
Price: £6,999 - £8,952
MPG: 44 - 48
Seats: 5
buzzScore: 5.9
Kia Picanto
If you’ve been getting depressed looking at the dearth of decent vehicles at such a low price point, fear not - Kia is coming to the rescue with its brand new Picanto. The interior is top-notch considering the price, being both solidly built and good to look at. There’s decent space inside too, so passengers won’t feel short-changed by your frugal ways.
It also goes, stops, steers and rides well, particularly if you choose the 1.25-litre car over the one-litre variant, and avoid the harsher ride on 15-inch wheels. A 7-year warranty isn’t to be sniffed at, either. It's an excellent car that gets fantastic reviews. The Picanto is proof that great cars don't have to cost a fortune.
Price: £7,795 - £12,295
MPG: 53 - 67
Seats: 5
buzzScore: 8.2
Volkswagen up!
Dear Volkswagen, kindly dispense with the ridiculous punctuation. The spelling of 'Up!' is probably the worst thing about an otherwise excellent little car, offering a level of quality previously unseen in the budget car market. The interior may not be flash, but it’s been screwed together well and the plastics are all of high quality.
The styling is neat and modern and you get plenty of interior space. It also does that very German trick of feeling like a much bigger car than it actually is. This would make it great for long journeys, if the tiny and frugal engine was a little more powerful. The 74bhp version would definitely be the pick if longer journeys were a regular occurrence. An outstanding city car.
Price: £7,995 - £11,180
MPG: 60 - 68
Seats: 4
buzzScore: 8.5
Renault Twingo
We had to sit and twiddle our thumbs for the Twingo, but then Renault finally caved and brought the second generation model to the UK. That’s not a bad thing, as it’s resulted in a car with plenty of space inside and also a car that’s fun to drive. Particularly if you get the high-revving RenaultSport version, though it’s not really a budget city car by that point…
It’s not all sugar, spice and wheel-spin though - unfortunately, the Twingo has a bit of a dull interior. It also looks a bit plain on the outside, though a crazy facelift is about to sort that problem out. The ride can also be a bit crashy, and when you start spending more you have to question whether you don’t just want a Clio instead, with even more room. Reviews aren't particularly glowing, we'd recommend looking at other cars first.
Price: £7,795 - £14,775
MPG: 40 - 55
Seats: 4
buzzScore: 6.5
Proton Savvy
It’s a Proton. Unfortunately, that means it’s not very good, underperforming in virtually all areas that you want a car to perform in, apart from maybe styling, which is impressive considering the Savvy has been around for yonks but still manages to look modern. It also has decent space and five doors, so at least rear passengers can sneak out as quickly as their friends in the front.
The rest of the Savvy is shabby. Build quality is poor and because of the zero badge appeal, they tend to depreciate heavily. Performance is nothing to write home about either. In fact, if you did write home, your message might get there quicker than if you’d driven. If you buy one, don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Price: £7,995 - £8,695
MPG: 49
Seats: 4
buzzScore: 4.1
Suzuki Alto
The surprised look on the Alto’s face might be because it’s actually one of the more expensive cheap cars, at least when comparing basic spec with basic spec. That said, you might be getting more for your money, as equipment levels are pretty good and the Alto certainly won’t cost you much to run.
You’d have to live with the Alto’s dull interior, but since it’s a surprisingly fun car to drive you may not mind - the engine is willing and offers decent torque, via an easy-to-use gearshift. It’s not even that noisy at higher speeds, and at lower speeds the handling is fun, with decent grip and a good ride. It’s not as grown-up as some rivals, but the Alto is certainly preferable to several other cars in this list.
Price: £7,995 - £9,995
MPG: 54 - 64
Seats: 4
buzzScore: 6.7
Hyundai i10
Its base price may be at the higher end of our cheap tiddlers, but sometimes it’s worth looking under the bed and down the back of the sofa for an extra few quid, as cars like the i10 justify the extra dosh. You won’t be losing out in the long run much anyway, since it costs very little to run (the i10 Blue even grants you free road tax) and the warranty is long.
Inside, away from the slightly ungainly looks, you’ll find decent levels of quality and space. You’ll also be in control of a vehicle that’s easy to drive, and - get this - blessed with one of the best manual gearchanges you’ll find. It’s no motorway car, but performance is respectable and enough to have fun with at lower speeds. A long warranty makes it attractive too. The i10 is an easy one to recommend.
Price: £8,345 - £9,690
MPG: 47 - 67
Seats: 5
buzzScore: 7.5
Chevrolet Spark
If you want motoring completely devoid of frills, then the basic Spark could be for you. It runs around on wheels so small they look like they’ve fallen off a dinky toy, and you’ll have to hum your own tunes, since there’s no stereo. On the plus side, tyres will only cost a few quid a pop and you’ll never lose a CD.
Moving up the range (as really, you probably should) you still get the cheap and cheerful running costs and a large warranty, though unlike some of the other cars on this list you won’t have much fun zooming about town. Interior quality is suspect, too. Reviews are underwhelming, there are better rivals to choose from.
Price: £8,475 - £10,695
MPG: 55
Seats: 5
buzzScore: 6.2
Proton Satria Neo
If any more proof were needed that cheapness isn’t the be-all and end-all of city cars, the fact that not one but two Protons make it into our list should confirm that for you. Were it not for the Satria Neo’s vaguely competitive price then it wouldn’t be here, wasting pixels and electricity on your computer screen.
Though we wouldn’t use the word “recommend” without qualification, the half-decent styling, passable engine and not completely awful equipment tally could be seen as plus points, but it under-performs so violently in so many areas the car itself is impossible to recommend to anyone blessed with the gift of life. Please, please don't buy one.
Price: £8,495 - £10,295
MPG: 38 - 42
Seats: 4 - 5
buzzScore: 4.8
N.B: Use our car chooser to see a list of every new car on sale, with the ability to filter by price, MPG, seats and much more.