Even the cheapest new cars would have been inferior, uneconomical and unreliable just a few decades ago.
However, in 2024, even the cheapest cars come from manufacturers with proven track records, dealers across the country, and a decent warranty, while the best cheap cars are truly brilliant in their own right.
The values of both new and used cars have made headlines recently due to their sporadic increases and decreases.
Used electric car prices are at rock bottom while new car RRPs are soaring. The list price of the now-discontinued Ford Fiesta, for example, rose by £10,000 between 2013 and 2023.
If you haven’t looked at new car prices in over a decade, you might be surprised. Yet these are the cheapest new cars on the market, ranked by list price.
The cheapest new cars in the UK
1. Kia Picanto – £13,695
The cheapest new car on the market is the Kia Picanto, not the Dacia Sandero. The Picanto is Kia’s smallest car and competes with other city cars such as the Toyota Aygo X and Hyundai i10 (found further down this list).
There’s just one engine option – a non-turbocharged 1.0-litre – which means it’s one of the cheapest cars around, both to insure and to buy. A kerb weight of under a tonne makes it a lightweight compared to other new cars, but with just 66bhp it’s still pretty slow. Acceleration from 0-60mph takes around 15 seconds with the manual gearbox, or more than 16 seconds with the automated manual gearbox, which works frustratingly for you.
For £13,695 you get a single-spec model, meaning four seats and no amenities like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. But the Picanto does at least come with Kia’s seven-year/100,000-mile warranty.
Read our review of the Kia Picanto
2. Dacia Sandero – £13,795
It may only be £100 off, but Dacia’s best-selling car (the second best-selling car in Europe in 2023) is no longer the cheapest car in the UK.
Nevertheless, the price-performance ratio is great, because it is a fully-fledged small car with five seats and a 328-litre trunk, which offers just as much space as a Skoda Fabia.
It’s also surprisingly fun. There’s comparatively little body roll and it really glides along the road. It’s not quite class-leading in terms of fun, but for the price it’s hard to beat.
The vehicles come with a 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine as standard, or LPG for eco-fans on a budget. The gearbox may be a little clunky, but the brakes grip well, even in the wet.
Read our review of the Dacia Sandero
3. Citroen C3 – £13,995
There isn’t usually much flair to be found in this market segment, but the C3 adds a touch of pizzazz to this list with its recognisable Citroën nose, side airbumps and a “floating” roof design – a touch borrowed from much larger and more expensive SUVs.
There are two engines to choose from, the best choice being the 1.2-litre petrol engine with 108bhp. With an acceleration time of under 10 seconds from 0-100km/h, it is one of the faster cars on this list and ultimately better suited to motorway driving.
The cheapest C3 is an online-only model called the You, which is only available with the slower 1.2-litre, 83bhp engine.
The ultra-soft, ultra-long suspension is really good at low speeds, letting you jump over sleeping cops with ease, and the deep, plush seats make it one of the most comfortable cars in this price range.
Read our review of the Citroen C3
4.MG3 – £14,320
Before you run to your local MG dealer, we should warn you that a new MG 3 is on the way. This means you can either wait for the new version to come out or use that as a bargaining chip.
This MG 3 is so cheap for a reason. There’s only one engine to choose from: a 105bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder. It doesn’t look bad on paper, but it feels slow on the road because you have to rev it above 4500rpm to get the most out of it – and that doesn’t bring the aural rush of a B18 VTEC.
The interior looks dated compared to rivals, but at least there are physical knobs to control the heating and the practicality is comparable to that of the Ford Fiesta.
MG’s seven-year/100,000-mile warranty is among the best in its class.
Read the review of the MG 3
5. Fiat Panda – £14,765
The Panda is pure utilitarian chic. From its sleek interior to its chunky design, it screams practicality and usefulness. It is particularly popular in Italy due to its good value for money and robustness.
In the UK, you’ll have a good chance of finding a model with the number 23, as we Brits tend to prefer higher quality cars and think more short-term than the Italians.
And this is where the Panda falls short. If you are looking to finance a car, you can get bigger, more grown-up cars for this price. The fact that it received a zero rating from Euro NCAP for safety also makes it difficult to recommend.
Read our review of the Fiat Panda
6. Dacia Spring – £14,995
The first electric car ever to make this list, the Dacia Spring undercuts many petrol alternatives, but for this affordable price, there are some compromises to be made. The entry-level car has a weak 44hp engine, so it takes 19 seconds to accelerate from standstill to 100km/h, and the 26.8kWh battery only offers a range of 220km.
But to write off the Spring because of its performance would be missing the point. The pre-facelift car, which wasn’t offered in the UK, had many of the same limitations but was still a great option for commuting and running errands around town.
Pre-orders are now being accepted and deliveries are expected to begin in October.
Read our review of the Dacia Spring
7. Dacia Sandero Stepway – £15,295
The concept of the Sandero Stepway is easy to understand when you look at the bestseller lists. Europeans love SUVs and the Stepway adds raised suspension, bigger bumpers and roof rails to the regular Sandero to give it a more rugged look – a bit like a Londoner putting on their walking boots to stroll through Hyde Park.
Like the regular Sandero, the Stepway is an ergonomic delight. There are a series of clear dials directly in front of the driver’s seat, while a simple touchscreen sits to the left. Heating controls are via physical dials – hooray.
The Essential trim level doesn’t have phone mirroring, but it does have a phone holder. As with the regular Sandero, you can choose LPG compatibility at no extra cost.
Read our review of the Dacia Sandero Stepway
8. Hyundai i10 – £15,420
The i10 is a good old-fashioned city car – a class that many manufacturers are abandoning. The good news is that if you want something that is cheap to run and easy to park, the i10 is wonderful.
Even better, the interior is as well-finished as cars in the next class up. Other, larger cars on this list feel a bit tinny inside, but the little Hyundai borrows elements from the more upscale models in the range. Even the lowest trim level, Advance, comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Mechanically, it is identical to the Kia Picanto at the top of this list, right down to the poor automated manual transmission.
Read our review of the Hyundai i10
9. Toyota Aygo X – £16,130
The former city car Aygo has grown up: the addition of the name X theoretically turns the city car into a baby SUV.
In reality, it’s a bigger car than the old Aygo, but still tiny, despite sharing the platform with the Toyota Yaris. That means there’s enough room in the back for adults and the boot is a decent size at 231 litres.
The handling, comfort and insulation are those of a small car – as is the stability on the highway. And the interior is bright and airy.
Acceleration is not a strong point, however. Against our stopwatch, it measured a 0-100 km/h time of 16.7 seconds. The 1.0-litre three-cylinder with 71 hp is clearly lacking in torque and feels like syrup up to 6500 rpm.
Read our review of the Toyota Aygo X
10.Fiat 500 – £16,790
A car so popular it has spawned its own Twitter subgenre, the Fiat 500, like the Panda with which it shares mechanicals, is utilitarian in that it is small and simple. But unlike the Panda, the 500 is also stylish, charming and customisable. It is unashamedly aimed at and marketed to young people – and if you’re won over by the looks, it’s a sensible buy, as spare parts are cheap and it’s elegant and easy to drive.
There is only one new engine on offer: a 1.0-litre mild hybrid. If we compare the various hybrid types with Curry, the PHEV Mercedes-AMG SL 63 is a Jalfrezi, the 500 a Korma, as its 69bhp offers little in the way of pace, momentum or speed.
Read our review of the Fiat 500
))>
