We all have to start somewhere.
When you’re learning to drive, your first experience is probably going to be in either the car of a parent or behind the wheel of their driving instructor’s car. But while your driving instructor will hopefully be thinking of what car is easiest for a new driver to learn it, there’s every chance that you’ll just get stuck behind the wheel of a Passat Estate and you’ll rapidly need to get used to manoeuvring quite a lot of car all at once.
But when it comes to getting your first car, it can be a tad daunting knowing what to choose (odds are you won’t want to share or inherit the Passat), so what should you be keeping an eye out for? Well, we have a few recommendations.
Skoda Citigo
Skoda used to be a punchline before they were bought by Volkswagen and now the Citigo offers the same quality driving experience of its brand-brothers the VW Up and Seat Mii but at a lower cost to entry. It’s easy to manoeuvre and has low running costs to boot, it’d be pretty practical to even pick one up while you’re learning to get a feel for it before you pass your test.
The build quality is exceptional but it is worth remembering that the Citigo is a city car by design and while it’s impressively spacious and surprisingly robust, it’s probably not the ideal car if you’re expecting to be hitting the motorways a lot.
Volkswagen Polo
We’re not alone in this opinion, quite a few other experts (including CarWow) believe that the Polo is a brilliant car for someone who’s just passed their test.
As you probably gathered from the Citigo being our first pick, Volkswagen’s reputation for reliable, quality vehicles is well earned and going for the “Parent” brand of the three is never a bad idea. Though it is a little more expensive. The Polo feels and handles like a smaller sister to the Golf and that’s no bad thing! Volkswagen’s are so reliable that some organisations like Bill Plant Driving School use them exclusively for teaching students.
The only issue you may have is that the cost may be a tad daunting. But it’s worth it!
Ford Fiesta
Of course, there’s every possibility that you’re just not into Volkswagen’s at all and no matter how good they are, you just want something different. And if you’re into driving and want something small and practical but still fun to drive, you can’t go too wrong with a Fiesta. It’s regularly one of Britain’s best selling cars for good reason and if you’re just starting out it should last you a good long while.
Just make sure you don’t go for the ST, as good as all that extra BHP might sound, it’s going to make things on the insurance front a nightmare.
But what do you think? Are we missing out an obvious first choice for a first car? Let us know in the comments below!
