Reliable cars for first time buyers

It can be rough for young drivers. As if your first few years on the road weren’t intimidating enough, you’re also dealing with what might be the highest insurance premiums of your life at just the point when you’re making the least money.

So it might seem like the best thing to do is to go for the cheapest car you possibly can, but that might not always work out as well as you might think. There is one important factor to consider.

What you need first and foremost is a reliable car. For many young drivers the only way to keep your premiums manageable is to accept a high excess, meaning they may have to cover their own repairs in the event of an accident or breakdown. In fact, many young drivers can’t afford breakdown cover at all, and the last thing you want is to get stuck somewhere.

You can check the reliability ratings of cars by model with a quick Google search, or check reviews. The Skoda Citigo is particularly praised in this regard, and even new models are relatively cheap.

Certain brands have a reputation for producing reliable vehicles. The aforementioned Skoda Citigo and the Fabia, as well as a lot of Vauxhall models like the Adam, the Astra, and the Corsa. Reliability means more than just not breaking down (although that’s a good thing to have) but also that the parts are readily available, which keeps costs down if you do meet with misfortune on the road. Many of these cars have the additional advantage of belonging to lower insurance groups. This is a number between one and fifty that determines how much a vehicle costs to insure. Many Skoda and Vauxhall cars, along with the Fiat 500 can be in groups as low as two (a higher group means a higher insurance premium).

The best model in this regard, though, is the Peugeot 108, which can be in group one. Peugeot are another brand with a reputation for reliability. These all make excellent choices depending on your needs; the Adam is the most customisable while still being reliable and affordable, while the Astra is cheap to maintain and a good all-rounder, and the Fabia is spacious and fuel efficient. With these factors in mind picking a reliable car that meets your needs should be a breeze.