The 17 Best First Cars for a New Driver

Insurance premiums, repair bills and the car a seventeen-year-old actually wants. Rarely the same vehicle.

1. 1
   Volvo 240

   The old advice — a heavy Swedish brick with famously good crash structure.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Toyota Corolla

   The best-selling car in history, chosen by learners for the same reason as everyone else.
   927pts
3. 3
   Honda Civic

   Cheap to insure, cheap to fix, and almost impossible to kill.
   877pts
4. 4
   Toyota Prius

   Fuel costs low enough that a student can afford to keep driving it.
   800pts
5. 5
   Toyota Camry

   Bigger than a learner needs and more reliable than almost anything else.
   709pts
6. 6
   Ford Mustang

   The car most teenagers actually want, and the one insurers price accordingly.
   600pts
7. 7
   Mini Cooper

   Small and fun, though repairs cost more than the badge suggests.
   600pts
8. 8
   Nissan Versa

   Usually the cheapest new car on sale, with a full set of modern airbags.
   600pts
9. 9
   Chevrolet Malibu

   A plain mid-size saloon, which is a compliment in this company.
   600pts
10. 10
    Volkswagen Golf

    Solid, common and small enough to park without drama.
    466pts
11. 11
    Ford Fiesta

    A small hatchback with light controls and low running costs.
    466pts
12. 12
    Ford Focus

    A common hatchback with parts on every shelf in the country.
    466pts
13. 13
    Honda Fit

    A tiny footprint outside and a genuinely useful boot inside.
    300pts
14. 14
    Hyundai Elantra

    A long warranty and a low sticker price, which is most of what a first car needs.
    300pts
15. 15
    Kia Soul

    Boxy, visible from the driver's seat and easy to judge in a car park.
    300pts
16. 16
    Jeep Wrangler

    Popular with new drivers and unforgiving of the mistakes they make.
    300pts
17. 17
    Subaru Impreza

    All-wheel drive as standard, which matters where winters are real.
    300pts