Car for young driver 5k budget

[HarryLikesCars]

What are some fun and interesting cars below the 5k price? I’m a new driver, been driving for a year and a half, and I’m looking for something with around 150bhp, maybe a 0-60 time of 8-9 seconds or something like that, I also need 4 seats and a reasonable boot. I’m more interested in a car that can be fun round corners and give a little more kick than my Citroen c1. The car had to be reasonable to insure too, so nothing ridiculously powerful. Thanks!!

[HarryLikesCars]

What are some fun and interesting cars below the 5k price? I’m a new driver, been driving for a year and a half, and I’m looking for something with around 150bhp, maybe a 0-60 time of 8-9 seconds or something like that, I also need 4 seats and a reasonable boot. I’m more interested in a car that can be fun round corners and give a little more kick than my Citroen c1. The car had to be reasonable to insure too, so nothing ridiculously powerful. Thanks!!

[ZX10R NIN]

Alfa Mito Veloce 140 a good fun steer not as good as the Abarth but a decent steer non the less.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008082...

Veloce 95

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202006300...

105

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007251...

Veloce 155

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007091...

Quadrifoglio 170

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007101...

Cloverleaf 170

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007131...

Abarth 500 Esseesse great fun

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202006170...

500 as above

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007121...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202002257...

DS3 DSport Plus a very good steer & nicely equipped to:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202006140...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202006260...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007161...

1.6 Fiesta Zetec S 120

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008122...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008062...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007261...

1.6T Peugeot XY 156

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008082...

120

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007131...

Suzuki Swift Sport 135 a fun steer

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007241...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007231...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007241...

All the above are decent steers that you can have some fun in, now you need to see what works insurance wise.

[HarryLikesCars]

Great list of cars, didn’t consider the Alfa’s and they seem pretty cool. I’m really not a fan of the Abarths, purely for the looks. What’s the reliability on the Alfa’s? I will prolly put 40k miles on it before I get another car. Also same question for the Suzuki, what are they like on reliability?

[TameRacingDriver]

Suzuki Swift Sport
Renault Sport Twingo
Mini Cooper
Abarth 500

All quite small but the boot size is reasonable if you put the back seats down. All of those are moderately powerful. You could get the hotter versions for more (RS Clio, Cooper S etc) but check the insurance first.

If you want something bigger then whatever is one model down from the flagship model

[HarryLikesCars]

Need a reasonable boot with seats up for my speakers. Also, good suggestions, I like the Suzuki’s, what are they like on reliability? I’m planning on putting 40k miles onto it before getting another car

[Drive it fix it repeat]

I hear panda 100hp are highly regarded, handle well I'm led to believe. Hardly a straight line weapon but maybe worth a thought.

Clio 197's are nice little cars, maybe a bit more poke than you are after though and insurance may well be too much.

[spanner10]

Suzuki generally very reliable - normally much better than the other cars and not far behind Toyota , Even 'non-car people' struggle to break them .

Genuine parts expensive if you need them

Swift fun to drive . Seem to recall not bad to insure - but check

[ZX10R NIN]

Both are reliable the Suzuki more so because it's a N/A engine so less likely to have issues but the 1.4T engine in the Alfa has proven itself to be a very reliable unit.

[HarryLikesCars]

I’d like a little more punch that the panda, and yeah the clios are really cool, but too much to insure right now

[aka_kerrly]

ZX10R NIN said:

Both are reliable the Suzuki more so because it's a N/A engine so less likely to have issues but the 1.4T engine in the Alfa has proven itself to be a very reliable unit.

The Suzuki gets much better reviews than the Alfa, I know you regularly suggest various Alfas in case people have completely forgotten they exist but on this occasion i don't think its the answer.

When the Alfa Mito was new it was tested by Autocar against the Pug 208GTI & Seat Ibiza FR and came a very sad last described as a disappointment.

After being on the market for a few years it was ranked the worst small car in the JD Power Survey 2014 and came 155th out of 165 cars in the 2016 survey so not too great.

I'd favour the Swift Sport out of all the suggestions so far but truth is i'd sooner spend less of the budget on slightly older Swift Sport/Fiesta ST or go up a size to the Civic Type S /Golf GT class and keep it a year or so then upgrade again.

Actually, if i was a teenager again with £5k Id be getting insurance quotes on all kinds of cars trying to find strange anomalies of performance to ££ ratio , usually people suggest old Saabs and Volvos an such but insurers have woken up to some of those but there are still odd gems.

[HarryLikesCars]

At my age, I can insure the Suzuki swift sport for £900, which is one of the best power to insurance ratios I’ve seen. I like the slightly older fiesta st150, again the insurance is only £950, also incredible power to insurance ratio for my age. I like the fiesta, however I think the Suzuki looks more quirky and cool, and the nearest fiesta to me is around 2 hours away. The Suzuki is newer and has more tech which is more desirable in my opinion, also there’s a nice blue 2014 model not too far from me. Thanks for the suggestions guys, I think the Suzuki is the one for me.

[HarryLikesCars]

The civic type S GT 1.8 is also another option, insurance isn’t too bad at just over £1300. But I still think the Suzuki is the one because of the looks, and I can get a newer one with more tech. But what do you guys think, Suzuki or type S GT?

[ChrisH72]

I'd say the swift sport is a great choice. I had arranged a test drive of one a few weeks back but it sold on the morning I was due to go so never happened. I've looked briefly at them before, the boot is incredibly small so you'd need to check that as your OP specified decent boot.

The Alfa gets an unfair press IMO. If you go by reviews then the Cloverleaf is a lot better according to Evo who quite liked it. To me, they look great, are a bit different and prices are very low compared to other stuff.

[HarryLikesCars]

I only need a slightly bigger boot than my citreon C1, so that I can fit some bass in the back haha. From the pics and vids I’ve seen of the car I reckon it’ll be enough to get a better sound system than the one I have. (Currently running a 10” Edge subwoofer in the back of the c1)

[VR99]

Just a suggestion but what about an older Civic 1.8 VTEC...138bhp.and fairly nippy in manual form though you need to rag them a bit to eek out the performance. Only issue might be insurance. Reliability on a well maintained one should be decent.

• Note am referring to the model prior to 2015

[VR99]

Just a suggestion but what about an older Civic 1.8 VTEC...138bhp.and fairly nippy in manual form though you need to rag them a bit to eek out the performance. Only issue might be insurance. Reliability on a well maintained one should be decent.

• Note am referring to the model prior to 2015

[ZX10R NIN]

aka_kerrly said:

The Suzuki gets much better reviews than the Alfa, I know you regularly suggest various Alfas in case people have completely forgotten they exist but on this occasion i don't think its the answer.

When the Alfa Mito was new it was tested by Autocar against the Pug 208GTI & Seat Ibiza FR and came a very sad last described as a disappointment.

After being on the market for a few years it was ranked the worst small car in the JD Power Survey 2014 and came 155th out of 165 cars in the 2016 survey so not too great.

I'd favour the Swift Sport out of all the suggestions so far but truth is i'd sooner spend less of the budget on slightly older Swift Sport/Fiesta ST or go up a size to the Civic Type S /Golf GT class and keep it a year or so then upgrade again.

Actually, if i was a teenager again with £5k Id be getting insurance quotes on all kinds of cars trying to find strange anomalies of performance to ££ ratio , usually people suggest old Saabs and Volvos an such but insurers have woken up to some of those but there are still odd gems.

The Mito is a good car as much as JD Surveys are a good guide I also go by what I've supplied & I'm well over 100+ Mito's of various power outputs & all have pretty much proved reliable more so than Mini's of the same ilk.

The drivetrains are pretty much bulletproof are they as much fun as a 208GTI/FR then the answer is no but if like the OP you want am insurance friendly set of wheels you can have some fun with then for me the Mito makes the cut.

[HarryLikesCars]

VR99 said:

Just a suggestion but what about an older Civic 1.8 VTEC...138bhp.and fairly nippy in manual form though you need to rag them a bit to eek out the performance. Only issue might be insurance. Reliability on a well maintained one should be decent.

• Note am referring to the model prior to 2015

Yeah I was looking at that model, I think I prefer the swift over it.

[ChrisH72]

About the 1.8 civic.

I owned one for 2 years and to be honest I hated it. Not a bad car really but I bought it to replace a Celica T sport as more practicality was needed. I thought it would be a good balance of sporty but practical and the performance figures on paper were okay. Thing is, it was very dull to drive. The engine was coarse and didn't like to rev which was not what I expected from a Honda VTEC. Handling was so so and the ride was very crashy. The main problem I had was getting over the fact that I'd given up my T sport for it but I couldn't wait to get rid of that car. As a young driver I would not want one.

Talking about the 208gti, they are almost down to that 5k budget now so maybe an option.

But I still think the Swift is the one. That 14 plate the OP mentioned, I'm sure it's the same car I pointed out to my mate who is looking for something similar. Looks good to me.