Although usually it’s much pricier to buy a new car rather than a used one, in the past couple of years that gap has narrowed due to various pressures on the used car market. That might make a new car more viable than you think.
And even at the cheapest end of the spectrum, there are some great new cars on offer, in a range of body styles. City cars, small hatchbacks and even SUVs can be had for bargain-basement prices. Here are the 10 cheapest new cars on sale in the UK (prices correct at time of publication but are subject to change).
The 10 Cheapest New Cars in the UK
- Citroen Ami (from £7,695)
- Dacia Sandero (from £13,795)
- Fiat Panda (from £14,775)
- Dacia Spring (from £14,995)
- Dacia Sandero Stepway (from £15,295)
- Kia Picanto (from £15,595)
- Hyundai i10 (from £16,030)
- Toyota Aygo X (from £16,140)
- Citroen C3 (from £17,790)
- Citroen C3 Origin (from £17,805)
1. Citroen Ami (from £7,695)
Fancy a lightweight two-seater with electric performance, for just eight grand? Well, now you can have just that. OK, OK, so the Ami isn’t exactly the sort of two-seater you probably had in mind. Instead, it’s a tiny electric car (technically classed as a quadricycle) designed specifically for gadding about town. And that really is all it’s useful for, given that its top speed is limited to just 28mph, and it has a range of just 46 miles on a good day. But as a second car, it’s ideal for commutes, school runs, or trips to the supermarket, and that makes it a brilliant way of reducing your fuel costs, not to mention conducting your urban journeys - being electric, it’s exempt from the London Congestion Charge - in a more environmentally friendly way.
Citroen Ami Review
Citroen Ami for sale
2. Dacia Sandero (from £13,795)
With strong competition from MG and Citroen, the Sandero's position on this list has moved up and down in recent months (we update it as often as we can to reflect regular price changes). And while it’s perhaps no longer as headline-grabbingly affordable as it once was, it is, once again, the most affordable 'proper' car on this list. It’s also the cheapest car of this size – just – and, crucially, it doesn’t feel quite as bargain-basement as it actually is thanks to a well put-together interior and some upmarket design cues. Beneath the skin sit proven Renault mechanicals, and it’s decent to drive, too, with slick handling and a reasonably comfortable ride that makes it perfectly tolerable not only on short A-to-B urban runs, but also longer motorway journeys. And if you’re willing to pay a bit more, you can upgrade to the Sandero Stepway, which gains a taller ride height and chunky SUV-esque looks, and is arguably even better value for money (scroll down this list for more details).
Dacia Sandero Review
Dacia Sandero for sale
3. Fiat Panda (from £14,775)
So old is the Panda now that it feels as though Fiat forgot to stop making it. In fact, this generation of Panda came out in 2011, but it says something about its recipe of space and simplicity that it’s still on sale – and in barely changed form – this many years later. One thing that has changed, though, is the petrol engine; the Panda now gets a more efficient mild hybrid powertrain that helps it to achieve very respectable running costs, and that’s despite the upright, boxy profile that bestows upon it its excellent interior space. The other good thing about the Panda is that it’s so much cheaper than the Fiat 500 with which it shares most of its mechanicals.
Fiat Panda Review
Fiat Panda for sale
4. Dacia Spring (from £14,995)
OK, so the all-new Dacia Spring isn't the cheapest electric vehicle on this list, but you can argue that it is the cheapest electric car on this list, by virtue of the fact that the Citroen Ami is technically classed as a quadricycle. That gives the Spring certain advantages over the Ami, too. It has to abide by all the same safety regulations as all other cars, while the Ami doesn't, and it has five doors and four seats (the Ami has two and two, respectively) and a proper 308-litre boot (the Ami doesn't have one to speak of). The dinky Spring looks the part, too, with its miniature SUV styling. OK, so we won't pretend there aren't compromises. The cheapest version of the Spring has just 45 metric horsepower, and as such, takes 19.1 seconds to get from 0-62mph. Still, at least it can (the Ami can only reach 28mph), and it'll do 78mph when maxed out. It only has a small 26.8kWh battery, but its light weight of 951kg (unheard of for an electric car) means it should be capable of a decent range. We haven't seen that all-important official WLTP range, but we've seen estimates of 140 being bandied about, which isn't too bad. We haven't had the chance to drive the new Dacia Spring yet, but you can order one now through Dacia's website, and we'll update this article as soon as we've had a go.
5. Dacia Sandero Stepway (from £15,295)
The Dacia Sandero Stepway is a jacked-up version of the Sandero supermini that features in third place on this list. It’s still not a proper SUV like Dacia’s Duster, but with its chunky body cladding and moderately elevated ride height the idea is that it takes on some of that aesthetic, and in fairness it does a pretty good job in that regard. Like the regular Sandero, it also boasts a modern interior and decent driving characteristics. If you're in the market for a small crossover with a very competitive list price, the Sandero Stepway is far from a bad option.
Dacia Sandero Stepway Review
Dacia Sandero Stepway for sale
6. Kia Picanto (from £15,595)
The Kia Picanto used to sit a lot further towards the top of this list, but a recent facelift has brought modest price hikes that have seen the car shuffle down the order a bit. Having said that, the facelift means the Picanto is now better - and better looking - than ever, and the fact that it's still cheap enough for inclusion on this list is good news. Even in its most basic of trim levels, the Picanto is a great little car to drive, with perky handling and a reasonably comfortable ride. Then there’s the space – like its close relation, the Hyundai i10, the Picanto is a roomy little car, with space for four adults and a usefully sized boot. It boasts excellent fuel economy and a very low insurance group, too, and while the entry-level version isn’t very well equipped, you do get most of the essential stuff, plus a robustly built and smartly styled interior. Oh, and the Picanto comes with a whopping seven-year warranty. Think of it this way, then: you’re paying £2,228 for each year of warranty, and you get a free brand-new car thrown in. What a deal!
Kia Picanto Review
Kia Picanto for sale
7. Hyundai i10 (from £16,030)
Like most of the other cars here, the Hyundai i10 is designed for use in the city, but inside it majors on practicality, which means you can fit four adults – and a decent amount of luggage – in with relative ease. What’s more, the i10 can boast one of the smartest interiors of any car in this list, with high-quality materials that belie its price. And while it isn’t quite as sharp to drive as some of its rivals, it’s perfectly pleasant, not to mention surprisingly comfortable for such a small car, and perfectly competent on the motorway, too. But the real cherry on the cake is the five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.
Hyundai i10 Review
Hyundai i10 for sale
8. Toyota Aygo X (from £16,140)
The Aygo X is the rarest of things: a newly developed city car still on sale in 2024. Fact is, it's much harder to make a good profit on a small car than it is on a big SUV, which is one of the reasons manufacturers have moved away from models like the Aygo: city cars from the likes of Peugeot, Nissan, Vauxhall and Skoda have all gone the way of the Dodo in recent years. Toyota isn't quite ready to abandon this segment yet, however, and has cleverly designed its latest Aygo with a bit of SUV attitude to help it attract buyers who like the chunky off-road styling but want it in a more affordable and smaller package. Rivals might be better to drive, but the Aygo X still has lots to recommend about it, not least the potential for a 10-year Toyota warranty.
Toyota Aygo X Review
Toyota Aygo X for sale
9. Citroen C3 (from £17,790)
The Citroen C3 supermini has always been an affordable choice in the small car market, and that doesn't look to be changing with this all-new version. So far, we've only driven the electric version of the new car, which admittedly is too expensive to make this list, starting at £21,990. However, the new C3 is also available in petrol and hybrid forms, the cheapest of which - a 99bhp petrol - starts at just £17,790. And we really hope we like that version as much as we liked the all-electric one, which had cute and charming styling, a comfortable driving experience, a pleasant interior and very decent equipment levels.
Citroen C3 Review
Citroen C3 for sale
10. Citroen C3 Origin (from £17,805)
You might be having a spot of deju vu about the name of this car: we already mentioned the Citroen C3 just a moment ago, didn't we?. Well, yes we did, but this, the C3 Origin, is the previous version of the French firm's small hatchback, which continues on sale alongside its new sibling. It should also be noted that this car used to sit quite a lot higher up this list. That's because it was once offered in a stripped-out bargain-basement form called the YOU!, which sacrificed many of the car's creature comforts in pursuit of a low price of just over fourteen grand. However, that version of the car is no longer offered, putting the price up considerably, and making the older car actually marginally more expensive to buy than the all-new C3. To be honest, it really feels its age, too, with shonky driving manners, breathless performance and a plasticky interior.
Citroen C3 Review
Citroen C3 for sale
(All prices correct at time of publication but are subject to change and should be independently verified by checking the relevant manufacturer websites.)