Once upon a time not so long ago, the cheapest new cars in the UK were knocked up in badly run factories out of poor-quality materials, and usually by a manufacturer you’d never heard of. They represented a kind of ‘get what you pay for’ economic philosophy, and were invariably pretty terrible, albeit appropriately priced.
Fast forward a couple of decades and today some of the UK’s cheapest cars are among the best on sale. They’re predominantly hatchbacks – cut-rate size, cut-rate price – but dig a little deeper and you can unearth some great deals on a raft of different cars. To save you the work, we’ve put together a list of our favourite cheap cars on sale today.
The list below runs in order from cheapest to most expensive, with vehicles ranging from quadricycles to city cars and superminis also falling into place.*
The cheapest new cars on sale
Urban transport doesn’t come much funkier than this
We have been a bit cheeky here. The electric Citroen Ami is technically not a car, it’s a quadricycle. This means it doesn’t take part in crash tests and it’s best suited to cities as it’ll only do 46 miles on a charge at absolute best. And the top speed is just 28mph.
It is cheap, though. A lot less than the other cars on this list, in fact. Plus it zips along nicely in traffic, its electric powertrain means there’s zero local emissions and it’ll just about fit two adults. You'll need to look elsewhere if you drive outside of town, though.
To find out more, read our full Citroen Ami review.
It is cheap, though. A lot less than the other cars on this list, in fact. Plus it zips along nicely in traffic, its electric powertrain means there’s zero local emissions and it’ll just about fit two adults. You'll need to look elsewhere if you drive outside of town, though.
To find out more, read our full Citroen Ami review.
Pros
- Fun
- Drier and safer than a moped
- Cheap
Cons
- Not a car
- Not much safety kit
Great value supermini
The Sandero is best known in the UK for offering great value for money, and thanks to some recent price rejigs from other firms, regains the title as the UK's cheapest new car at £13,795. Despite its low price, the Sandero is a terrific all-round package, with a spacious interior and it's good to drive as well.
It's considerably less expensive than just about all its supermini rivals, too, and competitive finance and leasing deals are also available. We ran one for more than a year and never grew tired of asking friends how much money they thought it cost.
To find out more, read our full Dacia Sandero review.
It's considerably less expensive than just about all its supermini rivals, too, and competitive finance and leasing deals are also available. We ran one for more than a year and never grew tired of asking friends how much money they thought it cost.
To find out more, read our full Dacia Sandero review.
Pros
- Cheapest new car you can buy now
- Well-judged interior
- Large enough for a small family
Cons
- Not the last word in refinement
- Rubbish Euro NCAP score
Unconventional and appealing Fiesta alternative
Citroen has been putting a lot of focus on value for money in recent years and if you’re in the market for a cheap supermini that puts comfort above all else, the C3 should shoot straight to the top of your shopping list. The seats are thickly padded and the suspension is soft, making it one of the most welcoming small cars out there.
The very cheapest C3 is called the You. It’s only available to order online and its finance rates aren’t as low as more expensive models. So make sure you do some calculations before clicking buy.
To find out more, read our full Citroen C3 review.
The very cheapest C3 is called the You. It’s only available to order online and its finance rates aren’t as low as more expensive models. So make sure you do some calculations before clicking buy.
To find out more, read our full Citroen C3 review.
Pros
- Styling helps it stand out
- Very comfortable
- Personalisation options
Cons
- Limited standard equipment
- Cramped rear seats
Large warranty meets attractive finance
MG may well conjure images of classic sports cars and natty driving gloves to you, but the truth is today the name is synonymous with great-value cars. One of these is the MG3. It's shortly due to be replaced by a new, more expensive hybrid models, but the outgoing version is still available for the timebeing.
It comes with a seven-year warranty and plenty of equipment, but its engines are rough, the interior feels ancient and it’s not that good to drive.
To find out more, read our full MG 3 review.
It comes with a seven-year warranty and plenty of equipment, but its engines are rough, the interior feels ancient and it’s not that good to drive.
To find out more, read our full MG 3 review.
Pros
- Long warranty
- Good interior space
- Decent equipment levels
Cons
- Unrefined engine
- Better options out there
Chic Italian supermini
Have you been to Italy lately? If you rented a car, it’s more than likely a Fiat Panda was waiting for you in the underground car park.
The Panda is still popular on the continent because of its low price and very usable and boxy interior. But it has a dismal Euro NCAP safety rating, and feels off the pace next to many of its rivals. A new version is expected later in 2024, but if you want a small and cheap city car that will cost pennies to run, the Panda is still worth considering.
To find out more, read our full Fiat Panda review.
The Panda is still popular on the continent because of its low price and very usable and boxy interior. But it has a dismal Euro NCAP safety rating, and feels off the pace next to many of its rivals. A new version is expected later in 2024, but if you want a small and cheap city car that will cost pennies to run, the Panda is still worth considering.
To find out more, read our full Fiat Panda review.
Pros
- Utilitarian
- Practical for its size
- 4x4 model surprisingly capable off-road
Cons
- Zero-star Euro NCAP score
- Rivals are better
The UK's cheapest electric car, by some margin
A new entrant to our list of the UK's cheapest new cars is the Dacia Spring, and it's especially noteworthy because it's the most affordable electric car you can buy, and by some margin. Priced from £14,995, this is the second generation of the Dacia Spring and promises some big improvements compared to the old car, which was never sold in the UK.
Available to pre-order now, with first deliveries expected later in 2024, it's very much aimed at the city with its claimed 137-mile electric range, but could help to dramatically lower your running costs.
To find out more, read our Dacia Spring review
Available to pre-order now, with first deliveries expected later in 2024, it's very much aimed at the city with its claimed 137-mile electric range, but could help to dramatically lower your running costs.
To find out more, read our Dacia Spring review
Pros
- Cheapest electric car
- Decent equipment
- Small dimensions will make it great around a city
Cons
- Safety performance likely to be underwhelming
- Not as roomy as a Sandero
Great value, but not as cheap as it once was
For a time the Kia Picanto was the UK's cheapest new car, but recent alterations to the range means the price has jumped dramatically, now starting from £15,505. It still represents decent value for money at that, though, with the sole trim level now available including alloy wheels, air conditioning and electric mirrors.
The Picanto is also good to drive and surprisingly spacious considering its dinky size. It's an ideal choice for new drivers and comes with a seven-year warranty too. A facelifted model is expected to arrive on sale imminently, though is unlikely to be any cheaper.
To find out more, read our full Kia Picanto review.
The Picanto is also good to drive and surprisingly spacious considering its dinky size. It's an ideal choice for new drivers and comes with a seven-year warranty too. A facelifted model is expected to arrive on sale imminently, though is unlikely to be any cheaper.
To find out more, read our full Kia Picanto review.
Pros
- Easy to drive
- Well-equipped
- Long warranty
Cons
- Not as versatile as a larger car
- Automatic gearbox is terrible
Brilliant value for money mini-SUV
The Sandero Stepway is really, really like a regular Sandero. But one that’s had a sprinkle of SUV-inspired styling added to it. The main changes are a raised ride height, different bumpers, skidplates, roof bars and larger alloy wheels. It's all cosmetic but helps make it look and feel like a more substantial product.
From a purely pragmatic view the Sandero Stepway is more expensive but not necessarily any better. But from an emotional view the Stepway offers a nice halfway house between a Sandero and Dacia’s full-fat SUV, the Duster.
To find out more, read our full Dacia Sandero Stepway review.
From a purely pragmatic view the Sandero Stepway is more expensive but not necessarily any better. But from an emotional view the Stepway offers a nice halfway house between a Sandero and Dacia’s full-fat SUV, the Duster.
To find out more, read our full Dacia Sandero Stepway review.
Pros
- Comfortable ride
- Spacious interior
- Fantastic value for money
Cons
- Lacks refinement
- More expensive than regular Sandero
Well-made city transport
The i10 is a car aimed at city folk who need something small enough to park and dodge errant Uber drivers with, while also being practical enough for occasional jaunts up and down the country.
The little Hyundai does all this with aplomb and the high levels of tech mean it feels more grown-up than other cars of this ilk. It’s mechanically similar to the Kia Picanto at the top of this list, but it costs a bit more because the interior is just a touch techier and is only sold in more expensive trims.
To find out more, read our full Hyundai i10 review.
The little Hyundai does all this with aplomb and the high levels of tech mean it feels more grown-up than other cars of this ilk. It’s mechanically similar to the Kia Picanto at the top of this list, but it costs a bit more because the interior is just a touch techier and is only sold in more expensive trims.
To find out more, read our full Hyundai i10 review.
Pros
- Exceptional interior space compared with other city cars
- Classy, easy to use dashboard
- Lots of safety equipment
Cons
- A bit pricey
- Automatic gearbox is atrocious
City car with a massive warranty
A 10-year warranty, generous kit levels and low running costs are just three reasons why we rate the Aygo X. Add to that an ergonomic interior and mini-SUV looks and it's easy to see why Toyota's smallest car has staying power.
But it's firmly a city car, despite the elevated ride height. It has a seriously small turning circle, it's easy to park and at low speeds, it's really composed. It feels a bit slow out of town, but the same can be said about a few cars on this list.
To find out more, read our full Toyota Aygo X review.
But it's firmly a city car, despite the elevated ride height. It has a seriously small turning circle, it's easy to park and at low speeds, it's really composed. It feels a bit slow out of town, but the same can be said about a few cars on this list.
To find out more, read our full Toyota Aygo X review.
Pros
- Comfortable around town
- Functional cabin
- Good MPG
Cons
- Tiddly engine struggles on open road
- Bad rear leg room
*These deals are indicative examples of some packages available as of 20 December 2023 but are subject to change without prior notice.
