Yahoo Autos What are the UK's cheapest cars?
The cheapest new cars even just a couple of decades ago would have been sub-par, uneconomical and unreliable.
In 2024, however, even the cheapest come from manufacturers with a proven track record, dealerships up and down the country and a decent warranty, while the best cheap cars themselves are genuinely brilliant.
The values of cars both new and used have been newsworthy in recent times because of their episodic increases and decreases.
Used electric car prices are rock-bottom, while the RRP of new cars skyrockets. The now off-sale Ford Fiesta increased in list price by £10,000 from 2013 to 2023, for instance.
If you haven't looked at new car prices for more than a decade, you may be surprised. Nevertheless, these are the very cheapest new cars on sale, ordered by their list prices.
Cheapest new cars
1. Kia Picanto - £13,695
The cheapest new car on sale is the Kia Picanto and not, in fact, the Dacia Sandero. The Picanto is Kia’s smallest car and competes with other city cars, such as the Toyota Aygo X and Hyundai i10 (found further down this list).
There’s only one choice of engine - a 1.0-litre non-turbocharged unit - meaning it’s among the cheapest cars to insure as well as to buy. A sub one-tonne kerb weight makes it a featherweight compared with other new cars, but with a mere 66bhp on tap it is still pretty slow. The 0-60mph run takes around 15sec with the manual or more than 16sec with the automated manual frustratingly stirring away for you.
Your £13,695 will buy you a model in 1 spec, which means four seats and no niceties such as Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. But the Picanto does at least come with Kia’s seven-year/100,000-mile warranty.
Read our Kia Picanto review
2. Dacia Sandero - £13,795
There’s only £100 in it, but Dacia’s big-seller (the second best-selling car in Europe for 2023) is no longer the cheapest car in the UK.
It's still cracking value, though, because it’s a fully fledged supermini, complete with seating for five and a 328-litre boot, offering the same kind of space as a Skoda Fabia.
It’s surprisingly fun, too. There’s comparatively little body roll and it really flows across a road. It’s not quite class-leading in terms of fun, but for the price, little can beat it.
Base-spec cars come with a 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine or LPG for eco warriors on a shoestring. The gearbox may be a tad clunky, but the brakes bite well, even in the wet.
Read our Dacia Sandero review
3. Citroën C3 - £13,995
This end of the market is typically not where flair tends to live. But the C3 drops a dollop of verve on to this list with its recognisably Citroën nose, Airbumps dashed across the side and a 'floating' roof design – a touch borrowed from much larger and more expensive SUVs.
There are two engines to choose from. Top choice is the 108bhp 1.2-litre petrol. A sub-10sec 0-62mph time means it's one of the faster cars on this list, ultimately making it a bit more suited to motorway schleps.
The cheapest C3 is an online-only model called the You, which comes only with the slower 83bhp 1.2-litre engine.
The ultra-soft, ultra-long suspension is really well suited to low speeds, hopping over sleeping policemen with ease, and the deep, soft seats make it one of the most comfortable cars at this price range.
Read our Citroen C3 review
4. MG 3 - £14,320
Before you go running off to your local MG dealership, we should warn you that a new MG 3 is en route. This means you can either wait until the new version comes out or use that as a bit of a bargaining chip.
This MG 3 is cheap for a reason. There’s only one engine choice: a 105bhp 1.5-litre four. It doesn't look too bad on paper, but it feels slow on the road, because you need to rev it past 4500rpm to get the best out of it – and that doesn't bring with it the aural rush of a B18 VTEC.
The interior looks dated compared with rivals', but there are at least physical dials to adjust the heating with. Practicality is on par with the Ford Fiesta, too.
MG's seven-year/100,000-mile warranty is among the best in class.
Read out MG 3 review
