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 the 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)
- Citroen C3 (from £14,150)
- MG3 (from £14,335)
- Fiat Panda (from £14,750)
- Kia Picanto (from £15,030)
- Dacia Sandero Stepway (from £15,295)
- Hyundai i10 (from £16,030)
- Toyota Aygo X (from £16,140)
- Dacia Duster (from £17,295)
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 its top speed is limited to just 28mph, and has a range of 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 the MG and Citroen, the Sandero no longer has the budget supermini market stitched up. And with recent price hikes, it’s no longer as headline-grabbingly affordable as it once was, either. That said, it’s still 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 taller ride height and 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. Citroen C3 (from £14,150)
A car as spacious and stylish as the Citroen C3 for £13,995 sounds like a steal, but there’s a catch. The cheapest version of the C3 is a stripped-out model designed to offer no-frills, bargain-basement motoring now that the Citroen C1 is extinct, and to compete with the Dacia Sandero. So while you do get still get cruise control, electric front windows and LED headlights, you won‘t find much else in the way of desirable standard equipment on offer, and you‘ll have to put up with the C3‘s crashy ride and uninspiring handling. You can’t buy this entry-level specification of the C3 in a dealer, either – if you want one, you’ll have to order it online.
Citroen C3 Review
Citroen C3 for sale
4. MG3 (from £14,335)
Here’s another relatively big car for relatively little cash. The MG3 is a supermini, which means it‘s the size of the Citroen C3 (or a Ford Fiesta, for that matter), yet it’s a cheap car: the fifth cheapest car on sale in the UK at the moment, in fact. You get a lot of equipment for the cash, too, with a colour touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay (but no Android Auto), a Bluetooth connection, rear parking sensors, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and even air conditioning all thrown in. The 3 also comes with a seven-year, 80,000-mile warranty, which brings with it added peace of mind. Elsewhere, though, you do get what you pay for; the 3 feels pretty cheaply built and rather crude to drive, with a noisy petrol engine, a bumpy ride, a notchy gearbox, and some distinctly flimsy materials inside, so it‘s far from the best new car on sale today.
MG3 Review
MG3 for sale
5. Fiat Panda (from £14,750)
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
6. Kia Picanto (from £15,030)
While the Kia Picanto isn’t quite the cheapest car on this list, we reckon it’s the best value. In fact, we rate it as one of the best cars in the city car class full-stop. Even in its most basic of trim levels it’s 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 this 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 £1,914 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. 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
8. 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
9. 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 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
10. Dacia Duster (from £17,295)
It's fitting that Dacia, a car-maker known for its keen pricing, features more than any other brand in this list of the UK's cheapest new cars. Its third and final entrant is the Duster, a small SUV known for its rugged capabilities and very low price. The latest Duster is the best yet, with exterior and interior styling and quality that are far better than its low starting price might lead you to expect. In fact, we rate the Duster as the best car in Dacia's range.
Dacia Duster Review
Dacia Duster 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.)