Best First Cars Under £3,000
These five have real used-market prices under £3,000 and all sit in low insurance groups, group 3 to 6, not just cheap cars with an expensive premium waiting behind them. At this budget, expect higher mileage and an older registration; check the car properly before you buy (see our used car checklist).
Prices below are current UK asking prices, checked 4 July 2026, not a fixed number: they move with the market. Insurance group and price both depend on the exact registration year and engine, not just the model name, so always confirm both for the specific car you're looking at (see why that is).
- Ford Ka 1.2 petrol £243/mo all in £83/mo fuel £3/mo tax
The most-listed model at this price point and group,
- Toyota Aygo 1.0 petrol £232/mo all in £73/mo fuel £2/mo tax
Consistently one of the cheapest cars to run once fuel and tax are added in, see our cheapest to run list.
- Peugeot 107 1.0 petrol £232/mo all in £73/mo fuel £2/mo tax
Shares its platform with the Toyota Aygo and Citroen C1 of the same era, and matches the Aygo's running cost almost exactly.
- Kia Picanto 1.0 petrol £252/mo all in £75/mo fuel £17/mo tax
A step up in size from the city cars above, still a low group at this price. Treat the price range as indicative.
- Ford Fiesta 1.25 petrol Zetec £247/mo all in £73/mo fuel £2/mo tax
Higher group than the others here; check the full monthly cost, not just the purchase price.
Prices and insurance groups checked 4 July 2026.