Best First Cars Under £5,000

A slightly bigger budget than the under-£3,000 tier opens up newer registrations and more choice. These five have real used-market prices between £3,500 and £4,990, in insurance groups 3 to 7.

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).

1. Vauxhall Adam 1.2 petrol
   2013 to 2017 Asking price: £3,997 to £4,990 Insurance group 3
   £263/mo all in £90/mo fuel £14/mo tax

   One of the most common cars at this price and group.

2. Fiat Panda 1.2 petrol
   2013 to 2017 Asking price: £3,547 to £4,495 Insurance group 3
   £248/mo all in £88/mo fuel £3/mo tax

   A genuinely small city car, the cheapest to run of this five.

3. Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 petrol
   2010 to 2016 Asking price: £3,695 to £4,417 Insurance group 6
   £278/mo all in £90/mo fuel £16/mo tax

   One of the best-sampled cars in our entire dataset at this price point,

4. Ford Fiesta 1.25 petrol Zetec
   2012 to 2015 Asking price: £3,695 to £4,495 Insurance group 7
   £281/mo all in £88/mo fuel £14/mo tax

   The classic sensible first car choice, well represented at every budget tier.

5. Nissan Note 1.2 petrol
   2014 to 2016 Asking price: £3,725 to £4,677 Insurance group 6
   £253/mo all in £80/mo fuel £2/mo tax

   A slightly bigger, more practical body style than the others here, for a similar price and group.

Prices and insurance groups checked 4 July 2026.