Is a Ford Fiesta a good first car?
Yes, provided you pick the right engine: the ordinary 1.0, 1.1 and 1.25 petrol Fiestas are one of the more sensible first cars on the UK market, but the badge alone covers a 26-group insurance spread, so the exact version matters more than the model name.
The numbers*
| Insurance group | Group 2 to 28, depending on engine and trim. The ordinary petrol Zetec-spec versions sit around group 5 to 7. |
|---|---|
| Typical used price | £4,700 to £9,800 on the used market (most trims and years) |
| Road tax | £20 to £200 a year depending on registration date, since the 2017 VED reform changed how it's calculated. Petrol Fiestas registered since 2017 mostly pay the current flat rate, around £190 to £200. |
| Fuel economy | 52 to 54 mpg combined on the low-group 1.0 to 1.25 petrol engines (official, combined cycle) |
| Euro NCAP rating | 5 stars (Euro NCAP; 87% adult, 84% child, 64% pedestrian protection on the common 2016-on generation; an earlier 2009-only generation tested slightly higher, 91%/86%/65%) |
Ins grp 5 Ford Fiesta 1.1 Zetec 5dr
- Standard
- £1,835/yr
- Telematics
- £1,086/yr
Standard monthly £153/mo
Ins grp 10 Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost Zetec 5dr
- Standard
- £1,850/yr
- Telematics
- £1,210/yr
Standard monthly £154/mo
Ins grp 30 Ford Fiesta 1.5 EcoBoost ST Performance Edition 3dr
- Standard
- £3,156/yr
- Telematics
- £1,867/yr
Standard monthly £263/mo
Labels go by monthly insurance: Manageable up to £150, Getting pricey £151 to £200, Danger zone over £200.
Why parents like it
Parts and servicing are everywhere, since the Fiesta has been one of the UK's best-selling cars for two decades, so any garage can work on one and repairs rarely come as a surprise. The ordinary petrol engines land in some of the lowest insurance groups on the used market, and every generation still commonly for sale carries a 5-star Euro NCAP rating.
Why new drivers like it
It's a genuinely good car to drive for the money, well proportioned inside for its size, and common enough that there's real choice and negotiating room when you go shopping, rather than settling for the only one in your budget.
The catch
The Fiesta badge hides a large spread. The same-generation ST-Line, EcoBoost 125/140 and 1.5-litre performance versions jump to group 12 to 28 and cost roughly double the ordinary petrol Fiesta, both to insure and to buy: group 15-plus Fiestas run about £10,400 to £13,400 used, against £4,000 to £7,500 for the group 2 to 7 versions. It's easy to be drawn to the sportier trim on looks and only discover the insurance gap after getting a quote.
Which version to look for
Look for the 1.0, 1.1 or 1.25 petrol in Zetec or Style trim, commonly 2013 to 2019 registration: it's the most plentiful version on the used market and sits in group 5 to 7. Avoid ST-Line, EcoBoost 125/140, and anything badged 1.5 or ST, which jump to group 12 or higher for a young driver.
* Sources: First Car Scout vehicle listing and insurance-group data (July 2026).