Cheapest cars to buy 2025
Searching for a brand-new bargain? These are the cheapest cars in the UK right now
Not too long ago, if you were looking to buy one of the cheapest new cars in the UK, there was an underlying sense of ‘you get what you pay for’. These models may have looked like a great deal, but the cost-cutting was obvious, to say the least. However, times have changed, and you can now look at these low-cost motors using both your head and heart.
There’s more good news, too, because electric cars are finally starting to creep their way onto this list of the cheapest brand-new models. This means that drivers who want to make the switch can now do so without obliterating their bank accounts.
In order to determine which of the UK’s cheapest cars offer the biggest bang for their buck, our expert road testers have driven every single model that you’ll find on this list. Here we’ve ordered the top 10 cheapest new cars by price, but we also give you the lowdown on what they are like to live with and drive. Read on below and you might just find an absolute bargain.
1. Dacia Sandero
- Price from £14,200
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The Dacia Sandero is a full-sized supermini that offers simplicity, comfort and surprising practicality for those who are after basic transport without any gimmicks. The interior is actually more spacious than many of the Sandero's supermini rivals, running costs are usefully low, and the mechanicals have proven their worth in the past, so the Sandero should be reliable. Thanks to its Renault heritage, the latest Sandero shares a platform with the current Clio – a much more expensive supermini.
This means the car’s chassis is more modern than in previous editions and it feels sophisticated to drive. Build quality is questionable in places, but some of the engine line-up uses Renault’s latest fuel-saving technology, meaning the Sandero is surprisingly efficient and perky on the road.
2. Dacia Spring
- Price from £14,995
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It’ll probably come as no surprise to see yet another Dacia on this list, but what may shock you is that this sub-£15,000 car is purely electric powered. That’s right, the Dacia Spring is the cheapest fully fledged electric car that you can now buy in the UK.
In order to keep the cost down, the Spring is a bit basic compared with most of its rivals, and the entry-level model will only cover up to 140 miles on the WLTP combined cycle. That being said, if you often find yourself zipping around city streets on shorter journeys, this should prove more than enough. There’s a reasonable amount of essential kit included, such as air-conditioning, and, of course, you’ll avoid emissions-based charges and VED road tax (at least until April 2025 anyway).
3. Dacia Sandero Stepway
- Price from £15,700
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The Dacia Sandero Stepway takes the best bits of the standard Sandero and adds in more rugged SUV-style looks, a bit more space, and extra features that bring the base Stepway more in line with mid-spec city car rivals – as opposed to the rather sparse nature of the standard Sandero.
The base Essential trim includes a DAB radio, Bluetooth, air-conditioning, and cruise control as standard. You even have a choice of engines – a petrol-powered TCe 90 or (at extra cost) the Bi-Fuel TCe 100. Both versions claim to return more than 45mpg, so running costs should prove affordable. With its 328-litre boot, the Sandero Stepway is an affordable family option, too.
4. Kia Picanto
- Price from £15,845
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The Kia Picanto is now in its third generation and has developed into a stylish little city car with enough kit to make it genuinely desirable – even before the price is even taken into account. It’s easy to see why the Picanto is so popular because this small car offers tremendous ride quality and the brand’s famous seven-year/100,000-mile warranty – a great deal for such a low-priced car.
There are a number of Picanto variants available, but the cheapest is a basic model in 2 trim fitted with a 66bhp 1.0-litre engine and manual gearbox. If you want an automatic gearbox, you’ll have to pay more.
5. Leapmotor T03
- Price from £15,995
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As part of efforts to increase its share on the budget car market, Stellantis has introduced the Leapmotor T03 to the UK. This Chinese city car is fully electric, and with a £15,995 starting price, it’s taking aim squarely at the Dacia Spring. With an official WLTP combined range of 165 miles, the Leapmotor does have a slight advantage when it comes to distance, and it comes with its fair share of standard kit, too.
It’s pretty tiny by modern car standards, but thanks to some clever design, the T03’s cabin can still accommodate four adults in reasonable comfort. It rides surprisingly well over poorer road surfaces, too.
6. Hyundai i10
- Price from £16,380
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Our two-time City Car of the Year is not only one of the cheapest cars you can buy, but it’s also surprisingly sophisticated for its size. The Hyundai i10 boasts a generous amount of on-board tech, as well as being comfortable to drive and offering plenty of cabin and boot space. It’s even fitted with interior mood-lighting – just like you’d get in a far bigger and pricier Mercedes. A five-year/80,000-mile warranty and Hyundai Roadside Assistance sweeten the deal, too.
The cheapest i10s are fitted with a 66bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine. This unit is sluggish in terms of acceleration but, when you do reach cruising speeds, the compact Hyundai is far more comfortable than most of its rivals.
7. Toyota Aygo X
- Price from £16,515
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The Toyota Aygo X is something of a pseudo-SUV; it’s essentially a compact city car with beefed-up styling. This design helps this tiny car to stand out in terms of looks, but there’s also a strong level of standard equipment to back up its big-car aspirations. Opting for the entry-level Pure trim will bag you the lowest price, but you’ll still get adaptive cruise control, a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Toyota’s Safety Sense package.
As with most city cars, the Aygo X’s compact size makes it easy to drive and park, and the 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine provides adequate power for this sub-one-tonne car. The powertrain does feel a bit dated when compared with an increasing number of electrified rivals, but it should still achieve more than 55mpg with little fuss.
8. Fiat 500 Hybrid
- Price from £16,800
It’s been with us since 2007, but the first modern Fiat 500’s time is almost up. If you’re quick, though, you can still snap up a brand-new example of this hugely popular car. Despite Fiat’s best efforts, the Fiat 500 Hybrid can’t help but show its age in some areas, but it’s still a funky and frugal city car.
The ‘Hybrid’ name is slightly misleading, because these models are actually powered by mild-hybrid tech. However, the little 1.0-litre three-cylinder powertrain can return up to 60mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, so it’s not exactly thirsty. However, for potentially lower running costs, there’s always the newer, pure-electric Fiat 500e to consider, although this is more expensive to buy.
9. Suzuki Ignis
- Price from £17,949
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If you like smaller cars but also enjoy a spot of off-roading, the Suzuki Ignis offers an unusual combination of city car dimensions and four-wheel drive. It’s not about to defeat a Land Rover Defender when the going gets tough, but the little Ignis is perfectly capable of taking on a bit of light gravel and mud every now and then.
The trade-off for this capability is quite a firm ride, but if you’re using the Ignis on shorter urban drives, its compact stature makes this a very straightforward car to drive and park. A cleverly designed cabin means there’s a decent amount of space and practicality inside, too.
10. Citroen C3
- Price from £17,990
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The Citroen e-C3 was our 2024 Car of the Year, but its petrol-powered twin isn’t half bad, either. This pseudo-SUV supermini is practical, affordable and (being a Citroen) pleasingly comfortable. The trade-off is a pretty unexciting driving experience, but for straightforward motoring, the C3’s price is just about right.
Admittedly, the brand’s cost-cutting efforts are noticeable if you take the time to feel some of the cabin materials, but you will be able to fit four adult passengers inside with little fuss. The 310-litre boot is pretty sizeable for this area of the market.
Cheapest cars to buy: prices and ratings table
| Cheapest cars to buy ranking | Name | Prices from | Efficiency, CO2 and running costs rating | Overall Auto Express star rating (out of 5) |
| 1 | Dacia Sandero | £14,200 | 4.4 | 4 |
| 2 | Dacia Spring | £14,995 | 5 | 4.5 |
| 3 | Dacia Sandero Stepway | £15,700 | 4.3 | 4.5 |
| 4 | Kia Picanto | £15,845 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | Leapmotor T03 | £15,995 | 4 | 4 |
| 6 | Hyundai i10 | £16,380 | 4.2 | 4 |
| 7 | Toyota Aygo X | £16,515 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| 8 | Fiat 500 Hybrid | £16,800 | 4.2 | 3 |
| 9 | Suzuki Ignis | £17,949 | 4.3 | 4 |
| 10 | Citroen C3 | £17,990 | 4 | 4 |
What about quadricycles?
You might be thinking that you’ve seen other new cars that are cheaper than the vehicles on our list. However, we’ve restricted ourselves to the legal definition of cars for this list, ignoring the category of vehicles known as quadricycles.
Although quadricycles do have four wheels, they are far smaller and lighter than a typical modern car and are limited to a maximum speed of 28mph. Due to their basic construction, reduced power and small size, quadricycles are much cheaper to buy than a normal car, but they are also much less suited to many drivers’ day-to-day needs. If you rarely use your car, though, and only cover very small distances around town, quadricycle models like the Citroen Ami and Ark Zero can be bought brand-new for as little as £5,500.
Why are these cars so cheap?
Sadly, as with many things, the cost of buying a new car has increased over time. The cheapest full-size new cars today begin at more than £14,000 so, if you’ve got a tighter budget than this, you may be better off looking for a used car.
Of course, if your negotiation skills are top-tier, you may be able to haggle this price down further. What you should remember, though, is that cars in this price bracket should come with a different set of expectations. They’ll get you from A to B for sure, but will they be as economical, practical or well built as something that costs a few grand more? There’s no guarantee.
To achieve those low sticker prices, cheap new cars are often stripped of everything bar the basics and they’ll sometimes feel a little low-rent next to more expensive versions of the same car just a few steps up the trim ladder. Many buyers will happily put up with some blanked-out buttons, downmarket trim finishes or even an underpowered engine, but others will see the extra outlay needed to secure a few more creature comforts as money well spent. Either way, the cheap car’s head-turning sticker price has done its job.
In many instances, the biggest challenge facing cars at the cheap end of the market is the existence of used alternatives offering more kit, a better engine and, often, a more desirable badge for the same money. Again, many people will rather sink their cash into an apparently better car with a few thousand miles on the clock, but the appeal of a brand-new model with a full warranty and finance facilities not always open to used car buyers is still strong.
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