Most popular cars for young drivers
These are the top 10 most popular cars as chosen by our community of 17-25 year old drivers*.
1. Corsa
2. Clio
3. Punto
4. Fiesta
5. 206
6. Ka
7. 106
8. Saxo
9. Micra
10. Polo
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1 Vauxhall Corsa
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
Gender split:
1.0 ltr Corsa 5dr, 2008
50 miles per gallon
£125/year (tax band E)
2/50
Male 58%
Female 42%
Affordable to run with a roomy interior, it's no wonder the Corsa is a hit with young drivers.
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2 Renault Clio
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
Gender split:
1.2 ltr Clio 3dr, 2000
45 miles per gallon
£140/year (tax band F)
7/50
Male 52%
Female 48%
Reliable first time car - go for a 1.2l to balance engine performance versus insurance cost.
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3 Fiat Punto
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
Gender split:
0.9 ltr Punto 3dr, 2012
67 miles per gallon
£0/year (tax band A)
11/50
Male 57%
Female 43%
Spacious and spectacularly cheap on fuel economy, this is the choice for those seeking low running costs.
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4 Ford Fiesta
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
Gender split:
1.25 ltr Fiesta 3dr, 2003
45 miles per gallon
£140/year (tax band F)
7/50
Male 60%
Female 40%
Plenty of models around - so makes a good choice if you're driving a second-hand bargain.
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5 Peugeot 206
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
Gender split:
1.1 ltr 206LX 5dr, 2000
45 miles per gallon
£175/year (tax band G)
7/50
Male 50%
Female 50%
Available in a large range of engine sizes - keep it small for the best insurance prices.
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6 Ford Ka
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
Gender split:
1.25 ltr Ka 3dr, 2010
67 miles per gallon
£30/year (tax band C)
3/50
Male 25%
Female 75%
A compact run-around with a higher driving position giving great views of the road ahead.
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7 Peugeot 106
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
Gender split:
1.1 ltr 106 3dr, 2001
46 miles per gallon
£140/year (tax band F)
7/50
Male 62%
Female 38%
A fairly basic interior keeps costs low, but watch out for reliability issues on older models.
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8 Citroen Saxo
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
Gender split:
1.1 ltr Saxo 3dr, 2001
46 miles per gallon
£140/year (tax band F)
7/50
Male 60%
Female 40%
Popular with the modding crowd, so check before you buy to avoid reliability and insurance issues.
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9 Nissan Micra
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
Gender split:
1.0 ltr Micra 3dr, 2004
48 miles per gallon
£140/year (tax band F)
7/50
Male 37%
Female 63%
Micras are tiny making them easy to park and manoeuvre - perfect for around town.
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10 Volkswagen Polo
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
Gender split:
1.0 ltr Polo 3dr, 2001
47 miles per gallon
£140/year (tax band F)
5/50
Male 61%
Female 39%
Resale prices are high on the ever-reliable Polo, so it's more likely to hold its value.
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1 Vauxhall Corsa
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
1.0 ltr Corsa 5dr, 2008
50 miles per gallon
£125/year (tax band E)
2/50
Male/Female gender split:
Male 58%
Female 42%
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2 Renault Clio
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
1.2 ltr Clio 3dr, 2000
45 miles per gallon
£140/year (tax band E)
7/50
Male/Female gender split:
Male 52%
Female 48%
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3 Fiat Punto
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
0.9 ltr Punto 3dr, 2012
67 miles per gallon
£0/year (tax band A)
11/50
Male/Female gender split:
Male 57%
Female 43%
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4 Ford Fiesta
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
1.25 ltr Fiesta 3dr, 2003
45 miles per gallon
£140/year (tax band F)
7/50
Male/Female gender split:
Male 60%
Female 40%
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5 Peugeot 206
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
1.1 ltr 206LX 5dr, 2000
45 miles per gallon
£140/year (tax band F)
7/50
Male/Female gender split:
Male 50%
Female 50%
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6 Ford Ka
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
1.25 ltr Ka 3dr, 2010
67 miles per gallon
£30/year (tax band C)
3/50
Male/Female gender split:
Male 25%
Female 75%
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7 Peugeot 106
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
1.1 ltr 106 3dr, 2001
46 miles per gallon
£140/year (tax band F)
7/50
Male/Female gender split:
Male 62%
Female 38%
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8 Citroen Saxo
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
1.1 ltr Saxo 3dr, 2001
46 miles per gallon
£140/year (tax band F)
7/50
Male/Female gender split:
Male 60%
Female 40%
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9 Nissan Micra
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
1.0 ltr Micra 3dr, 2004
48 miles per gallon
£140/year (tax band F)
7/50
Male/Female gender split:
Male 37%
Female 63%
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10 VW Polo
Most popular model:
Fuel efficiency:
Car tax:
Insurance group:
1.0 ltr Polo 3dr, 2009
47 miles per gallon
£140/year (tax band F)
5/50
Male/Female gender split:
Male 61%
Female 39%
If you're under 25 years old and after a new set of wheels, looking at cars that are favoured by other young drivers is a great place to start. They also tend to be cheaper to insure.
TIFF NEEDELL, PRESENTER OF CHANNEL 5'S FIFTH GEAR, recommends all young drivers avoid the following when choosing a car:
- Engine sizes over 1.4 litres, especially if you're a teenager
- Cars with more than five seats
- Dark tinted windows
- Non-standard modifications including over-sized alloys, or modifications to the engine or bodywork
- Hot hatches or sport editions, convertibles or cabriolets, or cars more than 20 years old
If you already have a car in mind, run it through quick car lookup to see if it's a good choice to insure for someone your age.
*Source: Ageas Insurance Limited (March 2012). Please note that mileage, fuel and tax figures quoted are only for the example listed and can vary depending on engine size, the age of the car and how it is driven. This section is intended as a guideline only.
