25 February 2023
It’s hard to buy a cheap new car these days, isn’t it?
In a time of £40,000 Vauxhall Astras and £50,000 Mini Convertibles, you can count the number of new cars on sale for less than £15,000 on your own two hands.
However, although there aren’t many around, it’s still possible to bag yourself something that’s both cheap and cheerful. We’ve gathered four of our favourites - the MG 3, the Dacia Sandero, the Kia Picanto and the Hyundai i10 - with the aim of finding the best affordable car in Britain.
Join Matt Prior and James Disdale as they take a relaxed look at these low-budget legends.
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One further comment: I can't see how these can be described as "Britain's best cheap cars" given their origins mostly on the other side of our planet! We seem to have very few home grown cars these days let alone good cheap ones, unfortunately.
I don't think it's too far a stretch to interpret this as 'available in Britain'.
What a great test. This is far and away one of the most interesting and honest reviews of affordable cars I have seen - and it is to the reviewers' credit that trhey have taken these products seriously and not dismissed them because they have poor 0-60mph times, or becdause they lack the latest infotainment or safety systems.
What comes across is that these relatively cheap cars fulfill a basic need and can provide satsisfaction and entertainment even for enthusiuasts.
That such cars continue to be available should be applauded and they deserve to succeed.
Instead of a blanket and premature ICE ban, why did they not just create a longer term gradual wind down alongside the zero emission push, also encouraging people into smaller but still safe and well equipped cars, giving time for alternative vehicles to mature and get more affordable and a natural market led migration of customers.
Yes, second or third this view. A complete antidote to Top Gear supercar test. Discussion about every day car traits covering the aspects that matter to the car buyer who notices such things and 'chassis sofistication' and 'gear change'. It's was also partly down to the fact that alot of more expensive cars loose the basics of motoring enjoyment in the persuit of fasionable box ticking accesories. I guess the testers had to focus on the basic qualities of a car in this case.