Sporty little cars for Younger Drivers you can buy in 2024
As a petrolhead, it can be hard to find yourself in a car worthy of your interests when you are young. A first car is generally a small engine, cheap to run hatchback that is most importantly in a lower insurance band. With insurance premiums rising year after year, it is hard for young car enthusiasts to find their idea of a good first car.
Whilst slightly off-topic from our usual clientele, we have compiled a list of cheap to run cars that are still fun to drive. We have accounted for purchase prices and insurance premiums to try and find you the best car for your money. Of course insurance premiums vary based on your age and area so we based our list around 18-year-old drivers living in the Coventry & Warwickshire area.
Telematics, or “Black Box”, insurance can help to keep premiums lower and ensure young drivers are being safe. The cars listed are intended to offer a more pleasurable and engaging driving experience even with monitored driving in place.
We have based our market research on cars as they are currently priced on eBay and have checked insurance through Compare the Market.
5 Sporty Cars for Young Drivers
Image credit, CAR Magazine
1. Abarth 500
The Fiat 500 is a popular choice for first cars and young drivers in the UK. They are cheap to buy, cheap to run and extremely practical in a bite-sized package. But what about the sporty version?
The Abarth 500, 595 and 695 models all use the same platform as the 2007 Fiat 500 that is still being produced today, albeit with some updates. In 2008, Fiat released the Abarth 500 which featured a sportier bodykit, alloy wheels, smaller steering wheel, sports seats, a fruity exhaust and a larger turbocharged engine. Fortunately for young drivers, this larger engine is still only a 1.4L meaning insurance, tax and even fuel are relatively cheap.
Prices can start as low as £3,000 for older 135 HP models with higher mileage, whereas around £5,000 can buy you something with less miles or something newer. Esseesse pack models have additional horsepower (at around 160 HP) and more attractive styling, starting from the £4,000 mark. In 2016, the Abarth 500 was replaced with the 140 HP Abarth 595 and Essesse and Competizione models were bumped to 180 HP. Not super fast cars by some standards but certainly stylish, attractive propositions for younger drivers.
Peacock Prestige recommend spending around £5,000 to buy a well looked after, well specced Abarth 500. After a year or so’s No Claims Bonus, you should be able to insure an Abarth 500 relatively cheap depending on your circumstances and area. We always recommend checking your affordability before purchasing any vehicles featured on these lists.
Image credit, Auto Express
2. Ford Fiesta 1.6 Zetec S
Another “baby” hot hatch to consider is the trust Ford Fiesta. Whilst the Fiesta ST may be the more attractive proposition for budding petrol-heads, the 1.6 Zetec S can provide a similar dynamic for a cheaper price.
The Ford Fiesta is a great choice for young drivers. They’re cheap, simple and in plentiful supply. If the brilliant 1.0L Eco Boost isn’t enough then the Zetec S may interest you. Available in most body shapes, the Zetec S was introduced into the lineup as a sportier feeling yet economical offering; ideal for young drivers. Our choice specifically is the 1.6 TDCi 1.6L turbocharged diesel engine model, specifically designed for younger buyers who crave a sportier car without the high running costs of the ST model.
These bargain hatchbacks are as little as £1,200 however you should expect to pay around £4,000 for a good one. These diesel engines are reliable units capable of racking up high mileages but ideally you want to find something below 75,000 mark. Although overall condition should always be a deciding factor rather than taking engine mileage at face value.
Cheap to run and cheap to insure, the Ford Fiesta Zetec S is a low insurance vehicle so is usually an ideal choice for a first car. We always recommend checking your affordability before purchasing any vehicles featured on these lists.
Image credit, Car Gurus
3. MINI Cooper
The MINI JCW is touted as one of the best hot-hatches of recent times. The MINI Cooper S is a fantastic sporty little car too, but as we are compiling a list for young drivers, we chose the standard Cooper model as our pick.
The first two generations of BMW made MINI Coopers used 1.6L naturally engines producing around 120 HP and 0-62mph times of around 9 seconds. The earlier R50 generation uses an engine co-developed between Rover and Chrysler, providing good reliability and reasonable economy. The second generation R56 models featured an engine co-developed between BMW and Peugeot which has generated mixed opinions amongst critics and owners alike. Both offer little in the form of luxuries but tons in the form of quirkiness. The firm, sporty ride is similar between both vehicles, so its more or less down to styling and budget.
An R50 model can be picked up for under £1,000 but that certainly wouldn’t be one to cherish. A good pre-2006 car will be somewhere in the region of £2,000 with service history and reasonable mileage. For £500-£1000 more you can start to find decent second generation vehicles.
The lesser-powered MINI One is a great option if insurance is a deciding factor too, but Coopers tend to have more in the way of “luxuries”. We always recommend checking your affordability before purchasing any vehicles featured on these lists.
Image credit, The Telegraph
4. Suzuki Swift Sport
If styling is your thing, the Suzuki Swift Sport may be one of the most ostentatious cars on this list with its dual exit exhaust system. They are also touted for their sporty driving dynamics and back-to-basics drivers’ hatch nature.
The 1.6L four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine can be compared to that of the aforementioned MINI Cooper, with a similar output of power at around 125 HP. What the Swift offers over the MINI is increased visability with much larger windows, ideal for practicing your manoeuvres. The Swift Sport is also boasting sportier styling from the factory, making it look and feel like more of a hot-hatch than it probably really is. The Swift Sport has a respectable a 0-62mph time of 8.9 seconds too.
These cars started production in 2006 for the European markets and models can now be picked up for as little as £2,000. Somewhere closer to £3,000 is where you’ll need to be to get an example with more attractive mileage though. If you increase your budget to around £5,000, you can get your hands on the second generation model with 135 HP and 160 Nm of torque.
Insurance and running costs of these have always been relatively cheap. We always recommend checking your affordability before purchasing any vehicles featured on these lists.
Image credit, RAC
5. BMW 118d
The only rear-wheel-drive vehicle in its category, the first and second generation BMW 1 Series offered us great hot-hatches like the E87 130i and F20 M135i & M140i, but their sporty DNA carried over somewhat into their more conservative range too. The 118d in-particular offers ample power and unrivalled driving dynamics to make it a fantastic sporty choice for young drivers.
One of the more powerful cars on this list, the Baby BMW produces 140 HP and a whopping 300 Nm to the rear wheels only. The handling dynamics are very different to that of a front-wheel-drive car but offers a much sportier feel to the driver. The post 2007 N47 engine cars mated to the six-speed manual gearbox are the best prospects but be sure to watch out for timing chain issues consistent of almost all BMW and MINI vehicles from this time.
These engines are capable of higher mileage and can therefore be had for very cheap indeed. The one to go for is the Sport model which offers the same sportier suspension setup but isn’t as costly to insure as the more popular and aggressively styled M-Sport versions. Somewhere in the ballpark of £4,500 can get you an early F20/F21 shaped (2011-2019) 118d sport with sub-100k miles, offering the best package for the money.
Only £30.00 per year road tax and reasonable insurance, the BMW 118d offers a unique and more luxurious take on the first car consensus. We always recommend checking your affordability before purchasing any vehicles featured on these lists.
And that’s our pick at 5 cars for young budding petrol-heads. As you start to grow older and rack up more No Claims Bonus, you can start to look at hot-hatches like the Cooper S and Fiesta ST, and eventually more powerful cars like the JCW and M140i, but these fun little cars should keep you occupied for the time being.