Which is the best new car for a P-plater on a budget

The steep increase in new and used car prices has made finding a safe and reliable car for new drivers no easy feat. We find some of the best options.

2023 Kia Picanto.

Choosing a car for your teenager isn’t easy, new cars are getting very expensive and older vehicles often lack the lifesaving technology of more modern machines. Our expert looks at the best options on a budget.

THE QUESTION

Our teenage daughter’s just got her P-plates and we’re helping buy her first car. For safety reasons we want to buy new, but with a $20,000 budget our choice looks limited to a Kia Picanto or MG3. She says she’d prefer a larger used car as the Picanto’s “too small” and I note the MG isn’t ANCAP safety rated. She can only drive automatics, we want the car to be reliable, easy to insure and as safe as possible. Please help!

John Scott-Davis, email

ANSWER

This is so hard for parents. We want our kids to be safe as possible in their cars but we don’t all have unlimited funds to buy the latest and safest.

Sadly, young drivers (17-24) are disproportionately represented in road death and injury figures, a statistic not helped by many driving older, less safe vehicles.

CHOICES

The Kia Picanto has vital safety equipment and a long warranty.

Kia Picanto S auto, about $19,890 drive-away

Your daughter’s right, the Picanto’s a tiddler, but what a brilliant little car that’s roomier than you’d think.

It has all the features modern drivers demand: wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (which means she’s not distracted by her phone), an 8-inch infotainment screen, cruise control, auto emergency braking, forward collision warning and rear camera.

This safety should prevent most P-plater bingles while they’re still learning. It scored an acceptable four stars from ANCAP when crash-tested in 2017, losing marks for minimal safety assist, but positively, adult occupant protection was strong.

The 62kW/122Nm engine and auto gearbox are dull but it rides comfortably and impresses through the corners. It’s cheap to run (5.8L/100km), service and insure, while the seven-year warranty is superb.

The MG’s lack of safety equipment is a big red flag.

MG 3 Core auto, $19,490 drive-away

The MG3 is larger than the Picanto and a light-car class sales champ, mainly as its price undercuts all else.

Its 15-inch alloys, rear camera, decent audio and 8-inch infotainment with Apple CarPlay impress, as do a seven-year warranty, good looks and cabin space.

The 82kW/150Nm engine and four-speed auto gearbox are decidedly old-school, noisy and thirsty at 6.7L/100km but it can be a fun drive in town.

As a parent, the MG3’s lack of any active safety gear (auto braking included) and no ANCAP crash test rules it out for me. Cheap or not, that’s inexcusable in 2023.

2019/20 Suzuki Swift GL Navigator, from $18,000 drive-away

Make sure you look at a Swift that has the optional Safety Pack.

These Suzuki Swifts were $19,690 drive-away in 2019, and they’ll cost the same today as a three/four-year old. That’s how daft used prices are.

You must find one fitted with the optional Safety Pack, which brings auto emergency braking, lane departure warning and radar cruise control. It earned five ANCAP stars in 2017.

Apple CarPlay/Android Auto through a 7-inch screen’s a boon in an otherwise plasticky cabin, but the Swift’s a hoot to drive, looks great and drinks only 4.8L/100km. You’ll still have some of the five-year warranty left if it’s been serviced properly.

WILDCARD

2018/19 Volkswagen Polo, about $20,000 drive-away

High running costs of the Polo might count it out.

The most joyful-to-drive of this lot. Be it 85TSI Comfortline or 70TSI Trendline, VW Polos were class leading city cars and cracking drives.

With Euro style, a spacious, classy cabin and perky three-cylinder engine, there’s lots to like.

An 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, rear camera and auto emergency braking are wins but the big one is a 5-Star ANCAP rating.

These Polos feel well engineered, tough and safe. It’s efficient at 5.0L/100km but needs 95 RON fuel, while servicing with VW is costly. Favour one with a few months of its five-year warranty remaining.

VERDICT

Have your daughter test drive the Picanto: it’s not as small inside as it looks. It’s safe for a city car – that’s most important – while the seven-year warranty and the new-car smell give it the win.

Originally published as Which is the best new car for a P-plater on a budget