3 AFFORDABLE new cars
Buying a new car may not have been at the forefront of your mind this year, but now we’re back on the road, it could be time for a new set of wheels. Our motoring editor, Ginny Buckley, has a few suggestions for you – all under £25,000.
For the early months of 2020, most of us didn’t drive further than the
local supermarket. Now lockdown restrictions are being lifted and we’re venturing further afield, you may have decided it’s time for a new car. There are some exciting new releases, with many manufacturers embracing electrification. One of those is Mini – these bijoux cars work for all sorts of people, and the new electric version broadens that appeal. There’s a sensible £24,900 asking price (after government grants), or just £299 a month rental with a £4,000 down payment, which means it’s in line with a mid-range petrol VW Golf. You get a smallish battery, which is good for a modest 140 miles of driving range, but Mini did its research and discovered its owners drive on average just 26 miles a day. So, for most of us, a smaller battery that is less expensive to buy and recharges quickly works well with our lifestyles.
The Ford Kuga is the car equivalent of one of those clever kitchen gadgets you use time
and time again. It’s a practical, affordable, small-ish SUV that does a great job of getting you from A to B. With prices starting at £23,995, there are various Kugas to choose from: petrol, diesel, mild-hybrid and now a plug-in hybrid. This uses a petrol engine along with a battery, which gives you the best of both worlds. That means you can use its electric-only range of up to 35 miles for day-to-day driving and, if you have to travel further afield, then its petrol engine jumps in to help. However, charging up the battery takes three-and-a-half hours, so owning one makes more sense if you have off-street parking and can charge overnight. Whichever model you go for, you’ll have a safe, sensible family car.
If you have teenagers ready to hit
the road, I’d suggest looking for a small car in a low insurance group with a high Euro NCAP safety score. Our pick of the bunch is the Volkswagen Up! (from £13,105). Forgive it that silly exclamation mark at the end of its name because it’s a well-built, reliable little car that falls at the lower end of the insurance premiums. It also looks stylish, comes in a great choice of colours and can even sync with a smartphone.