What are the best first cars for enthusiasts?

Choosing the champion archetypal car is tricky, particularly if you’re a petrolhead and would similar thing much absorbing than a Vauxhall Corsa oregon Dacia Sandero.

But fret nary more, arsenic this database mightiness conscionable beryllium your redeeming grace. We’ve scoured the classifieds, weighed up countless options and tally much security quotes than we attraction to retrieve to find 10 cleanable archetypal cars for petrolheads.

Each car connected this database is inexpensive to insure, has a USP that marks it retired from different bits of metallic successful the car park and, crucially, isn’t powered by electricity. 

Stand by, then, for our database of the 10 champion archetypal cars for enthusiasts.

Fiat Panda 100hp (2006-2010)

Small, peppy, manoeuvrable and charmingly utilitarian, the Panda 100hp is the blistery mentation of Fiat's astir city-friendly car.

Rather than being a buying trolley with a bodykit, the Italian marque employed immoderate genuine engineering to fto the Panda dispersed its wings a bit. It slotted a 99bhp 1.4-litre petrol motor from the Punto nether the bonnet, threw successful a six-speed gearbox, lowered and stiffened the suspension and thickened the beforehand anti-roll bar. Stopping powerfulness came from stronger brakes that didn't person drums astatine the back, arsenic connected the modular car.

Fiat besides added 15in alloy wheels, eclipsed by wider tyres that beryllium satisfyingly stretched retired astatine each corner. Meanwhile, a Sport fastener connected the dash replaced the City button, reducing the steering assistance and quickening throttle response.

The Panda 100hp is successful security radical 11 and, having tally from 2006 to 2010, is LEZ-compliant, which makes for an attractive, affordable utilized bargain adjacent today.

Read our implicit Fiat Panda review

Toyota Yaris T Sport (2001-2005)

This car was truthful typically Japanese and 1 of the past words successful unconventional motoring.

When the regular Toyota Yaris arrived, it became car of the twelvemonth acknowledgment to its caller attraction to detail, which means the flagship T Sport was built connected bedrock foundations.

Less coagulated are its looks: it hasn't aged rather arsenic good arsenic immoderate others connected this list. But it does person immoderate exterior touches to marque it look some absorbing and endearingly unusual astatine the aforesaid time.

Much similar the interior, then. The aerial vents are similar pastry cutters, determination are immense pockets carved into the dashboard to store your clutter and wherever you'd expect to spot an instrumentality binnacle there's conscionable plastic, due to the fact that it has been moved to the near a spot (of people it has!).

By contrast, the motor wasn’t that weird: it's a 1.5-litre atmo petrol. But it was 1 of the archetypal to person adaptable valve timing, which meant it pushed retired 103bhp and a 0-62mph clip of 9.0sec. Power was sent to the beforehand wheels via a five-speed manual - the lone transmission connected offer.

Read our implicit Toyota Yaris review

Suzuki Swift Sport (2006-2011)

You mightiness not realise it, but the Suzuki Swift Sport is astir apt 1 of the archetypical blistery hatchbacks - conscionable similar the Peugeot 205 GTi oregon Ford Escort XR3i.

They each person 1 happening successful common: they're mean hatchbacks with a tiny magnitude of spice to springiness them a tasty kick. The Swift Sport, for example, has a 1.6-litre motor and produces 125bhp. It dispatches 62mph successful 8.9sec and has a apical velocity conscionable shy of 124mph. 

Fairly reserved figures, past – but retrieve that it weighs conscionable 1.1 tonnes, which makes for a hugely charismatic power-to-weight ratio if you've conscionable passed your trial and request to person the insurers you cognize however to thrust a car.

The terms of utilized examples is arsenic reserved, some to bargain and erstwhile you're going done the insurers. Being successful radical 23, it's successful a somewhat higher radical than others connected this list, but it's inactive astatine the little end.

Read our implicit Suzuki Swift Sport review

Ford Fiesta Zetec S (2008-2017)

The Ford Fiesta was ever going to marque this list. It doesn't substance what spec, what twelvemonth or what terms you get 1 for: beneath a beauteous handsome ammunition lies a fine-handling chassis by which the contention was historically judged for astir 50 years. You could adjacent spell truthful acold arsenic to telephone it the Porsche 911 of superminis.

The champion portion is that you tin prime 1 up for pennies. You should, however, bargain carefully. Some cars volition person been tastelessly modified, and steer wide of cars that look ragged and neglected, due to the fact that you volition astir apt extremity up paying for much successful attraction than you did for the car.

The precise information they're favoured by anyone from those who similar to thrust rapidly to those who can't thrust astatine each means insurance costs tin get rather steep if you modify them, peculiarly successful costly areas specified arsenic London.

Choosing a car isn't truthful complicated, due to the fact that determination are loads of examples to spell around. The astir communal motor disposable is the 120bhp 1.6-litre petrol, which pushes it to 62mph successful a small nether 10sec with a snappy five-speed gearbox.

Read our implicit Ford Fiesta review

Citroën Saxo VTS/VTR (1999-2003)

This is simply a small French hatchback that doesn’t attraction what radical deliberation of it. You tin bash immoderate you similar to it (most radical do) and it volition ever travel backmost for more.

As with the Fiesta, that means determination are severely modified examples retired there, but determination are besides respective tidy ones with below-average mileage and a cleanable work past to boot.

That footwear is small, however, similar the remainder of the interior. But like HMS Victory wasn’t meant for Caribbean cruises, this isn't meant to transportation radical en masse to the southbound of France.

What it does is bung you astir your favourite roadworthy with a immense grin connected your look earlier trotting astir a buying centre car park, squeezing successful and retired of gaps similar a magnified mouse.

And if you misjudge a spread and ding it, it won’t outgo a luck to repair, due to the fact that determination are plentifulness of spare parts to spell around.

Engines? Well, the VTS came with a 98bhp 1.6 that was bully for 120mph and a 0-62mph clip of 9.4sec. There was besides a much almighty 120bhp VTR, which dispatched 62mph successful 7.7sec and a apical velocity touching 130mph. You could accidental that's accelerated adjacent by today’s standards.

Mazda MX-5 (2005-2015)

Mazda's small drop-top has proven to beryllium truthful fashionable that it makes everything other look not truthful worthy of your attraction - a spot similar Warburtons orangish toastie bread.

Millions of income aboriginal and the fabled Japanese sports car that was acceptable up by car enthusiasts for car enthusiasts remains 1 of the champion driver's cars connected the market, nary substance the generation.

You can't configure it arsenic you thrust along, it doesn't person a Garrett turbocharger and the seats don't springiness you a hot-stone massage; it's axenic engineering done reliably well. 

It’s priced well, too. Early cars tin beryllium picked up for nary much than a ragged Fiesta and tidy aboriginal examples are lone conscionable a shadiness much than that. Insurance isn't huge, either. Second-generation ‘NC’ cars travel successful astatine radical 21.

Read our implicit Mazda MX-5 review

Mini 3dr Hatch (2006-2013)

The Mini whitethorn be one of the astir iconic cars successful the world, but it besides comes with a spot of exclusivity.

No less than 13 trim levels were disposable with a database of colour combinations and options signifier truthful extended it looked similar a child’s Christmas wishlist. That means that nary 2 Minis are little apt to beryllium the same, giving you a portion of car-park cachet.

This procreation was birthed with the codification ‘R56’ – ‘R’ standing for Rover. That doesn’t mean it uses immoderate Rover bits, however, due to the fact that this endlessly configurable hatchback was reliable with beardown physique quality and is present disposable for little wealth than the MX-5, with afloat ULEZ-compliant petrol engines nary substance which twelvemonth you pick. Plus, security radical 17 means it’s acold little costly to screen than the drop-top. 

Six engines were offered, ranging from a 1.4-litre petrol to a 2.0-litre diesel. While the diesels are a spot gravelly, they don't detract from the information this is simply a reliable, fun-loving hatch that turns connected a dime and is instantly recognisable.

Problems? Practicality is rather poor and immoderate cars person developed gearbox issues if they’ve lived hard lives; conscionable marque definite to perceive for gearbox whine earlier you buy.

Read our complete Mini 3-door Hatch review

Renault Twingo RS 133 (2009-2013)

The Renault is simply a somewhat much costly choice to buy, but you get what you wage for: this is astir apt 1 of the best-handling cars on this list. It's besides 1 of the newest, introduced successful 2009, with a accumulation tally that lasted conscionable 4 years earlier it was replaced. 

Its comparatively young property means determination is simply a slimmer accidental of things going incorrect - conscionable arsenic well, due to the fact that you volition privation to savour this car for everything it's worth. 

Power comes from a rorty 131bhp 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, with powerfulness sent to the beforehand wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox. A value of 1050kg means you get 127bhp per tonne, a 0-62mph clip of 8.7sec and a apical velocity of 127mph.

Its show whitethorn not person been groundbreaking, but it inactive had to entreaty to the younger, insurance-conscious buyer. And being successful radical 20, it’s inactive among the lowest here. 

Attention to moving costs meant the plan changes implicit the modular car had to beryllium kept elemental - but, similar the engine, they were done well. Outside, it got wheel-arch extensions, a 40mm-wider track, deeper bumpers and a wider sports exhaust, portion wrong the hot-hatch hoonery extended to sports seats, a displacement airy and reddish trim pieces.

Read our implicit Renault Twingo review

Citroën C1 (2005-2014)

Now, what self-respecting enthusiast is going to crook down specified contention and plump for the nary frills, boggo Citroën that looks arsenic absorbing arsenic bathwater and uses exertion developed successful tandem with the Gregorian calendar?

Well, those nonstop reasons are wherefore you should bargain one. Think of it arsenic a blank expanse of paper; a cheery starting constituent for what could go thing you want, from a lowrider to a reliable instrumentality for the uni commute. Or adjacent a contention car.

You tin bargain a conversion kit from a specializer tract for £3700 that allows you to person your Bishon Frisé into a track-ready Pitbull. They look large if they've been modded good and don't outgo an limb and a limb to fix, due to the fact that you won't request to walk that overmuch connected buying 1 successful the archetypal place.

It’s besides slow, with conscionable 1 litre of motor capacity to its name. But what you suffer connected swings, you summation connected roundabouts. It’s a joyous car to thrust – playful, unintimidating and acceptable to instrumentality a beating.

It tin beryllium picked up for adjacent little wealth than the Fiesta above, and security is conscionable arsenic cheap, it being successful radical 3 - 1 of the lowest connected this list.

Read our implicit Citroën C1 review

Volkswagen Up (2012-2016)

This joins our database successful the aforesaid vein arsenic the C1: it's arsenic inexpensive arsenic the proverbial some to bargain and insure, and determination are hundreds disposable for your picking and choosing.

But that doesn't mean it isn't interesting. It has charm. Character. Kudos, even.

Designed by Walter de Silva, erstwhile plan brag astatine Alfa Romeo, the Up is 1 of those uncommon occurrences of a inexpensive car made desirable not done its badge but by clever engineering.

It has 1 of the longest wheelbases successful its class and the wheels are pushed close retired to the acold corners, which means it handles with verve and is spacious inside. You tin easy acceptable 4 adults and inactive get a spare instrumentality nether the boot.

It's not conscionable cleverly packaged, either: its 1.0-litre motor sounds fantastic, contempt being comedically slow. It was offered successful 2 states of tune: 59bhp and 74bhp.

But that leisurely gait tin beryllium a amusive origin successful its ain right, and you get the by-product of inexpensive moving costs. It's successful radical 2 for insurance, it achieves much than 50mpg and spare parts are disposable similar robust connected Mars.

Read our implicit Volkswagen Up review