Learning to drive can be a bit of a blur. Not only is there so much to learn at once, but also balancing lessons with an instructor around your work, education and social life, knowing when you are ready to take your driving test and what you plan to do when you pass are all things that inevitably occupy the mind of a learner driver.

 

Mastering the 27 key driving skills with an instructor is the first major step, alongside reading and understanding the Highway Code, but once you develop your skills and feel more and more comfortable behind the wheel, your thoughts will inevitably turn to your first car.

 

Whilst you certainly do not need to start heading to dealerships or looking online (although there is nothing wrong with that), thinking about your first car is probably a good idea, so you know what to expect and can get started driving soon after you pass, rather than having to wait.

 

With that in mind, and given that everyone has their own driving style and particular needs with a new car, here is what you should look for, and perhaps what you should avoid.

 

Look For: The Basics

The first step you should take when looking into new cars is setting a reasonable budget for a car that prioritises, in this order:

• • Reliability

• • Comfort

• • Style

These three elements, but especially the first two, will be key to ensuring that you feel more confident as you drive, develop a love of driving and an enjoyment of being behind the wheel. A core part of driving is trusting your skills and your vehicle, after all.

 

In general, this is why small hatchbacks and city cars such as the VW Polo, Ford Puma and Toyota Aygo are so popular amongst driving instructors and new drivers; they are small, reliable, comfortable, filled with enough features to get you started and stylish.

 

More reliable and safer cars will also cost less overall, once tax, insurance and running costs such as annual MOTs are taken into account. Be mindful when setting your budget that you need to ensure that you can also afford these additional costs.

 

Should You Buy New Or Used?

In many cases, a lot of drivers will be heavily reliant on the used car market, but is it the best way to go for a first car?

 

There are some advantages to going for a pre-owned vehicle, including:

• • Significantly lower upfront costs, especially for previous model years of the same car.

• • Far less depreciation.

• • No delays if you are ordering a new or custom model.

 

By contrast, there are benefits to choosing a used car instead:

• • Manufacturer’s warranties.

• • Finance options and incentives to buy that can make it potentially more affordable (although you should always carefully investigate any finance plan).

• • Your car is future-proofed with the latest technology.

• • No need to worry about the previous owner.

 

Avoid: Trendy-Looking Car Designs

Remember the Chrysler PT Cruiser? It was a very trendy retro-inspired car that was very popular initially, but has since aged absolutely terribly. Few cars have depreciated worse than a PT Cruiser.

 

The problem with up-to-the-second design trends is that they tend to age particularly badly; whilst you pay a premium for them at the time, they are often held up as relics of the past that can be difficult to sell later. 

 

Look For: Comprehensive Safety Features

Safety should come first, and one benefit of buying a more recent model is the increasingly sophisticated features that are available that can help keep you safe on the road and avoid accidents, as well as protect you in the event of one.

 

Many features, such as seatbelts and airbags, are legally required.

 

Whilst there are a lot of features to consider, here are the most important:

• • Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS): This ensures the brakes keep working and stops them from either locking up or fading in harsh conditions.

• • Electronic Stability Control (ESC): An advanced safety feature where sensors detect loss of control and apply the brakes to individual wheels to help you regain control.

• • Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB): This system detects if the conditions of traffic ahead could lead to a crash, warns the driver and then applies the brakes to slow the car and minimise any potential impact.

 

Avoid: Too Much Gadgetry

It can be tempting to look for the most enticing gadgets and features in a car. Some manufacturers even focus on the advanced technology more than the performance and reliability of the car itself.

 

However, not every gadget will be as vital as a reversing camera, centre console or smartphone connectivity, all of which have since become standard issue.

 

Some gadgets end up becoming expensive novelties, and whilst that is not bad in and of itself, they can make a first car more expensive than it needs to be.