Skip advert
Advertisement

Skoda Citigo named safest used first car

New report rates sub-£5,000 used cars against a range of safety criteria

The Skoda Citigo, Volkswagen up! and SEAT Mii have been named the three safest used cars for first-time drivers, while the Toyota Yaris and Kia Rio rounded out the top five.

The report considered superminis with a combination of a five-star Euro NCAP crash-test rating, CO2 emissions of 120g/km or less and a low insurance rating that are available on the used market for less than £5,000.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Co-op Insurance, together with vehicle safety experts Thatcham Research, ranked the shortlisted models against a further range of criteria, including ratings for adult and pedestrian protection and the standard fitment of Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) and the availability of Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB).

According to Co-op Insurance, 41% of young drivers have been involved in a road traffic collision when driving. Of these, 29% occurred in the first six months and 15% between six months and a year after they started driving.

Despite this, safety is a priority for just 11% of those choosing a their first car. In comparison, price, cost of insurance and how much the car will cost to run are the top priorities for 75, 63 and 43% of buyers respectively.

Thatcham Research’s Matthew Avery said: “My advice to parents buying their child a first used car: do not buy the oldest or cheapest car you can find. There are plenty of good deals out there for newer secondhand cars that have a five-star Euro NCAP test rating and are fitted with ESC and AEB as standard.”

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Nissan Micra is a Renault 5 in Nissan clothing
Nissan Micra reveal
News
26 Mar 2025

New Nissan Micra is a Renault 5 in Nissan clothing

New Nissan Leaf is here! Groundbreaking EV has morphed into an SUV
New Nissan Leaf front
News
26 Mar 2025

New Nissan Leaf is here! Groundbreaking EV has morphed into an SUV

Best car leasing deals 2025: this week’s top PCH offers
MINI Cooper UK front handling
Deals
27 Mar 2025

Best car leasing deals 2025: this week’s top PCH offers

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
21 Oct 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps
Charging station
Tips and advice
23 Jul 2024

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?
PCP vs HP
Tips and advice
17 May 2022

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

View All
Top 10 best car interiors
Peugeot 208 hatchback
Best cars
25 Jun 2021

Top 10 best car interiors

The 10 best electric cars in 2025
Bets electric cars 2025
Best cars
31 Jan 2025

The 10 best electric cars in 2025

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2025
Best cheap to run cars
Best cars
8 Jan 2025

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2025

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2025
Fastest hot hatchbacks 2025
Best cars
22 Jan 2025

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2025