Best cheap cars - pictures

The cheapest Dacia Duster models cost less than £10,000…

…but you’ll pay £12,000 if you want a diesel (and you will)

Interior isn’t fancy, but it does the job. And given the price, few will argue

The Dacia Sandero is the cheapest new car money can buy in the UK, starting at just £5,995

But that model is spartan, so spend a little more on an Ambience trim to enjoy electric windows and air-con

Like the Duster, the Sandero is built to a price, but it all works well

The Kia Picanto is about to be replaced, meaning there’s plenty of deals to be had at the moment

Like all Kias, the Picanto comes with a seven-year/100,000 mile warranty

For as little as £8,500, you’ll enjoy air-con, electric windows and central locking

The five-door Hyundai i10 is a superb runabout, with five doors and five seats

The i10 comes with Hyundai’s five-year, unlimited mileage warranty

High-spec models are lavishly-equipped, but you’ll pay for it. As much as £13,500, in fact

The Skoda Citigo is mechanically-identical to the VW up! and SEAT Mii, but a low price tag coupled with good customer satisfaction means its our choice

Despite its size and modest price, the Citigo feels pleasantly grown up

It also features a full five-star crash test rating from Euro NCAP

The SEAT Mii arguably has the most personality of the Mii/Citigo/up! trio, especially with special editions in partnership with fashion brands

Avoid the basic model though, as it does without air-con. An extra £500 solves this when you step up to the S A/C trim

It’s basic but charming inside

The Peugeot 108 offers a choice of 1.0- and 1.2-litre petrol engines

It’s nippy around town, and you can choose a retractable fabric roof too

The interior feels well built and provides plenty of storage spaces

The Citroen C1 is the sister car to the Peugeot 108 (and the more expensive Toyota Aygo too)

It’s arguably more funky looking and can also be specified with the fabric roof

And you can choose one, without air-con, for less than £9,000

The Vauxhall Viva revives a name from the past. Unlike the original, it’s a small hatchback, but retains the same value for money ethos

No version of the five-door hatchback costs more than £10,500, although a few options will push the price over that

Our picks is the Viva SE A/C which balances cost and equipment very well

The Renault Twingo is a quirky car, and one of a very small number to have the engine in the rear

That means it has a tiny turning circle, but it doesn’t translate into an increase in bootspace

Choose the Expression trim for air-con while not breaking the bank