Best cheap cars for 2024: based on our lab tests

Buying on a tight budget shouldn’t mean putting up with a car that’s unreliable, unsafe or uncomfortable, nor one that’s behind the curve in terms of fuel efficiency and emissions. If you're looking for a great-value car, the right model is out there and our independent reviews will help you find it.

With car prices across the market more robust than ever, it may seem a difficult task to find a high-quality set of wheels on a tight budget. Regardless of the price point you’re looking at, you can minimise the risk of being left open to reliability problems – as well as putting yourself and your family at risk with an unsafe car – with our guide to the best cheap cars.

Keep in mind that, for used cars, we display a typical price. The price you pay will vary depending on factors such as age, mileage and overall condition.

Your current car may be worth more than you think. Find out by reading our guide on how to sell a car.

Best cheap cars under £5,000

Plenty of family favourites are available for less than £5,000, although most are older models so be sure to check the service history.

Only logged-in Which? members can view our recommendations in the tables below. If you’re not yet a member, join Which? to access our reviews and test scores.

Best cheap cars under £10,000

Increase your budget to £10,000 and you'll find some more up-to-date models with fewer miles on the clock.

Best cheap cars under £15,000

Stretch to £15,000 and you'll be rewarded with a wider choice of models (including some family favourites) and, in many cases, the remainder of the manufacturer warranty.

Best cheap new cars under £20,000

Looking to buy new? With a budget of £20,000, your choice will be limited, but our tests have revealed a few models worth considering.

Want more choice? View all our new and used car reviews.

Cheap cars to avoid

Whether you're buying new or used, cheap doesn't always mean cheerful. Here are the cars we recommend you avoid at all costs.

What to expect when buying a cheap car

The cheapest used cars - particularly those under £5,000 - are likely to be over ten years old with a fair few miles on the clock.

There's no reason to avoid a car purely because it has high mileage, though. Provided it has been properly maintained, a high-mileage car can be just as reliable as one that's done fewer miles - and will often be significantly cheaper.

Head to our guide to how to buy the best used car for our 11-point checklist when inspecting a prospective purchase.

Your choice of in-car tech is also going to be more limited in older cars. You're very unlikely to find a model that links up with your phone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and advanced driver aids are likely to be missing.

However, depending on the model you choose, you should be able to secure a car with useful extras such as Bluetooth (for hands-free calls via your phone) and convenience kit such as cruise control.

Best car phone holders: discover which models aced our tests

Used car prices: what's going on?

With increases in everything from labour, raw material and transport costs, new cars have become significantly more expensive in recent years.

This has led to a surge in demand for used cars. Our data shows that the average price of new cars has risen by around 33 percent since March 2020, with used cars experiencing a 45 percent increase on average.

Of course, this is excellent news for those looking to sell a car. However, it also means anyone looking for a quality second hand car will find once-affordable models are now far more robustly priced, reducing options for drivers on a budget.

Are cheap cars safe?

The older the car you're considering buying, the more outdated its safety credentials are likely to be.

Vehicle safety has improved massively over the past decade, with greater prevalence of advanced driver assistance systems such as autonomous emergency braking, which can prevent (or at least mitigate) an impending collision. Such kit is likely to have been optional in cars over ten-years old, if available at all.

Ideally, look for a car that has a maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. Bear in mind that the Euro NCAP test is updated frequently to account for advances in safety, so results for older models aren't directly comparable with those for new cars.

You'll find Euro NCAP safety scores in our car reviews, along with ratings for our own tests (including hazard avoidance). Any car that receives a rating of three stars or less from Euro NCAP is made a Don't Buy. If a car has been available for more than four years and has not been tested by Euro NCAP, it cannot be a Best Buy.

Are cheap cars reliable?

Dependability is another concern with older cars. While there's always the potential for any car to let you down, you can take steps to minimise the risk. Walking away from anything that doesn't have a fully documented service history is a good start.

Where we have sufficient data from our annual survey, we provide reliability ratings for three age groups (0-4, 5-9 and 10-15 years), so you can see the likelihood of your prospective new purchase letting you down.

You can view reliability ratings for all cars (new and used) in our guide to the most reliable cars, while our full in-depth reviews detail the most common faults experienced for each car, as well as their seriousness.

Drive smarter and cut costs using our expert advice. Get our Cars newsletter – it's free monthly