10 best cars for students 2022
January 12, 2022 by Jamie Edkins
Having a car at university can be a life saver for getting to work or running a load of laundry back home, but which cars are best for students?
Insurance is usually the sticking point for young drivers, with premiums going up into the thousands for some models, and this has been taken into account when creating this list.
Our top top cars for students are:
- Vauxhall Corsa
- Dacia Sandero
- Hyundai i10
- Volkswagen Polo
- Ford Fiesta
- Kia Rio
- Citroen C3
- Skoda Fabia
- Renault Clio
- Nissan Micra
Vauxhall Corsa
- Starting price: £17,380
- Insurance group: 10-20
- Recommended trim: SE Edition
- Recommended engine: 1.2 petrol
- Wowscore: 7/10
The Vauxhall Corsa has been a popular choice with driving schools and young people for a long time, and it’s easy to see why. It’s good value for money, well equipped and it looks the part too.
As standard all Corsas get a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, traffic sign recognition and lane departure warning. It drives pretty well as well, if a little bumpy at town speeds, and the boot will be big enough to swallow all your uni clutter.
If you go for the 1.2-litre petrol engine, most Corsa models fall into insurance group 10, with the sportier looking SRi going up to group 12, so premiums shouldn’t be too bad. All the engines are economical as well, with the 1.2 returning around 40mpg.
Dacia Sandero
- Starting price: £10,145
- Insurance group: 4-11
- Recommended trim: Comfort
- Recommended engine: 1.0-litre petrol
- Wowscore: 9/10
Dacia has built a reputation in the UK for selling solid, no-nonsense, good value cars, and the latest Sandero certainly fits this profile.
For just £10,145, you can have a brand new Dacia Sandero outside your student digs with a DAB radio, bluetooth and air conditioning. Models higher up the range are even better equipped and not too much more expensive.
A 1.0-litre Essential model will be the cheapest to insure, falling into group four. However, we’d recommend spending a little more on the Comfort model for it’s added spec. The insurance group for this rises to eight, so still pretty low.
Hyundai i10
- Starting price: £13,420
- Insurance group: 3-10
- Recommended trim: SE Connect
- Recommended engine: 1.2-litre petrol
- Wowscore: 9/10
The Hyundai i10 has come a long way since it was first launched in 2008, and the latest model is a great looking little city car.
It’s very easy to drive in town, with light steering and a tight turning circle. It’s pretty generously equipped as well, as long as you avoid the sparse entry level model. SE Connect cars come with alloy wheels, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and voice control.
The entry level 1.0-litre engine with 67hp is the cheapest to insure, coming into group three. This engine is pretty gutless though and best avoided if you plan on tackling faster roads. The 1.2-litre petrol has a better turn of pace and still falls into insurance group eight.
Volkswagen Polo
- Starting price: £18,285
- Insurance group: 1-12 (excluding GTI)
- Recommended trim: Style
- Recommended engine: 1.0-litre turbo-petrol
- Wowscore: 9/10
If you need a small car that can do it all, look no further than the Volkswagen Polo. It’s comfortable, spacious and well built.
The cabin feels solid and, as long as you avoid the entry level model, there are plenty of toys. Mid-spec Style cars get an 8.0-inch touchscreen, automatic climate control and a digital driver’s display.
A great deal of the Polo range is in insurance group one, however these cars will likely be fitted with the entry level 1.0-litre engine which is a bit sluggish. Style cars with the more powerful engine are in insurance group 10, so it should still be fairly cheap.
Ford Fiesta
- Starting price: £17,070
- Insurance group: 2-17 (Excluding ST)
- Recommended trim: ST-Line
- Recommended engine: 1.0-litre turbo-petrol
- Wowscore: 8/10
The Ford Fiesta has always been a great supermini. It’s fun to drive, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine feels nippy and it’s well equipped.
Go for the ST-Line model and you get some large alloy wheels and a sporty body kit which looks similar to the ST hot hatch, without the added running costs. Inside you’ll find a touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and keyless entry and start.
The ST-Line with a 1.0-litre petrol is the pick of the bunch for university life. It has great punch, while still being economical and falling into insurance group eight.
Kia Rio
- Starting price: £14,100
- Insurance group: 4-10
- Recommended trim: 2
- Recommended engine: 1.0-litre turbo-petrol
- Wowscore: 6/10
In many respects, the Kia Rio has always lived in the shadow of superminis like the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa. However, it’s a great value small car that’s definitely worth a look if you’re a student.
The 1.0-litre petrol engine is smooth and nippy, and it’s backed by a seven year warranty for added peace of mind. The cabin is nicely built as well and it comes with plenty of tech. 2 models and above get a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
For students, we’d recommend the 2 model with a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine. It may not be the cheapest to insure of the range (coming in at group 8), but the 2 gets plenty of kit and the 1.0-litre engine is punchy enough for motorway work.
Citroen C3
- Starting price: £14,630
- Insurance group: 8-22
- Recommended trim: Sense
- Recommended engine: 1.2-litre petrol
- Wowscore: 7/10
If it’s some funky styling you’re after, the Citroen C3 could fit the bill nicely. It will certainly stand out from the other superminis in the campus car park with it’s airbumps and snazzy light design.
It’s comfy to drive too, which is ideal for the long slog back to your home town, but the tradeoff for this is there isn’t much in the way of fun to be had. At least the cabin is just as stylish as the outside, with plenty of quirky features to add visual appeal.
If you go for one of the lower powered 1.2 petrol engines then the C3 falls into group eight for insurance. This will be fine for around town work, however if you venture out onto the motorway often you’ll be better off with the turbocharged version.
Skoda Fabia
- Starting price: £15,305
- Insurance group: 2-13
- Recommended trim: Colour edition
- Recommended engine: 1.0-litre turbo-petrol
- Wowscore: 7/10
Skoda is very good at making practical, comfortable cars which are packed with clever features, and the new Fabia is testament to this.
Ok so it’s not the most exciting car in the world, but it still looks smart and it’s well equipped. All but the entry level model get at least an 8.0-inch touchscreen and you can have wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well.
Our pick of the range would be the 1.0-litre turbo petrol Colour Edition. This trim adds some larger alloy wheels among other styling upgrades, as well as a digital driver’s display. Insurance should be cheap as well, with this specification falling into group 10.
Renault Clio
- Starting price: £18,390
- Insurance group: 3-16 (Excluding RS model)
- Recommended trim: S Edition
- Recommended engine: 1.0-litre turbo-petrol
- Wowscore: 7/10
The Renault Clio is the car to look at if you’re after some French flair. The latest iteration looks great, both inside and out, and it’s well equipped as standard.
The S Edition gets an impressive looking 9-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a digital driver’s display. The interior design and quality is more akin to a premium family car than a supermini, it’s just a shame it isn’t quite as comfortable as some alternatives.
The S Edition with the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine offers the best blend of standard equipment, performance and economy. Being insurance group 10, it shouldn’t cost the earth to cover either.
Nissan Micra
- Starting price: £14,340
- Insurance group: 1-12
- Recommended trim: Acenta
- Recommended engine: 1.0-litre turbo-petrol
- Wowscore: 7/10
The Nissan Micra gets all the basics of a small car right. It’s cheap to run, it looks great and is well equipped.
Go for the Acenta version and you’ll get air conditioning, cruise control and a touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone mirroring. It’s comfortable to drive too, just don’t expect hair raising performance.
All versions of the Nissan Micra are cheap to insure, your best bet is the 1.0-litre petrol Acenta version. This model gets alloy wheels and plenty of kit, while still being cheap to insure.
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