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BARGAIN RIDES
Ford Fiesta among five best cars you can buy for less than £5k – including ‘perfect city car’
Plus a lesser-known Nissan that you can pick up and run on a budget
THE much-loved Ford Fiesta has been named on the list of the best cars you can buy for under £5,000.
Motor experts from online marketplace Carwow revealed their picks for the top bargain rides in Britain today, including a "perfect city car".
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The list includes a range of size options but all fit within the hatchback and supermini categories.
Not only are they affordable to buy, but they're also reliable, cheap to insure and require relatively little maintenance.
Plus all the options are ULEZ or Clean Air Zone compliant meaning that Brits living in and around cities won't have to shell out on environmental charges.
Peugeot 208
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Model years: 2012-present
Example price: 2014 208 with 71,123 miles for £2,995
The mid-sized 208 hatchback sits between the 108 and 308 in Peugeot's lineup and provides a bit of something for everyone.
There's enough space to meet the demands of a small family, but also enough zip under the bonnet to keep young drivers entertained.
And with a prime example slotting in at under £3,000, it is hard to beat on price.
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The 208 also sits, on average, in insurance group 7 (out of 50), making it one of the cheapest motors to run on the market.
Ford Ka
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Model years: 2014-21
Example price: 2014 Ka with 57,000 miles for £3,995
The Ka is one of the smaller vehicles on the list, especially the post-facelift compact version that ran from 2014.
But it still packs a decent punch in the 1.2 litre, four-cylinder engine borrowed from Fiat as part of a cooperation agreement between Ford and the Italian brand.
Indeed, the model has even competed in rally racing with a specially modified version, dubbed the "Rally Ka", taking to the course for the British Mintex championship in the late '90s.
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Sitting in insurance group 5, it's even cheaper to own than the Peugeot, though older versions may need a bit of upkeep.
Ford Fiesta
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Model years: 1976-2023
Example price: 2014 Fiesta with 92,045 miles for £3,890
The Fiesta was, for good reason, Britain's favourite car for much of the 21st Century.
Ford sold 4.8 million units in a nearly 50-year production run, which saw the model claim the title of the most popular in the UK for 12 consecutive years between 2009 and 2020.
Carwow's John Rawlings described it as a "great car to drive" and it fits well within the £5,000 budget.
It also offers a more spacious layout than many of its rivals on the list, making it an ideal family car.
Get your hands on one while you can as Ford discontinued the Fiesta in 2023, confirming that there were no plans to create an electric version ahead of the 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel sales.
Citroen C1
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Model years: 2005-2022
Example price: 2016 C1 with 46,000 miles for £4,994
Dubbed a "perfect city car" by John, the C1 sneaks in just under budget for a remarkably low-mileage example from 2016.
Like the Fiesta, this car was also discontinued in recent years, so there are only a limited number left.
However, it is a little smaller than some of the others on the list as it was built on the same platform as the Peugeot 208's little brother - the 108.
Nissan Note
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Model years: 2004-present
Example price: 2014 Note with 128,000 miles for £2,490
While not as much of a big name as models like the Fiesta, the Nissan Note still benefits from good availability at a low price point.
It's also a bit cheaper than some of its competitors, especially as John urged drivers not to worry about high-mileage examples.
All the while, it offers similar amounts of space to the Ford and sits in insurance group 6, making it easy to get out on the road without breaking the bank.
John added: "Despite a fall in inflation, budgets remain tight, so people are increasingly looking for cheap cars that are also cheap to run.
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"With this list, we have tried to find a range of great options – including vehicles that comply with local Clean Air Zones or Low Emission Zones - that not only can be picked up for under £5,000, but also fall into the cheaper insurance groups to make it easier for those on a tight budget both to purchase a car and get it on the road."
All example prices based on online second-hand listings at time of writing