The cost of living crisis won’t have escaped you. You’ll have heard about people tightening belts, looking to offload costs and generally attempting to spend less.
But what if you need a new car? Your first port of call is to search for used cars for sale in the UK. Used cars are broadly better value than new ones, plus you don’t need to wait 18 months to get behind the wheel of one.
Going for something clean and economical is canny too. Especially now fuel is getting on for £2 per litre. And there’s an added bonus for picking a frugal car – and that’s a low tax bracket.
This may take a little bit of explaining. Car tax is rated by the carbon dioxide a car emits, and before March 2017, it was based on grams of carbon dioxide emitted per kilometre. Cars registered before this date emitting between 101 and 110g/km qualified for £0 or £20 road tax.
Years later, this is still the case. So not only do you save money by buying used, but you get cheap tax too.
Below we’ve highlighted five wallet friendly used cars that’ll also cost £20 or less per year to tax.
Fiat 500 (2008-2014)
This is the first generation of the ‘nuova’ Fiat 500, which really helped the company get back on the map. Owners love its funky retro looks, the fact that it’s small and easy to park plus its range of frugal engines.
Ford Fiesta (2008-2017)
You’ve probably seen more Ford Fiestas than you’ve had hot dinners. They’re pretty much the de facto used supermini because they were the bestselling car in the UK for a number of years. This means the used market is flooded with them. Look out for the1.4 diesel as it sits in the £20 per year tax bracket.
VW Up (2016-2017)
If the Fiesta (above) is the de facto used car supermini, the Up is the same for the city car market. It’s diminutive in size, which means it slinks around traffic and is super easy to park. But importantly, it still feels like a VW inside. Which means the interior won’t come off in your hand. Fair few options for cars with cheap tax, so make sure to shop around for a good deal.
Skoda Fabia (2009-2014)
Sensible sells. And the Skoda Fabia dials sensibleness up to 11 by taking tried-and-tested VW technology and wrapping it in an affordable and practical package. You’ll want to go for the 1.6-litre diesel in order to get the cheap tax rate.
Honda Insight (2009-2014)
A bit of a left-field choice here. The Insight is a Hybrid, which means it utilises a small battery in order to aid economy and cut emissions. It’s a bit larger and therefore has a bit more passenger space than other cars on this list, but they’re pretty rare in the UK, so it might require a bit more searching to find one.