Alex Robbins is contributing editor at Telegraph Cars where, as well as responding to readers’ queries, he also contributes reviews of new and used cars, together with articles on buying and selling. 

His knowledge of the used car market informs his many buying guides relating to the best buys in particular sectors, with an emphasis on value for money.  Every week he will answer your questions on buying and selling, as well as solving your car problems, whether consumer or mechanical.

Do you have a motoring dilemma you’d like our expert to solve?  For consumer and used car advice, or car faults, email CarsAdvice@telegraph.co.uk and include your subscriber number. This week’s question…

Dear Alex…

My daughter hopes to pass her driving test soon and has £600 to spend on her first car. What sort of things should she look out for? Which models would you recommend?

– KM

Dear KM,

What with the demand for cheap and cheerful cars during the pandemic and the subsequent rise in used car prices, £600 doesn’t go as far as it used to. In fact, buying a cheap, small car for that sum has become tricky. At this price, even the obvious cheap first car options such as the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa are quite hard to come by in good, usable condition. I did see a 2003 Corsa 1.0-litre going for £700 with nine months’ MOT, but the pictures suggested it’d had a hard life, so it didn’t merit further investigation.

A second-generation Nissan Micra might be within budget. They are relatively reliable and incredibly easy to drive – and because they’re undesirable to thieves and boy racers, insurance costs are about as good as they get for a young driver. I found a 2002 1.0 E with 10 months’ MOT and 60,000 miles for £629, although even this feels like a bit of a bargain in today’s market. You might have to accept a higher mileage to get within your budget.

The Renault Clio is another first-car favourite; second-generation examples are cheap as chips. They can be troublesome if not well maintained, with electrical gremlins common, but if you can find a good one it should offer cheap, comfortable motoring and shouldn’t be too costly to insure. A 2005 1.2 Extreme with 90,000 miles and 12 months’ MOT can be yours for £650.

Even a Ford Ka, traditionally the go-to cheap learner car, is a little out of your daughter’s price range, although she might be able to afford one if she can save up a little more; I found a 1.3 Studio with seven months’ MOT and 65,000 miles going for £750. She’ll want to be careful, as they are prone to rusting around the fuel filler cap and sills. On the plus side, they still look great and are immense fun to drive.

I did come up with one car that’s more affordable: a Chevrolet Matiz 1.0 SE with 54,000 miles and a whole year’s MOT for £650. They are not great to drive and have a cheap interior and vague steering, but a Matiz will certainly be cheap and reasonably reliably, albeit with zero panache.

What to look out for? You can’t be too picky at this price, but as you may have gathered, the most important thing is a long MOT. Use the Government’s online MOT history checker to look up the car’s past.

A test drive is essential. Make sure the car goes where you point it and check for clunking suspension, rattly engines and smoke from the exhaust.

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