Leasing your first car is cheaper than buying

Driver Guides  General Guides 

Believe it or not, but with the continually high cost of used cars it may actually be cheaper for new drivers to lease their first car rather than buying. We're not just saying that because we're a leasing company either. New research shows that leasing provides a cost- effective alternative with cheaper running costs.

Leasing.com – the car leasing comparison website – analysed the market for the best value purchases on new and used cars for first time motorists and compared them to their leasing equivalents to investigate which option can make your money stretch further.

With a lower initial outlay – often less than £1,000 – and monthly costs mapped to driving habits (eg agreed mileage), leasing enables young drivers to pick a new car without the worry of depreciation or the out-of-warranty repair bills associated with old run-around models. An optional maintenance package for an additional monthly fee also removes another motoring headache helping new drivers to spread the cost of servicing bills. Leasing also means parents can rest assured that their children will benefit from the latest safety features and environmental credentials found with newer models, with better fuel consumption and reliability leaving them with more money in the bank in the long run. Leasing a first car also helps to boost credit scores if budgeted and paid on time; a challenge many young people face when starting out.

With this in mind we've picked five possible options for a first-time driver to become a first-time lessor.

Fiat 500

When it comes to cool and trendy it's hard to beat the little Fiat 500. It's got all the retro charm of the 1950s original, a great range of options that allows you to customise your car, the latest tech, and bags of personality. It's also a great little car to drive if you want to have fun behind the wheel.

The Fiat 500 really shines as a city car. Zip around town at your leisure and glide into just about any size parking space you fancy. Trim levels include the Mirror with smartphone mirroring software; the Pop Star, with alloys, air-con and split-folding rear seats; or upgrade to Lounge trim with a 5.0in touchscreen with Bluetooth, leather steering wheel, rear parking sensors, climate control, and a driver's seat-height adjuster, along with some extra chrome detailing.

Vauxhall Corsa

The Vauxhall Corsa is one of the UK's best-selling cars, and for very good reason. It's loved for its stylish good looks, reliability, and fuel efficiency. You can choose from a 3 or 5 door model, and once you've decided on the number of doors you can customise your Vauxhall Corsa and really make it your own with a huge range of trim and exterior options.

As standard, all Corsa models come with an electrically heated windscreen and Bluetooth to seamlessly listen to your music from your phone. The Vauxhall Corsa Hatch is the one to choose if you're looking for a stylish city car that looks cool, includes many great features as standard, but won't break the bank.

Suzuki Swift

There's something about the Suzuki Swift that appeals to both young drivers and parents. It looks like a sporty 3 door car, but actually has 5 doors for improved practicality. It handles well, is economical to drive, and offers excellent infotainment with Bluetooth connectivity.

The Swift SZ is a 1.2-litre petrol-hybrid for greater efficiency, or for a sportier feel and a bit more performance you can go for the 1.4-litre Sport version. Either way, you'll get a great car that offers loads of options with the added bonus of lower running costs and excellent reliability.

Mazda2

The Mazda2 is an agile and compact city car that stands out with its elegance and stylish good looks. Under the bonnet you'll find a 1.5 litre engine with some models also available with hybrid technology for even greater fuel efficiency and lower emissions.

You'll get the latest technology with sat nav and smartphone connectivity, as well as parking sensors, cruise control, and air conditioning. It's got a great choice of trim levels and comes in both manual and automatic versions.

Renault Zoe

Zoe is Renault's all electric car so it brings added appeal in terms of environmental impact and lower costs. The Renault Zoe is actually considered the best of the most affordable electric cars in its class. It's nippy, incredibly quiet and boasts a good range of trim levels and options.

Even the base model offers keyless entry, reversing camera and sensors, air conditioning, and cruise control. Move up the range and you can add sat nav, automatic climate control, and a Bose sound system to your Zoe as well. And with just electricity to put in, it will cost less in ‘fuelling' - especially if using their parent's home charger and electricity!

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