You you are not obliged to buy the smallest car available. A modest hatchback can provide more motorway comfort and practicality without jumping straight to a powerful or expensive model.
Start with what the car has to do
If you regularly carry passengers, use motorways or need luggage space, a slightly larger hatchback may make more sense than a city car bought purely because it is stereotyped as a first car.
Keep the expensive variables under control
Look for sensible power, ordinary wheel sizes, plentiful parts and a equipment level that is easy to insure. Get quotes for the exact cars before buying, because a larger car is not automatically more expensive for every driver.
Condition beats image
A well-maintained ordinary car with a strong history is usually a better first purchase than a fashionable but neglected example.
A slightly larger first car can still make sense financially, but quote the actual version before deciding it fits your budget.
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