10 Great Cars as Standard for Young and Learner Drivers

Tina Playle - Apr 4 2022 10:35AM
10 Great Cars as Standard for Young and Learner Drivers img

Every car make has features that come as 'standard', meaning it is part of the base design and cost, you don't have to pay anything extra for them. Some car makes offer more than others as 'standard'. Depending on which car you go for, and which model variant, will determine what you may have to pay extra for.

Where do you find the 'standard' spec?

A car's 'standard' spec can be found in the vehicle brochure. Always be vigilant when looking through a brochure though, as some of the equipment may only be available under certain conditions (e.g. you have the correct engine fitted, you go to the right dealership etc.)

Insurance for a Young and Learner driver 

We would not recommend these cars to you unless we thought you could get an affordable learner insurance price, or young driver insurance price, for one. The learner insurance prices presented below are based on a 28-day policy from Insurelearnerdriver. These are for a new build vehicle, to cover a 20-year-old learner driver, who owns the car, and lives in Potters Bar. For your own Learner Insurance quote - Click here

How did we judge the cars?

To make things fair, we selected 10 things we feel enhance the driving experience for a young and learner driver. We then, worked out whether they came as standard on the cars below. The things we chose were:

  • Hill Start Assist - helps with difficult incline starts
  • Central Locking - remotely locks/unlocks the car without inserting a key
  • Trip Computer - analyses statistics about the trip (Avg. speed, miles travelled etc.)
  • Automatic Lights/Wipers - activates them automatically, when necessary
  • D.A.B Radio - provides a larger variety of radio options
  • Stability Control - provides extra control and grip in corners & poor conditions
  • Daytime Lights - provides extra visibility to other drivers
  • Rear Head Restraints - provides neck protection for rear passengers
  • Speed Limiter - controls the vehicle's maximum speed (great for cars with Telematics)
  • Tyre Pressure Monitor - warns the driver of irregularities in tyre pressure

Renault Twingo 'Expression'

Equipment from list – 8/10 (Hill Start Assist, Central Locking, Trip Computer, Stability Control, Day Time Lights, Rear Head Restraints, Speed Limiter, Tyre Pressure Monitor) Price – £7,995 Learner Driver Insurance – £84 The Twingo was made with the intention to make you 'smile', and in fairness each Twingo does come with a front grille that does unmistakably resemble a big old grin. The Twingo is surprisingly spacious and offers a lot for a young or learner driver.


Kia Picanto '1 Air'

Equipment from list – 7/10 (Hill Start Assist, Central Locking, Trip Computer, Automatic Lights / Wipers, Stability Control, Day Time Lights, Tyre Pressure Monitor) Price – £8,695 Learner Driver Insurance – £84 The Picanto has a real green thumb, being built with more environmentally friendly materials in mind. Apart from just doing your part for the environment, you’re getting a sharp little run-around that's very reasonably priced.


Citroen C1 'Touch'

Equipment from list 6/10 (Hill Start Assist, Central Locking, Trip Computer, Stability Control, Day Time Lights, Rear Head Restraints) Price – £8,715 Learner Driver Insurance – £87 The Citroen C1 'Touch' is Citroen’s cheapest petrol based model. It's one of the few cars on this list to offer the driver a sun roof, so they can catch those summer rays. It also has ‘electronic brake force distribution’ for smooth gradual stops (which is a useful accompaniment to the car's stability control).


Hyundai i20 'S'

Equipment from list – 6/10 (Hill Start Assist, Central Locking, Trip Computer, Stability Control, Day Time Lights, Tyre Pressure Monitor) Price – £9,995 Learner Driver Insurance – £83 Hyundai mention that this is a car designed to handle on rougher terrain, with a suspension that minimises the impact of bumps. It also has a higher driving position for 'extra authority'.


Kia Rio '1'

Equipment from list – 8/10 (Hill Start Assist, Central Locking, Trip Computer, Automatic Lights / Wipers, D.A.B Radio, Stability Control, Day Time Lights, Tyre Pressure Monitor) Price – £11,095 Learner Driver Insurance – £84 Being the big brother to the Picanto, it means the Rio also has the same environmentally friendly design. The Rio recently featured on our 'top economical cars' list, so you'll get a lot of miles in this car, for less money.


Renault Clio 'Expression'

Equipment from list – 8/10 (Hill Start Assist, Central Locking, Trip Computer, D.A.B Radio, Stability Control, Day Time Lights, Speed Limiter, Tyre Pressure Monitor) Price – £11,915 Learner Driver Insurance – £87 Compared to the Renault Twingo, the Megane is probably the sportier of the two. Either way, it's got many of the same features that make the Twingo both learner and young driver friendly. It also has the added benefit of a DAB radio.


Honda Jazz 'S'

Equipment from list – 7/10 (Hill Start Assist, Central Locking, Automatic Wipers / Lights, D.A.B radio, Day Time Lights, Speed Limiter, Tyre Pressure Monitor) Price – £13,645 Learner Driver Insurance – £98 The Honda Jazz has received praise from product reviewer Reevoo. Reevoo gave it a 9/10 score, getting particularly good marks on practicality. The new models are designed to be taller, lighter, and more spacious.


Ford Fiesta 'Zetec'

Equipment from list – 7/10 (Hill Start Assist, Central Locking, Trip Computer, D.A.B radio, Stability Control, Day Time Lights, Rear Head Restraints) Price – £13,795 Learner Driver Insurance – £91 A popular name in the young and learner car market is the Ford Fiesta. Ford believes that the Fiesta offers a driver that sporty feel for a price that's not outrageous. In addition, it has a good selection of tech on board to make the driver’s life a lot easier.


Peugeot 208 'Active'

Equipment from list – 6/10 (Hill Start Assist, Central Locking, Trip Computer, Stability Control, Speed Limiter, Tyre Pressure Monitor) Price – £14,000 Learner Driver Insurance – £87 Designed for city driving, this small little run-around and its new PureTech engine is said to be designed to improve fuel efficiency. This is whilst also providing a drive and performance similar to that of a much bigger engine.


Mini Hatch

Equipment from list – 7/10 (Hill Start Assist, Central Locking, Trip Computer, D.A.B Radio, Stability Control, Rear Head Restraints, Tyre Pressure Monitor) Price – £14,075 Learner Driver Insurance – £91 The good old British Mini. It's clear care has been put into creating this car. They have improved the quality of the drive, with features like ‘ventilated brakes’ and a ‘brake drying’ system.