Hi,

I am pondering which first car to buy. I learnt in a Fiesta so it will be a fall back, but reviews suggest the Yaris and Panda are good (and better alternatives), and then I learn that the Corolla hatchback (02-06) is better and more reliable than the Yaris. Insurance matters too but I was told that Corolla is reliable so even though bigger than the others, insurance would not be high.

I wonder what your experiences suggest?

Panda has great reviews as a City short journey car, but is small. But Corolla seems big - is it easy to drive or big and hard to navigate through cities like inner London?

Any thoughts appreciated.

I forgot to add - max budget would be around £1500 - 1700

Regardless of insurance costs, for a first car I would suggest something small would be better; you can always swap out for something bigger in a year or two. The Panda's shape makes it particularly easy to park and manoever, while still having a lot of usuable space - so that would be my choice. Alternatively, something like a Hyundai i10 or Kia Picanto perhaps...