A VW Golf itself is actually a great option, but it all depends on what the premiums are like - we'd always recommend getting prospective insurance quotes before settling on anything, particularly if it's for an inexperienced driver. If the Golf proves expensive, it might be worth going for the VW Polo, which isn't much smaller, yet some versions of it are in insurance group 1.

We have a list of the best first cars here: www.honestjohn.co.uk/guides/best-first-car/