Best cars under £10k 2024

Updated: 9 April 2024

Even if you’re on a relatively low budget, there’s a great range of used cars available to suit a wide variety of needs. For £10,000 or less you have a choice of pretty much any type of car you could want, from a small city car to a family-friendly SUV, or just about anything in between. Here are our top 10 cars under £10k for 2024.

If you want a small hatchback, you can’t really go wrong with a Ford Fiesta. That’s because it does everything that a car of this type needs to do, and it does it very well. It’s stylish, comfortable and easy to park. It’s also well equipped, costs little to run and is available with a wide range of engines and trim levels.

You get less interior space with the Fiesta than in some rivals, but there’s enough for four adults and the boot will hold a week’s worth of food shopping. What really sets the Fiesta apart though is how good it feels to drive. It’s just so much fun –  responsive and reassuring in a way that few cars of this type can match.

Small, cost-effective cars don't have to be boring, as the Toyota Aygo proves. Its edgy looks stand out from the crowd, especially if you choose one of the many bold colour combinations available.

It's similarly stylish inside, with a minimalist design that makes it very easy to use. It's more practical than you might expect with space for four adults and a boot large enough for a few bags of shopping.

You won’t find many cars that cost less to run than an Aygo. It’s very fuel-efficient and inexpensive to insure, even if you’re a first-time driver. Most Aygos are well equipped with features including smartphone connectivity and a reversing camera. Maintenance costs are likely to be low too because Toyota's reputation for reliability is excellent.

With its chic styling and cheeky character, the Fiat 500 is one of the most fun cars you can get for less than £10,000. But there’s more to it than that, because it’s a really good city car. It’s nippy and easy to park – and with its high front seats, you’ll find that getting in and out repeatedly is easier than with some rivals.

All the engines use relatively little fuel and the more powerful options are easily up to the task of motorway driving. High-spec models have useful features like smartphone connectivity and some, like the Riva special edition, even feel rather luxurious. 

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If you’re looking for a used electric car for £10,000 your options are fairly limited and one model that is likely to dominate any list of search results is the first-generation Nissan Leaf (sold new between 2011 and 2018). The good news is that it’s an excellent choice.

For starters there are lots of examples to choose from, but the Leaf is also practical, with enough interior and boot space to accommodate a family of four and their luggage. The battery range – officially between 109 and 155 miles when new – isn’t up to the standards of newer electric cars but you should have enough for a week’s worth of school runs and a couple of shopping trips. You also get a smooth, comfortable drive, while the Leaf has a good reputation for reliability.

It might be tiny, but the Hyundai i10 has the feel of a bigger car. That’s because it has a high-quality interior and it feels solid when driving at motorway speeds. It could be ideal if you want a small car to drive around town during the week that can handle long trips at the weekend.

There’s more space than you might expect – the interior has room for four adults and the boot will easily hold a few days’ worth of holiday luggage. Running costs are very low and most models have lots of equipment – heated seats for those cold winter mornings, anyone?   

The Vauxhall Astra is a car that slots effortlessly into your life. It’s compact yet has room for four long-legged passengers and a big boot (especially in the estate version), so it’s an ideal family car. It’s also enjoyable to drive, whatever type of road your journey takes you down.

You can choose from a huge range of engines and well-equipped trim levels, so there should be a model that suits your needs. And it’s very fuel-efficient, with some diesel models capable of giving you more than 80mpg, according to official average figures. Whatever you need from a car, chances are that the Astra has it covered.

If you want a small car that's fun to drive and feels like a real premium product, look no further than the Mini Hatch. It looks like no other car on sale and there are so many different colour combinations that barely any two are alike.

The interior is just as distinctive and although it's compact there's space for four adults and a couple of bags of luggage, with a bit more of both (and easier access) with the five-door model (pictured).

What makes the Mini really special is the way it drives. It's more fun than a small hatchback has any right to be, with lively performance and great handling. All versions are well equipped, and you can find used Minis with all kinds of high-tech and luxury features that give it a big-car feel despite its diminutive size.

There are lots of used mid-size hatchbacks to choose from, but if you have a sub-£10,000 budget the Peugeot 308 really stands out. Not just for its smart exterior design and the value it represents, but also its blend of all-round abilities.

The interior is arguably even more stylish than the exterior, with a minimalist design and high-grade materials. Most versions are very well equipped and the 308 gives you a comfortable ride. You might not be too bothered by what’s under the bonnet but you’ll likely be pleased to hear that the 308 is available with a range of engines that are particularly quiet and fuel-efficient.

You’ve probably noticed that there are a lot of compact SUVs on the roads these days – they’re understandably popular thanks to their blend of tough looks, high driving position, large boot space, cost-effectiveness and easy-to-park size.

One of the cars that helped make them so popular is the first-generation Renault Captur (sold new between 2013 and 2019). It gives you all of those desirable traits, wrapped up in a car that looks great and is very affordable to buy and run. A sliding back seat makes it especially versatile because you can prioritise boot space or back-seat legroom depending on your needs. It was sold with a huge choice of exterior colour combinations, too, so you should be able to find one that’s a match for your personal style.

If you like the tough looks and higher driving position of an SUV but want similar ownership costs to a hatchback, check out the popular Nissan Qashqai. Our £10k budget will get you the version sold new between 2014 and 2021. It’s a convenient size – about the same length as a Ford Focus – but you get the higher stance of an SUV and a more practical interior.

The high seats make getting in and out easier, especially if you need to lift kids into child seats. There’s room for adults in the back of the Qashqai and space in the boot for a family’s holiday luggage. It drives well and it’s excellent value, so it’s easy to see why the Qashqai is so popular.

You’ll find lots of used cars for sale at Cazoo, all available to buy through our trusted dealers.

Cazoo makes selling a car just as easy – just enter a few details for an instant online valuation. If you accept the offer our partners will get in touch to arrange payment and collection of your car at a time that suits you.