If you're learning to drive or have now qualified as a young driver, there are a great number of cheap cars for you to own and get insured on. If you are looking to purchase your first car, you can check out our list of 'Top 10 Cheap to Insure Cars'. Today we're going to compare two power houses in the young driver market, the Citroen C3 VT Puretech 1.0 and the Vauxhall Viva SE 1.0. Both are 5 doors, with matching power & engine sizes. Body designs are pretty similar and both are manual, petrol cars. There are some key features however that do make a difference.

Learner Driver Insurance

Both are cheap to insure. If you are still a learner driver, your tuition in the Vauxhall may cost you less. For a car owner, a month's worth of provisional licence insurance is about £91 for the Citroen, with the Vauxhall you may be looking at about £87 a month. Either way, you only need to practice in the car for five hours a month for the insurance to work out cheaper than having a lesson! Get your own learner driver insurance quote - Click here

Young Driver Suitability

First and foremost, when looking at price it's clear to see the Vauxhall's advantage, however the C3 is not the basic model for Citroen. When considering price it's also important to consider the car's fuel efficiency. For urban driving, the Citroen does seem to have a leg up over the Vauxhall, with 4 fewer miles per gallon. This could start start to add up in terms of fuel prices, particularly as the Vauxhall has slightly more power available to burn fuel. Just be sure not to overload your Citroen, which has a larger boot capacity, as overloading the Citroen would reduce it's fuel efficiency. When it comes to second hand - the Citroen appears to be hard to find. You would be looking at between £3000 - £6000 and would get you a Citreon C3 but not necessarily the same model as we have compared here. Be sure that you check any car thoroughly before purchase to ensure you don't get buyer's remorse! The Vauxhall Viva is new enough that even second hand it will cost a pretty penny. We found Viva's starting from £6000, so you won't actually save that much by buying an older model.

 

What's On Offer?

Standard

• Technology - When it comes to the tech between the two, your initial £11,000 for the Citroen does afford you some pretty cool high tech equipment. To get a more advanced Vauxhall you'll need to splash out a bit on it's optional tech extras, such as it's Intelli-link touchscreen infotainment system.
• Safety - Automation is a key selling point for the Citroen's safety features, taking away dangers the driver may not see coming. That being said, if you are a safe driver the added stability controls and basic safety features in Vauxhall should be enough for you.
• Style - Both are 5 doors, both come with interior cloth material, it just depends whether you like blue or black trim. The body composition on both is so similar they could be twins!

Optional

• Technology - The Citroen has optional parking sensors to make your overall driving experience easier and again your comfort can be improved in the Vauxhall with optional air-con and the infotainment system.
• Safety - The Citroen and Vauxhall don't offer much extra for safety, but if you intend to do a lot of motorway driving, the option for Vauxhaull's lane departure system may be worth having.
• Style - A nice few sleek design features are optional on the Citroen (Metallic paint, Aluminum handbrake trim), but if you like the thought of extra sunlight in the car, the electrical sun roof in the Vauxhall might be a worthwhile investment.

Reviews

Vauxhall Viva Auto Express - Very well priced, smart exterior, strong kit list. WhatCar? - The interior feels solid, the engine is smooth and you get a good level of safety kit as standard. AutoCar - The enduring affection of the Great British public for Vauxhall, which remains our second-largest domestic power. Citreon C3 Auto Express - Efficient engine range, comfortable and refined, spacious inside. WhatCar? - The Citroën C3 has the style that supermini buyers want and the quality they've come to expect AutoCar - Citroën has plenty of takes on the small car theme, but the Citroën C3 is what you’d consider its regular super mini.