Best first cars under $10k

When it is your first car, the smart move is to optimise for the total cost of owning it, not the sticker price. A cheap car that is expensive to insure and repair is not cheap.

Start with insurance. Before you fall for anything, get a couple of quotes on the exact model and year. Insurance groups vary wildly, and for a young driver they can dwarf the price of the car itself.

Then weigh reliability. Mainstream models with big production numbers are easier and cheaper to keep on the road because parts are everywhere and any mechanic has seen them a hundred times. That is the boring-is-good rule.

Safety is worth a look too. A few extra crash-test stars and standard stability control matter more on a first car than a fancy screen. The safety ratings in the recall and safety check will show you where a model lands.

Finally, check the individual car, not just the model. Run it through the tool for open recalls and a fair-price read, and if the asking price is well above the typical range, ask why before you fall in love with it.