For a driving instructor, the car is your office. With the vast majority of your working hours being spent there, it is important to ensure that you choose a workplace in which you will feel comfortable and content.
However, cars are also perhaps the largest interchangeable factor which determines your overall yearly wage. Cars which are cheap to buy, insure, repair, service and economical on fuel will naturally mean lower business expenditures than less thrifty alternatives and therefore result in you having higher take home amounts at the end of each month.
Collectively, these factors will determine the amount of money your business is spending over each and every mile completed. It is therefore important to make sure that you do your research before committing to a purchase in order to ensure that you make the best decision for you and your business.
Taking into account the above noted considerations, we have put together a list of what we consider to be four of the best cars for new driving instructors to take into consideration to help guide you on your quest…
Vauxhall Corsa
The long serving Vauxhall Corsa is as popular as ever in the UK, with figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealing that it was by far the best selling model of vehicle sold in the country in 2021.
This is likely to be a major marketing plus for your business prospects, with many potential new pupils likely to be keen to earn their stripes in a car which is representative of the vehicle that they will ultimately buy themselves once passed.
Not only is the Corsa relevant, but it is also one of the most affordable cars for driving instructors to purchase. Research released by car finance firm Moneybarn revealed that it is one of the cheapest cars for instructors when it comes to monthly repayments.
The Corsa also offers low running costs, with the 1.2 petrol variant offering a very solid average MPG of 54.3, and the most expensive new electric version of the model having an alleged range of 209 miles. Servicing and car insurance is also on the lower end of the spectrum, with the wide availability of the well designed Vauxhall models ensuring lower repair costs.
Ford Fiesta
The popularity of the Ford Fiesta took a bit of a hit last year. Having been a mainstay near the top of the list of new cars purchased for what seems an eternity, it dropped out of the top 10 altogether in 2021!
This is likely to have been influenced by the higher purchase costs associated with the Ford model, but in return you do get what could arguably be considered to be a far more refined driving experience.
Services and repairs are roughly in line with that of the Vauxhall equivalent, but the Fiesta does tend to be slightly cheaper to insure on account of Corsa drivers being statistically more likely to make a claim.
Renault Clio
The Renault Clio remains one of the most attractive superminis on the market with exceptional aesthetics. Sadly this only really applies to the exterior, with the cabin feeling slightly less sturdy than that offered by the Corsa and much less impressive than the Fiesta.
It sits somewhere between these two options when it comes to monthly repayments according to Moneybarn, but it does come in as both cheaper to insure and fuel with the exceptional diesel engine option offering an impressive average MPG of over 70!
Reliability has not traditionally been one of Renault’s strong points, but this is something which has been improved upon in recent years. Any issues that do crop up also tend to be minor; all of which makes the Clio a strong contender for any new driving instructor.
Hyundai i20
Hyundai is no longer the poor man’s alternative. The performance and aesthetics are leaps and bounds ahead of what they once were and the models also come with an exceptional 7 year warranty to boot.
The Korean manufacturer also has a propensity for producing alternatives to the most popular models that are cheaper to purchase. This combined with the roughly equivalent insurance and fuel costs makes the i20 well worth taking into consideration for any new instructors.
Toyota Yaris
The new model of the Toyota Yaris is a real beauty, with striking visuals which are sure to catch the eye of prospective customers. This improvement in aesthetics has been achieved without denting Toyota’s legendary reliability ratings which ensure that the Yaris may well turn out to be the cheaper option over the longer term. It’s also not that much more expensive to repair or service than the before mentioned options.
However, the Yaris does stand head and shoulders above the alternatives when it comes to fuel costs, with the Hybrid petrol engines offering an average MPG of approximately 66.
All things considered, the new Toyota Yaris should be one of the first cars considered by any new driving instructors looking to get their new venture underway.
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