Sweet sixteen? Here’s what you can drive

Being envious of your 17-year-old friends who are blessed with birthdays early in the year could be a thing of the past… if you’re willing to part with £10,000 for an unconventional alternative.

Renault Twizy

If you’re really keen to get behind the wheel before you’ve taken your full driving test, a quadricycle could be the one for you.

Quadricycles are lightweight, car-like vehicles that fall into the same category as a moped. They weigh less than 350kg and as a result of this you do not need a full licence to be able to drive them – only a Compulsory Basic Training certificate from an accredited training centre.

If you're still learning in the meantime, follow our top tips to pass your driving test.

Aixam Coupe

Image via Wikimedia Commons, CC 2.0

The Aixam made its debut at the 2012 Paris Motorshow following research, which found disappointment with public transport to be on the increase and moped ownership among 16 year olds to be on the decrease. This Coupe was created to solve these issues, but with estimated insurance costs of £2,200 per year you’d probably be happier to brave the crowded train.

Renault Twizy 45

Popular French brand Renault tried their hand at a light-quadricycle. It was intially put on the market for €6,990 which doesn’t include the monthly battery charge of €50 and your insurance.

The Twizy 45 is unfortunately not available in the UK, but there is a range of 13kw Twizys available.

Ligier

Image via Flickr, CC 2.0

Unlike the quirky Renault Twizy, the Ligier IXO has the body of a city car – similar to that of a smart fortwo. Unfortunately, the Ligier did not perform too well during the Euro NCAP safety test, shattering to pieces during a 50km/h head on collision.

Whilst the Aixam Coupe/Crossover looks super cool and you can bet none of your friends will have a Renault Twizy 45 or a Liger, quadricycles aren’t without their drawbacks. For a start, there’s the price tag. Can you really afford around £10,000 for a vehicle you may only drive for a year? That’s more expensive than the popular Ford Fiesta! In addition, they only reach a top speed of 28mph so your dreams of anything more than a trundling pace might be dashed.

As you wait for the bus in the pouring rain this may sound like a tempting idea however we would suggest continuing to pester your friends and family for a lift rather than splashing out.

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