Used car expert shares economical hatchback for £1,000 costing just £35 to tax

A motoring personality has taken to YouTube to recommend an used hatchback for anyone looking to lower their tax bills.

While some motoring experts are predicting that the paid on all cars registered since April 2017 may increase in the , owners of older cars can still pay a lower figure, based on the size of their vehicle's engine.

As a result, Georgina Wootten from the YouTube channel , recently in which she recommended that money-saving motorists consider a - a unique trim level of the popular Italian supermini with a few distinctive features.

She explained: "This is a little spin-off called the Eco, and obviously they released the Eco with a cheaper tax. If you look at your Dynamic, Elaganza, and the earlier ones [trim levels], they're all in more expensive tax brackets, hence this car appealing to me so much.

"Also, for some reason, they threw the Eco in with air conditioning, which is perfect for me. Something to notice with the Eco is the slightly different grille, which is painted to the body colour, and it has bigger mirrors - that's how you can tell it's an Eco."

Built from 2003 to 2012, the second-generation Fiat Panda was an economical five-door hatchback that many owners praise for being simple to drive and having good interior build quality.

Owners will be charged higher tax bills for the sporty models, such as the 100hp, but the 1.1 Eco costs just £35 per year and can also average more than 55mpg, making it a great car for younger drivers.

Since older examples are getting long in the tooth, it is possible to buy a second-generation Fiat Panda for well under £1,000. However, a £1,500 budget will get a low-mileage and reasonably well-equipped model.

Georgina highlighted that the Panda is by no means a luxury model, but praised the amount of space passengers get.

She added: "I'm a short-ish individual, but I've got decent legroom in here, no complaints at all. It's a bit tinny, but there's good headroom if you're tall. It is basic back here, you've got roll-down windows, but you also have a tweeter down here, and rear passengers can fight over a cup holder.

"In the front, and I think it is the simplicity [that makes] this car. I'll give it a down point for the standard infotainment in this car, they're exactly the same as when they were released in 2004, and it was the only thing that was letting me down. But, aside that, I love the simplicity of it. Everything you need is here, and there's less to go wrong."

While the YouTuber recommended the model to any used car buyer looking to lower their motoring bills, Georgina urged drivers to check for rust in three key areas.

She advised: "If you do join into any of the Fiat Panda Facebook pages, you'll know that this issue is becoming more prominent. It's more of an issue on the more powerful 100hp models, but [look out for] rust. I know you're saying 'well, it's a Fiat and they all rust', and yes, the old ones do.

"That said, I've owned four Panda 169s and none of them have had rust, so it's just about looking for the right example. It's just about having a look in the right places. The main areas to look out for with rust is the sills, rear axles, and the rear cross subframe on the 4x4s."