Best small city cars

Best for: crazy fuel efficiency

The Toyota Aygo X is simply the best city car on sale at the moment. Not only does it look smart, has a well-built interior and feels like a far larger car from behind the wheel - in a good way - but it’s also one of the most fuel efficient cars you can buy. Just a shame it’s pricey compared to other city cars.

It’s a funky looking thing, the Aygo X, with a very square-jawed and bluff front end topped by angular headlights and - on GR Sport models - a black bonnet, like an old rally car. The rest of the Aygo X is curvier. It’s handsome, and with its big ‘face’, quite bulldog-esque in appearance.

There’s little wrong with the interior design; the oval-shaped dash and funky ‘pods’ for the heater vents are quite fetching, but you’re surrounded by an expanse of dark, scratchy plastics which make the Aygo X’s cabin quite a dour environment to sit in.

At least if you opt for a bright paint job, the un-trimmed sections of door cards lift the ambience a touch. Still the 9.0-inch infotainment display (10.5-inch on upper-trim levels) is crisp enough, the driver display is easy to read and everything feels as though it’s been solidly put together - as you’d expect from Toyota.

It’s a shame the Aygo X isn’t as practical as it is well built, because there really isn’t much in the way of cabin storage or interior space. The front seats are cosied up close to one another and there aren’t many cubbies for odds and ends, but at least tall adults will be able to find a decent driving position with little fuss. The back seats are a joke, however, and the 231-litre boot is tiny.

Still, the Aygo X excels as a city car thanks to its powerful yet insanely fuel efficient engine, which easily exceeds 80mpg when driving sensibly. It’s easy to drive, park and is surprisingly stable on the motorway for such a little mite, while also being a good laugh on a twisty road.

Best for: a tiny hot hatch

The all-electric Raval is the best Cupra on sale at the moment, and it’s one of the best city cars you can buy, too. Not only is it great to look at, spacious inside and superb to drive, but entry-level models are really rather affordable, and the top-trim versions are proper little hot hatchbacks.

Even the basic cars are easy-on-the-eye, that being said. Thanks to its angular features, aggressive headlights, interesting rear light bar and funky creases everywhere, the Raval has a lot more presence than you might expect from such a small hatchback.

It’s just as eye-catching inside, too, where there are just as many funky lines as the exterior, with surfaces made up of various textured plastics in a copper colour. Top-spec VZ Extreme cars feature particularly excellent bucket seats with purple and green accents, plus matching trims replacing the copper fare in lesser models.

It’s well equipped, as even the entry-level model comes with a 10.3-inch driver display and 12.9-inch infotainment screen - though the climate controls are fiddly to use. What’s most impressive about the Raval is just how spacious it is for such a small car, with plenty of room up front, enough room in the back for two six-footers to sit comfortably behind two in the front and an enormous 441-litre boot.

The cheapest version of the Raval comes with a small 32kWh battery for 186 miles of range, while higher-trim levels can be had with a larger 52kWh item which offers up to 275 miles to a charge. The bigger battery takes around 24 minutes to go from 10-80% on a rapid charger.

We’ve only had the chance to test the VZ Extreme - aka the hot hatch of the Raval range - but it’s a deeply impressive car to drive. It’s comfortable enough around town (a bit jiggly over broken roads) but quiet on the motorway and seriously good fun on a twisty road. Small, spacious and sporty - what’s not to like?

Best for: strapping looks

The Renault Clio is one of the best looking small cars on sale at the moment, but it’s far more than just a pretty face. It’s practical, comfortable, fuel efficient and fun to drive. It even earned a high commendation in the Smart Spender category of the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year Awards.

On the outside it wears Renault’s signature front end; a pair of sharp, sporty headlights and a bold grille flanked by arrow-shaped daytime running lights. You can tell that the latest Clio is a heavily updated version of the one just gone because the rest of the body is a bit softer and curvier than the front, but it’s a great looking car nonetheless.

The interior is easy on the eye too, feeling posh to the touch thanks to soft-touch plastics and the sleek climate controls. All models bar the entry-level model get a swish portrait-oriented touchscreen infotainment system which dominates the dashboard, and it’s responsive to the touch too. Avoid the base model display, as it’s slow and annoying to use.

There’s plenty of room up front but tall passengers in the back will feel cramped on anything more than short journeys. The trade off for the cramped legroom is a huge boot for such a small car, coming in at 391 litres in the petrol models. Hybrid cars lose out on some space for the battery pack, sadly.

You can opt for a simple petrol engine with a manual gearbox in the Clio, or a much peppier and highly fuel-efficient hybrid model. The hybrid is a chunk more expensive to buy, but if you do a lot of mileage it could still work out cheaper to own in the long-term.

Around town the Clio is a doddle to drive, especially with the automatic gearbox fitted. Motorways aren’t its forte as it gets unsettled by big bumps and dips at high speed, but it feels fairly sporty on a twisty road and it can even put a smile on your face in between corners.

Best for: electrified retro appeal

There’s a good reason for all of the fanfare surrounding the new Renault 5 E-Tech, because while the Clio is the star hatchback of Renault’s recent history, the new 5 was legendary long before it was even dreamed up.

The new Renault 5 looks amazing, frankly, dripping in retro design touches without looking kitschy or contrived. The sloping tailgate, upright front end and straight window line are all taken straight from the old car, but scaled up and combined with futuristic twists.

Inside the Renault 5 you'll find figure-hugging seats and a stepped dashboard that harks back to the first-generation model of the 1970s. There’s a sleek twin-screen driver display and infotainment touchscreen perched on top too, and it’s easy to read and responsive to the touch. The air vents are cool too, matching the LED patterns in the headlights.

The Clio is much more practical though, because the electric Renault really is very cramped in the back. Front space isn’t great either, but there’s a real lack of legroom and footspace in the rear row for taller passengers. The 326-litre boot is usefully large, but alternatives are still bigger. It’s easy to drive around town thanks to its square corners and good forward visibility, and its small turning circle means parking in tight spaces is a doddle - but you do get shaken around over bumpy roads.

There’s a bit too much wind noise and road noise for a truly relaxed motorway drive. Still, with around 200 miles possible on a full charge, you’re best off using the Renault 5 for shorter journeys anyway. Country lanes are fun to drive as the small Renault’s stiff suspension, grippy tyres and well-judged brakes all give you the confidence to push on at a good speed.

Best for: funky looks

The Fiat Grande Panda is a super stylish little car with plenty of retro design nods to the original, boxy Panda of the 1980s. Don’t think it’s all retro, however, because there are loads of super-futuristic design touches outside, and some clever packaging inside.

In fact, the Grande Panda is one of the best looking small cars on sale at the moment. With its pixelated lights at the front, big ‘Panda’ script embossed down the side doors, intricate wheels and clear taillights, it really is a little head-turner.

The interior is just as interesting, with Fiat eschewing the typical black, drab interior and going wild with a cylindrical dashboard in an oval-shaped surround, two-in-one screens with an acrylic yellow bezel and blue upholstery everywhere. Even the seats have quirky designs in the stitching.

It’s also very spacious inside, with loads of space including a pair of gloveboxes, a shelf for odds and ends, plenty of room for a tall adult in every seat and a large, 361-litre boot. It isn’t very clever back there, but it’s a usefully square shape.

There’s a single battery option for every trim level, a 44kWh item which offers up to 199 miles of range to a charge. In the real world we saw enough efficiency to beat Fiat’s claim by 10 miles. A 100kW charger will top the battery up from 20-80% in 27 minutes.

It’s at home in town with light steering and comfortable suspension, but it’s a bit noisy on the motorway and competent enough on a country lane.

Best for: interior space

Hyundai has been part of the retro-futuristic design wave for a few years now, and the Inster is its smallest - and arguably funkiest - take on the trend yet. It was highly commended in the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year awards too.

Its boxy, quirky looks are part of its appeal. Pixel-themed lights, four-spoke alloy wheels, a tall roofline and butch body cladding manage to make the Inster look tough and cutesy at the same time.

The interior is interesting too, because while the dashboard isn’t as futuristic to look at as the exterior, you still get a digital driver’s display and infotainment touchscreen - as well as physical climate control buttons. The interior plastics feel cheap, sadly, but the build quality feels high.

There are some clever storage solutions and fantastic seats in all but the base model Inster. You can slide the rear bench far back to maximise legroom, or even fold all the seats flat to get an air mattress in the cabin. With the seats slid forwards you get a 351-litre boot, dropping down to 238 litres with them back.

Range varies between 203 miles to 229 miles in the larger battery version with a more powerful motor, though neither model is quick off the line. Still, the Inster is perfectly adept at town driving thanks to its huge windscreen and drive comfort on bumpy roads.

Motorways can seem noisy due to the large amount of wind and road noise present at high speed, but country lanes the Inster is surprisingly composed on a country lane with little body lean for such a tall car with soft suspension.

Best for: a powerful hybrid engine

It wasn’t that long ago that the MG3 was a car you’d only buy because it was cheap. It was anything but cheerful, yet amazingly MG has turned it into one of our favourite small cars on sale.

It’s still affordable, but it looks more expensive than it really is with an up to date exterior design. There are loads of creases and curves on it, and where its predecessor looked dated the current MG3’s big grille and pointy headlights are genuinely interesting to behold.

The interior is handsome, with a modern-looking dashboard that wraps around onto the door cars and a pair of displays; one for the infotainment and one for the driver instruments. You can tell where MG has saved money when poking around though, because there’s a fair amount of scratchy plastic in the cabin.

There’s decent room in the front and two adults will fit in the back in relative comfort, but the boot is only 293 litres - smaller than the alternatives.

It’s the MG3’s hybrid system that really impresses. With 191hp it’s properly quick compared to its alternatives, with easily enough power to dart around town; motorway overtakes are a piece of cake, too.

It’s the MG3’s hybrid system that really impresses. With 191hp it’s properly quick compared to its alternatives, with easily enough power to dart around town; motorway overtakes are a piece of cake, too.

Best for: chic styling

Peugeot has done a cracking job with the e-208, because once you’re behind the wheel it feels as though you’re in a much posher, more expensive car.

It looks the part too, sleek and sporty with a big grille, lion claw-themed running lights, a perky rear end and a retro-inspired window line. It runs the Renault Clio close for ‘most stylish small hatchback’, but you can opt for your e-208 in a rather vibrant shade of yellow, too.

The interior is where the e-208 really stands out, because it’s certainly the most luxurious small city car from behind the wheel. There are soft-touch materials almost everywhere within reach - the squidgy dashboard is a highlight - and the infotainment touchscreen is responsive to your inputs.

It’s just a shame that it’s so cramped inside. Even front-seat occupants feel cosy in the e-208, and you’ll really struggle to fit four tall people inside, let alone five. The 311-litre boot is adequately sized, but there’s no dedicated cable storage.

Around town the e-208 is great to drive, especially in the more powerful 156hp version which is not only quicker but has 268 miles of range compared to the entry-level model’s 217 miles.

The brake pedal can feel a bit spongy and bumpy roads can feel a bit uncomfortable, but motorways are far more comfortable as the e-208 does a better job of ironing out bumps at speed. Country lanes are best taken at a moderate speed, as the e-208 doesn’t feel as sporty as its petrol or hybrid 208 stablemates.

Best for: small car, big space inside

The Honda Super-N isn’t just stylish and good to drive, but it’s a very spacious car with a high-quality cabin. It’s a shame that its range is so limited, though, restricting its long-distance driving appeal.

It’s certainly the boxiest city car on sale, making even the Fiat Grande Panda look like a Ferrari. The Super-N is a pretty sporty-looking box, too, with muscular wheel arches, headlights which look like they’re frowning and optional two-tone paint.

In fact, the two-tone paint and stripes are the only option for the Super-N. It’s well-equipped with heated seats and a heated steering wheel and a Bose sound system in the spacious cabin with funky, asymmetrical-upholstered front seats.

There are loads of dark plastics around you, but everything feels solidly assembled and well-thought out - especially the brilliant rear seats which flip forwards, making it easy to load in a bicycle or flat-screen TV in the back, keeping the boot clear.

You don’t get to choose a battery, with only a single 29.3kWh item powering a small single motor. Honda claims 128 miles of range, of which we managed 122miles when running the Super-N completely flat from a full charge.

Best for: an old-school manual hatchback

The smallest Kia on sale, the Picanto is one of the last old-school city cars you can choose from. It’s a properly tiny, petrol-powered hatchback with a manual gearbox that’s also spacious inside and well-equipped.

It also looks rather funky. The Picanto may sound cute, but it’s a properly aggressive looking little thing with plenty of design cues from Kia’s larger electric models - which are some of the funkiest on sale.

The interior looks a little dated, as the Picanto in its current form has been on sale since 2017, and hasn’t seen many changes inside. All models feature an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen and a digital driver’s display. Material quality isn’t great, but there’s more than enough space inside for four six-footers to sit comfortably in the Picanto’s cabin. The 255-litre boot is too small to be useful, however.

There’s a single engine option for the Picanto, a 1.0-litre petrol item which thrums away like an angry sewing machine under the bonnet and achieves around 45mpg in the real world. It can be had as a manual or automatic, but the two-pedal option is dire as the auto ‘box is totally dim-witted.

The Picanto feels at home in town, where its small size makes it a piece of cake to park and manoeuvre when the going gets tight. It’s not a very pleasant motorway car, however, where the little Kia is pushed around by the wind. You won’t want to throw it around on a country lane, but it’s surprisingly composed around bends.