Best used small cars

When buying a small, affordable used car, the last thing you want is for it to keep going wrong. It’s impossible to guarantee reliability, but a good way to minimise the risk is to buy a car with a lot of paperwork that indicates the previous owner has looked after it.

Some of the cars in this list that have a particularly good reliability record include the Hyundai i10 and Honda Jazz. When it comes to repair costs, bear in mind that premium brand such as MINI can bring with them slightly higher bills.

With generally low prices when new, and the sheer popularity of small cars meaning there are loads on the used market, there are plenty of great value examples to be found. The Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa are two good examples that shouldn’t be too pricey to run or fix.

The Hyundai i10 is arguably the best value in this list, though. It’s not the most spacious, but it’s cheap to buy and run while also looking great from the outside.

There aren’t any second-hand small cars we’d specifically recommend avoiding. However, as with buying any used car, be sure to have a close look for any damage and check the car has been regularly serviced. If the owner is hesitant to answer questions or let you test drive the car it could be worth walking away. Do make yourself familiar with the different trim levels and optional extras these cars came with when they were new, and look for models that come with the gadgets and gizmos that are important to you.

You can buy a second-hand small car from all the usual places, such as franchised dealerships, car supermarkets and private sales.

You can also find a used car with Carwow. You can search by make and model, but if you’re not sure what to buy, our handy filters will point you in the right direction, and put you in touch with one of our trusted dealers.

Small cars are often affordable cars, so do make sure the previous owner didn’t scrimp on insurance. It’s also worth thinking about the fact that some of the cars on this list make excellent choices for new drivers, so do look out for any dings, dents or damaged alloys that might have been acquired as they, like we all had to, get to grips with the realities of day-to-day driving. 

Many of these cars focus on keeping costs low, meaning interiors tend to have cheaper materials that might not stand the test of time too well, so look out for scratched or damaged trim.