As the name implies, city cars are at their best in an urban environment. Compact dimensions make them easy to slot through busy streets, or squeeze into the smallest of parking spaces. But the best city cars are more than capable of longer trips as well as just city driving. The best city cars are cheap to buy and have low running costs, making them ideal first cars for newly qualified drivers. But so long as you can live with modest interior space and boot space, they can work well for a variety of drivers and uses. Here's our rundown of what we think are the best cars for urban environments on the market today. You can browse one-by-one below, or you can search for great deals on all our chosen city cars, all at once, right here.
Best City Cars 2024
- Citroen C1 (2014-2022)
- Fiat 500 (2007-present)
- Hyundai i10 (2020-)
- Kia Picanto (2017-)
- Peugeot 108 (2014-2021)
- Seat Mii (2012-2021)
- Skoda Citigo (2012-2021)
- Suzuki Ignis (2017-)
- Toyota Aygo (2014-2021)
- Volkswagen Up (2012-2023)
Citroen C1 (2014-2022)
For many years, Citroen and Peugeot have collaborated with Toyota to design their city cars, with the Citroen C1 being the second-generation hatchback designed under this partnership. To an extent, you get the best of both worlds; quirky French design with Japanese reliability.
In such a small, light car, there's no need for a diesel to achieve excellent fuel economy. Instead, buyers have a choice of petrol engines, with the more powerful 1.2 being our favourite for its extra zip with a minimal mpg penalty. Whichever version you go for, the C1 is easy to drive, with light steering and a tiny turning circle. The ride is a bit unsettled, though, and the C1 is noisier at speed than the likes of the Hyundai i10.
Even for a city car, boot space is quite small; there's more room for bags in the Skoda Citigo or Volkswagen Up, for example. Where the C1 scores over most rivals, though, is in offering sunworshippers a version with a retractable fabric roof, called the Airspace. It's not quite a proper convertible as the roof doesn't retract fully, but it's a rarity in the city car class.
Citroen C1 review
Search for a Citroen C1 on CarGurus
Fiat 500 (2007-present)
You can pick holes in the Fiat 500 (and we're about to waggle our fingers through a few) but to many, the car's age and shortcomings don't matter a jot. When a car looks this good, it can get away with a lot. The near-perfect proportions and retro charm make you fall in love with the 500, long before you get behind the steering wheel. If the looks of most modern hatchbacks leave you cold, then the 500 should warm you up a bit. It looks so much better than the Ford Ka, which is closely related to the 500 under the skin. The Abarth versions get an additional sporty makeover, too.
Style has been put ahead of practicality, however. The cabin looks appealing but it's short on space, and the boot is tiny. Perhaps more serious is the 500's relatively weak safety rating from the experts at Euro NCAP, with a score of just three stars out of five when tested in 2017. Even with these limitations, we can see why many drivers are still tempted by the 500 hatchback and the 500 Cabrio. A car doesn't need to be perfect to make its owner happy. And as the 500 has been around for so many years, high-mileage early examples are absolute bargains.
Fiat 500 review
Search for a Fiat 500 on CarGurus
Hyundai i10 (2020-)
Like a precocious child taking its A-levels a couple of years early, the Hyundai i10 is almost too grown-up for its own good. While some city cars have raucous engines and grating road noise, the i10 is refreshingly serene on the motorway.
It's roomier than most rivals as well as quieter, with enough passenger space to make you think twice about choosing a larger supermini (although the considerably bigger Dacia Sandero will cost you roughly the same amount). The i10 is only available as a five-door hatchback, another sign of the Hyundai's mature and sensible character.
That's not to say that it's boring, though. There's a fun side to the i10, with neat and nimble handling on a winding country road. But this excellent driving experience doesn't come at the expense of providing a composed and comfortable ride.
The latest generation i10 is one of the very best city cars you can buy, but it only arrived in showrooms in 2020. If the budget doesn't stretch to a new or nearly new car, the previous generation of i10 is a very good small car in its own right.
Hyundai i10 review
Search for a Hyundai i10 on CarGurus
Kia Picanto (2017-)
Your motoring budget goes a long way with the Kia Picanto. Whether you plan to buy new or used, this little Korean hatchback is good value. So long as you avoid entry-level 1 spec, the Picanto is well equipped as standard. Go for 2 spec and above for alloy wheels, all-round electric windows, air-conditioning, and electrically adjustable door mirrors. All but the base spec come with an autonomous emergency braking system, too. Stretch to 3 spec and you get more goodies, including cruise control, climate control rather than simple air-conditioning and a touchscreen infotainment system that has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
It's an easy car to drive, with light controls and smart handling. It's not the smoothest-riding city car, though; a Hyundai i10 is more poised and comfortable. Inside, space is pretty good for such a small car, and boot space is well above average for a city car. Running costs are rock-bottom, with low insurance group ratings, good fuel economy, and low emissions from the petrol engines.
Kia Picanto review
Search for a Kia Picanto on CarGurus
Peugeot 108 (2014-2021)
The second-generation Peugeot 108 still looks fresh and modern, even though production ceased in 2021. That means early, high-mileage examples are now very cheap to buy. Under the skin, the 108 has much in common with the Citroen C1 and the Toyota Aygo, so many of the same comments that apply to those cars are just as true of the Peugeot.
The 108 is easy to drive, and its tiny size and small turning circle make it a very easy car to park. In fact, it has a lot going for it if you are looking for a first car. Just don't expect it to behave like a bigger, more refined car on motorways and A-roads in the way a Hyundai i10 does. It's at its best nipping around town, where the wind- and road noise that can be irritating at 70mph don't bother you.
Inside, the 108 has enough space for drivers of all shapes and sizes. However, it's cramped in the back and the boot is smaller than you'd find in a Volkswagen Up. Like the Citroen C1, there's a version of the 108 with a retractable roof called the 'TOP!', which is appealing when the sun shines.
Peugeot 108 review
Search for a Peugeot 108 on CarGurus
Seat Mii (2012-2021)
If the Seat Mii looks familiar, that's because it's a close relative of the Skoda Citigo and Volkswagen Up. In fact, the Mii Electric was one of the most affordable electric cars on sale, and remained in new showrooms after the petrol model was discontinued.
The switch from petrol to electric power is quite recent, though. If you are thinking of buying a used Seat Mii, the chances are you are looking at a petrol. The three-cylinder, 1.0-litre engines aren't hugely powerful, but in a car as small as the Mii, performance is still nippy, especially if you choose the more powerful 74bhp engine.
As you'd hope from a city car, the Mii is easy to drive. But what you might not expect is how practical the Seat is, with room for adults to travel in the rear seats and decent boot space. The most obvious compromise is that there are only belts for two passengers in the back, not three. The same applies whether you choose a three-door or a five-door Mii.
Seat Mii review
Search for a Seat Mii on CarGurus
Skoda Citigo (2012-2021)
You can't buy a new Skoda Citigo any more, but that's more to do with the difficulty in making a profit on such small cars than any failings with the car itself. The Citigo is one of the best city cars you can buy. It's reliable for a start, sitting close to the top of lots of reliability and owner satisfaction surveys. It's also extremely cheap to run, with insurance groups starting from 2 of 50. This makes it an ideal first car for young drivers, who will face sky-high premiums if they don't choose their wheels with care.
Fuel bills will be low, too. In fact, they'll be tiny if the budget stretches to the electric Citigo e iV. It will go over 160 miles on a full charge according to official test results; that's more than enough for the kind of urban driving that's the Citigo's forte, and a sight more than electric quadricycle alternatives like the Citroen Ami.
The electric Citigo is very nippy around town, although it starts to run out of puff at higher speeds. Petrol models aren't exactly quick, but they make up for that with a willingness to rev and an appealing engine note.
Skoda Citigo review
Search for a Skoda Citigo on CarGurus
Suzuki Ignis (2017-)
A city car and four-wheel drive sounds like a rather unlikely combination, but that's what the Suzuki Ignis offers. And while it's not for everyone, the quirky Ignis has a lot going for it. Running costs are very low, helped by a mild-hybrid powertrain that returns up to 58mpg. It looks different to just about anything else on the road, too. Its funky shrunken SUV styling gives it the character of a terrier squaring up to a much bigger dog, without realising that it's half the size.
The small dog impression continues on the road, with a willing, playful character, but persistent yapping from the engine that can become wearing on a long drive. Inside, there's room for four (at a pinch) rather than five, and the plastics aren't all that well finished. However, boot space is respectable for a city car, with 260 litres for the front-wheel-drive car and 204 litres for the 4x4. The Ignis is something of a left-field choice, then, but it's very appealing.
Suzuki Ignis review
Search for a Suzuki Ignis on CarGurus
Toyota Aygo (2014-2021)
The Toyota Aygo is efficient, reliable, and it was sold with a five-year warranty when it was new. It's not as much fun as some city cars, but we wouldn't let that put you off if you're looking for an affordable, dependable small car.
Buyers have the choice of a manual or an automated manual gearbox, both matched to the same 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine. It's fuel-efficient, returning mpg in the mid 50s, but performance is rather steady. There's a lot more noise at motorway speeds than you'd hear in the cabin of the latest Hyundai i10.
To begin with, three- and five-door versions of the Aygo were offered, but Toyota later slimmed the range down to just the five-door. The Aygo has a modest three-out-of-five score from Euro NCAP, but the Toyota earned a fourth star if fitted with the Toyota Safety Sense pack, which adds autonomous emergency braking to the car's roster of safety kit. If you want something a bit newer, and prefer a more 4x4-esque look, you could always consider the Aygo’s successor, the Toyota Aygo X crossover.
Toyota Aygo review
Search for a Toyota Aygo on CarGurus
Volkswagen Up (2012-2023)
Whatever your expectations from a city car, the Up should be very close to the top of your shopping list. You want a fun car? Fine, take a look at the Volkswagen Up GTI. This feisty little hot hatch is guaranteed to improve your mood every time you drive it. We'd pick one over the Renault Twingo GT every time.
You're looking for the ideal first car? Well, insurance starts from group two of 50, so premiums should be affordable even for inexperienced young drivers. What's more, the Up is extremely easy to drive.
Is practicality a priority? Well, the VW Up's 251-litre boot is one of the largest of any city car, the high-quality cabin is as roomy as it gets in this class, and the Up is available with five doors as well as three. Want an electric city car? Then you'll want to cast your eyes in the direction of the e-Up, with its 160-mile range. And, like its electric siblings, it’s one of the most affordable cars that you can hook up to a charger.
There is one downside of note: safety is not the Up's strong point, with a three-star rating when the car was tested by Euro NCAP in 2019. However, as an all-rounder, the Up is still hard to beat.
Volkswagen Up review
Search for a Volkswagen Up on CarGurus