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.
Thanks to their compact dimensions and small engines (or electric motors) most city cars also offer low running costs, while low insurance group ratings make them ideal first cars for newly qualified drivers. Here's our rundown of what we think are the best city cars on the market today. Our selection includes new and used models, so there's something for every budget.
Best City Cars 2025
- Hyundai Inster (2025-)
- Hyundai i10 (2020-)
- Kia Picanto (2017-)
- MINI Cooper (2024-)
- Renault 5 (2025-)
- Toyota Aygo X (2022-)
- Fiat 500 (2007-2024)
- Skoda Citigo (2012-2021)
- Suzuki Ignis (2017-2025)
- Volkswagen Up (2012-2023)
Hyundai Inster (2025-)
Not so long ago, brand new city cars were a relatively rare entity. However, the push for manufacturers to build as many electric cars as possible has reinvigorated the city car segment, with new models such as the Dacia Spring, Leapmotor T03 and Hyundai Inster hitting the scene. Of that trio, it's only the Inster that earns its place on this list of the best city cars, because in our view the former two have too many flaws.
Not so the Hyundai, which packs some seriously clever packaging into its compact body (including rear seats that slide and recline), has a range of over 200 miles from a full charge, and is peachy to drive. Like the Renault 5, the Inster is proof that small electric cars can be truly brilliant.
Hyundai Inster review
Hyundai i10 (2020-)
Yes, it's another Hyundai, albeit this time with petrol power rather than electric. In some ways, the i10 is like a precocious child taking its A-levels a couple of years early: 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 too, with enough interior space to make you think twice about choosing a larger supermini. 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 nimble handling on a winding country road, and this positive driving experience is combined with a comfortable ride.
If your budget doesn’t stretch to a new car, the previous Hyundai i10 (sold new between 2014 and 2020) has very similar attributes and will cost less to buy.
Hyundai i10 review
Kia Picanto (2017-)
The Kia Picanto is a small hatchback that’s big on value. It’s good to drive, has one of the largest boots of any city car and is also available with lots of big-car features. Even entry-level versions of the latest model have alloy wheels, air-conditioning, cruise control, a reversing camera and a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Higher-spec trim levels have LED headlights, a wireless phone charger and even a heated steering wheel. It’s available with an automatic gearbox, too.
Running costs are rock-bottom, with low insurance group ratings, good fuel economy, and low emissions from the petrol engines. You also get the reassurance of Kia’s longer-than-average seven-year/100,000-mile warranty.
Kia Picanto review
MINI Cooper (2024-)
City cars don’t get much more stylish than the MINI Cooper. The latest model – introduced in 2024 – is a lightly updated version of the MINI introduced in 2014, keeping its retro charm but adding the latest tech and a distinctive interior design with a fabric-covered dashboard and large circular touchscreen.
As ever, the MINI is great fun. It’s nippy, responsive feel is perfect for urban streets and it’s a car that you can really enjoy driving when you get out of the city. Back-seat space and boot space are tight, although you get more of both if you go for the longer five-door version instead of the standard three-door model.
While the MINI Cooper has perky petrol engines there’s also a MINI Cooper Electric. It might not look like it, but it’s actually an entirely different car that gives you a similar sense of fun, along with a battery range of up to 250 miles.
MINI Cooper Review
Renault 5 (2025-)
If you’re looking for a small electric car and you’re worried that you might have to compromise on range, practicality or style the Renault 5 E-Tech (to give it its full name) proves emphatically that you don’t. This is a small electric car that punches way above its weight, in just about every respect.
In fact, the Renault 5 is one of the best new cars we can think of. It’s beautifully designed inside and out, which doesn’t hurt, but it’s also enjoyable good to drive and has good interior space for something so diddy. Battery range is a decent 190 miles with the standard battery and 248 miles with the larger battery option. Prices are comparable with many similar petrol cars and standard equipment is extremely generous, with even the cheapest versions having a reversing camera, Google built-in and LED headlights as standard.
Renault 5 Review
Toyota Aygo X (2022-)
The Toyota Aygo X is efficient, reliable, and available with a longer warranty that you get with most city cars. It arrived on the market in 2022, replacing the long-running Aygo with a more aggressive, SUV-like design, although at its heart the Aygo X remains a low-cost, fuss-free runabout.
You’ll struggle to find a similar car that will give such good mpg or such affordable insurance premiums and although it’s not the quickest or most comfortable small car to drive, the Aygo X has a surprisingly engaging feel on the road. Back to that warranty, though: the Aygo X qualifies for Toyota’s 10-year warranty scheme. It means that each time you get your Toyota serviced at a Toyota dealership you get another year of cover, up to a maximum of 100,000 miles or 10 years from when the car was first registered. In our book, it's the best used car warranty on the market today.
Toyota Aygo X review
Fiat 500 (2007-2024)
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. The huge range of personalisation options when new mean that there’s a 500 that fits your personal style out there, including Abarth models that have a sporty look and feel.
The cabin looks appealing and has aged very well, but space in the rear seats is tight and the boot is tiny. Perhaps more serious is the 500's relatively weak rating from safety organisation 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 soft-top 500C . 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
Skoda Citigo (2012-2021)
The Skoda Citigo is one of three excellent city cars that share most parts other than some exterior design elements – the other two are the Seat Mii and the Volkswagen Up. All three are easy to recommend and the Citigo makes a strong case for itself thanks to its smart looks, low ownership costs and good rankings in lots of reliability and owner satisfaction surveys.
There’s a pure-electric version called Citigo e iV that will go over 160 miles on a full charge according to official figures, which is more than enough for the typical urban driving, and more than electric quadricycle alternatives like the Citroen Ami. The electric model could give you very low running costs if you have a home charger, but the three-cylinder petrol engines also available are extremely cost-effective, 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.
Skoda Citigo review
Suzuki Ignis (2017-2025)
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 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 classy. 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
Volkswagen Up (2012-2023)
Whatever your expectations from a used 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. 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. Is practicality a priority? Well, the VW Up's 251-litre boot is among the largest of any city car, 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.
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
