Best small cars to buy 2025 - our favourite little low-cost runabouts

The best small cars on sale today aren’t just easy to drive, they’re brimming with more safety kit and in-car tech than ever before. Not only do a lot of small cars provide a feeling of refinement previously reserved for ‘big cars’, they’re generally affordable to buy and run day-to-day plus cheap to insure.

While city car favourites such as the Fiat 500e and Kia Picanto might spring to mind when someone mentions the term ‘small cars’, the level of choice is actually much broader. Step up into the supermini or small SUV class and you’ll find the sort of in-cabin practicality and versatility once offered in older generations of family cars such as the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus, but all wrapped up in a compact package.

We’ve thoroughly tested every small car on sale in the UK, and have rounded up the top 10 models to buy right now according to our road testers. There are a range of body shapes to be found in our list, along with our expert small car buying advice. So whatever your needs, there should be a small car to suit you below.

Compare the best small cars

Take a look at this table to find our expert road testers' ratings for the best small cars on salke, along with each model's starting price and max WLTP combined MPG or range figure. Scroll down or click the links to find out more about every car...

1. Citroen e-C3

• Prices from £22,095
• Best small car overall 

The Citroen e-C3 is a good example of a small car which is able to offer all the essentials you need at a very affordable price.

A 199-mile range, and a little less in real-world driving, won’t write any headlines, but for a shade over £22,000 it’s not bad at all, undercutting a similar-range Renault 5 by around a grand and the basic Hyundai Inster by about £1,500. 

Likewise performance is exactly where it needs to be for an urban runaround and no more, the e-C3 passing 62mph in 11 seconds and easily handling motorways with an 84mph top speed. And if you really can’t live with 199 miles, then there’s always the conventional 1.2-litre petrol Citroen C3 starting at a shade over £18,000.

Handling too is well-judged – not as nimble as some of the hot hatches in Citroen’s back-catalogue, but capable enough, and paired with a relaxed ride. That happens to go quite nicely with the e-C3’s cabin, which is comfortable, spacious, and well-packaged, with a distinctive design and a basic but perfectly usable infotainment system. We were so impressed by the e-C3 that we named it Car of the Year at our 2024 New Car Awards.

“Citroen has produced a supermini with class-leading comfort and plenty of space, all while creating a car that doesn’t feel like it’s unduly compromised by its low price point. The e-C3 really is a benchmark for the rest to aim for.” – Alex Ingram, chief reviewer, who tested the e-C3 in the UK.

Just as the petrol-powered C3 competes with entry-level superminis like the Dacia Sandero and Hyundai i10, the e-C3 mixes it with some of the cheaper EVs on sale: it’s priced similarly to the entry-level Renault 5, the Hyundai Inster, and is a little more expensive than more basic models like the Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03

Latest Citroen e-C3 deals

2. Renault 5

• Price from £22,995
• Best for retro style

After plenty of anticipation, the fully-electric Renault 5 has arrived, and the good news is that this is a capable little car that’s worthy of its famous name.

Along with its distinctive retro design, the 5 claims between 193 to 249 miles of battery range on the WLTP combined cycle which is a respectable showing for the small car class. Lower-range models get a 118bhp electric motor and start at an impressive £23,000 in Techno trim, while opting for the larger-battery car also gets you a 148bhp motor, and a still-competitive £27k starting point. You should get 200-plus miles from the latter (though efficiency does drop sharply in motorway driving), while the new Five drives just as maturely as its combustion Clio sibling. If anything, it’s a touch more fun, with an agile feel and a firm but still well-damped ride. The firm brake pedal is also much more confidence-inspiring than in most EVs. If you want more performance (albeit less range), then the sporty Alpine A290 could be the ideal solution.

Inside there are a few low-rent materials to be found here and there, but even the base model comes with a decent helping of kit and the design is simple but attractive – there are little nods to the classic Renault 5 from the 1970s, but also a bang up-to-date Google-based infotainment system and fantastic figure-hugging front seats. Space is a little tight in the back but the 326-litre boot is pretty big for a car that’s under four metres long.

“While the Renault 5 plays heavily on nostalgia, there’s so much joy in this little package that it’s impossible not to be impressed. It feels like a more compelling posh supermini than a MINI Cooper or Peugeot E-208.” – Alex Ingram, chief reviewer, who tested the 5 E-Tech in the UK.

One car you’ll probably consider based on style alone when looking at the Renault 5 is the MINI Cooper Electric. At nearly £27k it’s quite expensive, the lowest MINIs priced similarly to the top Renaults, but striking styling and up to 250 miles of range place it in the same class. The Fiat 500e is another style-conscious electric small car to take a look at

Latest Renault 5 deals

3. Renault Clio

• Prices from £18,995
• Best for big car feel

The Renault Clio had an unbroken run between 2020 and 2022 as our Supermini of the Year and there’s a very good reason for this. With a fantastic blend of style, practicality and refinement, the Clio is a hard car to beat, and a mid-life facelift back in 2023 has kept the striking five-door hatchback close to the top of the class.

The Clio range encompasses petrol and hybrid versions (there’s no diesel these days, and full electric power is handled by the Renault 5 E-Tech above), and all drivetrains have a polished feel which matches the similarly grown-up ride and handling – the Clio’s the archetype of the small car that drives like a bigger one (without actually feeling large and unwieldy). 

The hybrid’s fuel economy stretches into the mid-60mpg range and it’s frugal in the real world too, while the 89bhp petrol is one of increasingly few cars that offer a manual gearbox, if you still prefer changing your own gears.

You’ll find the Clio’s roomy interior offers plenty of family-friendly flexibility with its comparatively huge 391-litre boot, even eclipsing those of many models from the class above. The interior is attractive too and while you get a portrait infotainment display, it avoids being too complex or tech-heavy. If you’ve not driven a Renault in a while you may also be surprised by the quality, and by the generous levels of equipment that come as standard.

“A high-quality and well-equipped item despite its competitive pricing, the Clio feels as refined as much larger hatchbacks and handles well, too.” – Ellis Hyde, news reporter, who tested the Clio in the UK.

The Clio’s list of alternatives is broad, but not as extensive as it used to be. A few are also on this list: the MG3 (primarily in hybrid form rather than as a cheaper petrol model), the upper reaches of the Dacia Sandero range, the Skoda Fabia, and the Toyota Yaris. Also consider the Volkswagen Polo, Peugeot 208, Vauxhall Corsa, Honda Jazz, Mazda 2 Hybrid, and Suzuki Swift

Latest Renault Clio deals

4. MG3

• Prices from £16,995

The MG3 has quickly become one of our favourite superminis, largely on account of its strong performance and excellent value.

A fiver under £19,000 gets the hybrid version of the MG3, as the car was launched, which makes a punchy 192bhp from its 1.5-litre engine and electric motor combination, and outsprints most rivals you’d care to mention, with economy of over 64mpg. This is offset a little by high insurance groups of 23-24, though this perhaps isn’t surprising given the power output.

On the road the MG3 is sometimes a little sudden in juggling petrol and electric power but most of the time, given it drives primarily on the electric motor, you just get smooth and more than sufficient performance. Likewise, Lotus won’t be taking notes on the MG3’s chassis, but it’s grippy and even quite fun if you’re in the mood, while the ride quality handles craggy roads pretty well, too.

Whether the MG3’s fun-to-drive nature will continue with the recently-introduced standard petrol model is a different matter, but given this starts even cheaper, under £17,000, all it really needs to be is a competitive Dacia Sandero rival. And it still gets the MG3’s smartly-styled cabin and reasonable practicality.

“The hybrid system delivers a level of performance that blows its rivals away, yet despite this, it’s relaxing to drive and almost as frugal as those much slower alternatives.” – Alex Ingram, chief reviewer, who tested the MG3 in the UK.

In hybrid form the MG competes against, but undercuts on price, cars like the Renault Clio E-Tech, Toyota Yaris (and the similar Mazda 2 Hybrid), and frankly most others. The recently-launched petrol MG3 though is even cheaper so you’re looking at cars like the petrol Citroen C3 and the Dacia Sandero as options, or smaller city cars like the Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto further down the page

Latest MG3 deals

5. Dacia Sandero

• Prices from £14,715
• Best for low prices

Dacia continues to provide affordable cars for those seeking real value for money, and the latest Sandero is a great example of how far the no-frills brand has come.

Under the skin, the Sandero shares its platform with the Renault Clio, which is a great starting point. While there’s a little more road and wind noise than in the most insulated small cars, you’ll find the handling safe and secure, while the Sandero provides a decent ride around town and is a competent motorway cruiser. The turbocharged petrol motor has plenty of grunt, so you don’t have to work it too hard, and its 10.5-metre turning circle makes slotting the car into tighter spaces a doddle.

While it’s similar in size to the Clio and other superminis in this list, and isn’t the biggest car in its class, it’s certainly more spacious than cars of similar price like the Kia Picanto and Hyundai i10 further down, and that’s really where the Sandero (and Dacia in general) excels. The dash design is attractive enough and the interior feels well-built, which is arguably more important than being touchy-feely, which is one area Dacia has had to make compromises. The 328-litre boot is perfectly decent though.

“The Dacia Sandero continues to offer great practicality for cost-conscious buyers. It even makes sense for those choosing the higher specification versions, because its low running costs shouldn’t leave them out of pocket.” – Ellis Hyde, news reporter, who tested the Sandero in the UK.

As far as value for money goes there aren’t many superminis of the Sandero’s size to touch it, but you might cross-shop with the new entry-level version of the MG3, the Citroen C3 (and soon the Fiat Grande Panda), or smaller models like the Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto. Or, used versions of more expensive superminis like the Renault Clio and Volkswagen Polo

Latest Dacia Sandero deals

6. Skoda Fabia

• Price from £20,515
• Best for practicality

Buyers on the lookout for a practical supermini that has plenty of on-board tech and is comfortable on the move should put the Skoda Fabia on their shortlist.

Keen pricing from Skoda means the Fabia is able to undercut its Volkswagen Group siblings the Volkswagen Polo and SEAT Ibiza, but its smart styling makes it just as desirable as its sportier stablemates. And mechanically it’s largely identical. The engine range stretches from frugal but slightly sluggish 79bhp non-turbo petrols, to a punchy 148bhp 1.5-litre turbo with a standard DSG dual-clutch transmission. The entire range promises economy of more than 50mpg too. Handling is on the safe and sensible side – despite that 148bhp engine, there’s no Fabia vRS hot hatch these days – but buyers will appreciate the relaxed ride quality.

The real ace up the Fabia’s sleeve is its interior space and impressive boot capacity, which are competitive with the likes of the Volkswagen Golf from the class above. It might only be a supermini, but the Skoda Fabia comes with big-car levels of safety kit, too, with lane-keeping assist, automated emergency call technology and a driver drowsiness monitor. The overall feeling of quality is obvious as soon as you climb inside, making the Fabia a compelling supermini package.

“More practical than ever, with greater passenger space and modern onboard tech, the Fabia has fine-tuned what was already a pretty compelling package into one of the best superminis you can buy.” – Ellis Hyde, news reporter, who tested the Fabia in the UK.

If you’re shopping for a Fabia then the mechanically similar Volkswagen Polo and SEAT Ibiza may appeal, each with slightly different pricing, styling, interior features, and equipment. You shouldn’t ignore the other superminis on this list either (Renault Clio, Toyota Yaris, MG3), while basic Fabia money will get you into a generously-kitted Dacia Sandero; Dacia after all occupies the budget slot in the market that Skoda once made its own

Latest Skoda Fabia deals

7. Toyota Yaris

• Prices from £23,445
• Best for fuel economy

You’ll have to pay more up front to put a Toyota Yaris on your drive, compared with the other petrol models on this list, with pricing starting at over £23,000.

But the upside is that, with an astounding average fuel economy of nearly 70mpg (a figure that isn’t out of the question in real-world driving either), you will definitely save money at the pumps. Throw in reasonable car insurance costs and solid residual values, and the Yaris proves itself as a credible performer in the long term. It’s not like the Yaris is a sluggard, with 114bhp and 128bhp models that both get from 0-62mph in under ten seconds. With an e-CVT gearbox there’s occasionally some noise under hard acceleration, though the Yaris uses a three-cylinder engine these days so it’s less thrashy than before, and in most running it’s nearly silent.

The base Icon model is well equipped, so there’s no need to bump up the asking price any further, while reassuring levels of standard safety kit and Toyota’s class-leading warranty cover of up to 10 years are hard to beat. It’s a little tight on space compared to some supermini rivals and the 286-litre boot lags behind several rivals, but it’s better up front, and feels built to last, too. Overall the Yaris is a competent and efficient small car all-rounder.

“The fourth-generation Yaris is a great performer in the urban environment, and it can cope with a bit of B-road and motorway action on the odd occasion. However, it isn’t the cheapest hybrid around.” – Max Adams, online reviews editor, who tested the Yaris in the UK.

The Yaris is hybrid-only, so you’ll probably be interested in some of the other hybrid options on the market. That includes the near-identical Mazda 2 Hybrid, but more pertinently a few other cars on this list: the outstanding value MG3, and the talented Renault Clio E-Tech. The Honda Jazz is also hybrid-only, while the Suzuki Swift is good value and its mild-hybrid setup gets within a stone’s throw of the economy of many full hybrids, for less money

Latest Toyota Yaris deals

8. Fiat 500e

• Prices from £24,985

Electric city cars don’t get much more compact or stylish than the Fiat 500e, and it fulfils its brief superbly.

With entry prices hovering around the £25k mark, the key decision to make is whether you opt for the 24kWh or 42kWh-battery version, which provide up to 118 miles or 199 miles of range respectively. The lower figure looks a little pokey these days and Fiat charges more for its 199 miles than Citroen does for an e-C3 with identical range, but as an urban runaround you may not mind. On a B-road the 500e’s not the most sophisticated small car, feeling a little bouncy, but it settles down on the motorway, where efficiency isn’t bad by small EV standards.

The 500e’s cabin is just as stylish as its retro-styled exterior, and while a Renault 5 makes it feel a little cheap in places (the doors close with more of a clang than those of the Renault, for instance), the large glass area, high seating position and bright trim give it an airy feel. The important bits like the steering wheel, seats, and most visible areas of the dash are nicely-trimmed, too. The rear seats are tight and the 185-litre boot is more “weekly shop” than “weekend away”, but previous Fiat 500 buyers will feel right at home.

“The Fiat 500e is a car that’s very clearly been designed with the city in mind, and that’s without doubt where it does its best work.” – Alex Ingram, chief reviewer, road tested the 500e in the UK.

There are two other small cars with retro styling that will probably pop up on the average Fiat 500e buyer’s radar: the MINI Cooper Electric, and the Renault 5 E-Tech. We reckon the 5’s the best of the trio and its pricing starts below either. You can get electric versions of the Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Corsa too, while the Citroen e-C3 is one of our favourites, even if it lacks the 500e’s style

Latest Fiat 500e deals

9. Kia Picanto

• Prices from £16,065

The Kia Picanto offers lots of kit and a driving experience more akin to that of a car from the class above.

A recent facelift has seen more efficient engines and improved on-board tech added to the range, while Kia’s excellent seven-year warranty also features – a great incentive if you plan on keeping your car for more than the usual length of a PCP finance deal. If you’re scouring the used car market, finding a second-hand Kia Picanto with plenty of warranty left to run shouldn’t be too difficult, either.

Practicality is good for a car of this size too; all come with five doors and there’s enough space in the back for two adults to sit in relative comfort. The boot measures in at 255 litres, which is considerably more than the 200 litres offered by the MINI Cooper from the class above. Opt for the ‘3’ trim and you’ll even get an 8.0-inch infotainment screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, cruise control, auto-folding mirrors and a reversing camera.

“​​Whichever way you look at it, the Kia Picanto is one of the most affordable cars money can buy. That goes for everything from list price, fuel, and other consumables.” – Ellis Hyde, news reporter, who tested the Picanto in the UK.

You’ve probably guessed already but the Hyundai i10 is the most direct alternative to the Kia Picanto, given its similarities under the skin. At similar pricing though, other cars to look at include the Citroen C3 in petrol form, the Dacia Sandero, MG3 petrol, and if you stretch the budget a bit from high-end Picanto models, proper superminis like the Skoda Fabia and Suzuki Swift

Latest Kia Picanto deals

10. Hyundai i10

• Prices from £16,600

The Hyundai i10 is a very strong contender in what is a shrinking city car market, but thanks to some clever packaging and high levels of refinement, it is a tough act to beat. So tough in fact, that we named the i10 our City Car of the Year at both the 2023 and 2024 Auto Express New Car Awards. 

A choice of two petrol engines is offered across most of the i10 range – a 66bhp 1.0-litre unit which can feel sluggish on motorways, and an 83bhp 1.2-litre which is almost £1,000 more expensive. Both are frugal engines, but we’d stick to the manual gearbox as the automatic isn’t the smoothest during shifts. Top-spec N Line versions include a more powerful 99bhp 1.0-litre variant, although this means an increase in price to well over £18,000. On the road, the third generation Hyundai i10 made a good first impression when we drove it.

The i10 has grown over the years and this has brought about benefits in terms of cabin space, while Hyundai has improved interior quality too. Provided you’re not friends with basketball players and those from other stereotypically tall professions, the cabin’s capable of seating four adults (or has two sets of ISOFIX points in the rear for child seats), and a 252-litre boot isn’t bad for the class either. Even the entry-level Advance model boasts plenty of gadgets including air-conditioning, cruise control and an eight-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

“The Hyundai i10 isn’t going to set any land speed records, but what’s more important to city car buyers or perhaps those on a tighter budget is its ability to deliver great efficiency, leading to low running costs.” – Ellis Hyde, news reporter, who tested the i10 in the UK.

Your first port of call is probably the Kia Picanto just above the i10 in our list, not least because it gets a longer warranty, seven years rather than five. But for the i10’s £16k-plus, the Dacia Sandero and now the basic petrol version of the MG3 both have to be on your shopping list, as does the £18k Citroen C3, and the sub-£19k Fiat Grande Panda when it arrives later in 2025.

Latest Hyundai i10 deals

How we choose the best small cars

Small cars should be affordable to buy and run, and good to drive. Increasingly we’re expecting big car levels of technology, equipment and build quality from smaller models too, and that’s a difficult circle for manufacturers to square when the price also needs to be low. 

We’ve tested every small car on the UK market and always pay particular attention to that driving experience in an urban setting where light controls and good visibility are key for turning and parking. That’s not to say the best small cars shouldn’t be able to cope with longer motorway journeys though, and we always test them extensively on the open road.  

No car makes this list without strong fuel economy and low insurance costs, either because keeping costs down is kind-of the point for many small car buyers. Rear seat and boot space is nice to have but many buyers in this market won’t use it so we don’t let that be a deal-breaker. 

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