The best five city cars to buy in 2025
Little cars, big value
With every passing year, it seems city cars are getting fewer and further between. Low price points and high development costs mean profit is hard to come by and increasing numbers of manufacturers are pulling out of the sector. Yet with such huge demand for small, competitively priced vehicles, a few car makers persist.
And that’s good news, because choice and competition are always good things for customers, and the cars that remain in the market all have to make their case effectively. As a result, the market is disproportionately awash with great small cars, some of which have only arrived in the past few months.
With a focus on younger buyers, there are some excellent city cars out there, filled with a surprising amount of tech and offering a more enjoyable driving experience than you might expect. And there’s a broad range of powertrains available, with customers facing a choice between conventional petrol engines and electric motors.
Admittedly, there’s often a compromise to negotiate with such small and cheap vehicles. Electric versions, for example, are unlikely to have the range of their larger stablemates, and smaller cars are often less comfortable on long journeys – not least because they don’t have that much space.
Yet for those in urban environments, a good city car is worth its weight in gold. Manoeuvrable, cheap to run and compact, they make life in the city much easier, as well as being some of the cheapest cars on sale today.
But if you’re in the market for such a thing, where should you start? To give you some guidance and inspiration, we’ve picked out our five favourites.
1. Hyundai Inster
From £23,495
The Inster is Hyundai’s electric city car, designed to provide a modern yet practical alternative to the Fiat 500e and a more upmarket rival to the Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03.
The design might not be to everyone’s taste – it looks like a futuristic Suzuki Ignis, which may or may not be a compliment, depending on your standpoint – and the interior is barely more appealing, but the Inster offers Tardis-like levels of cabin space and plenty of standard equipment. Visibility is good, too, and though the boot is a bit small, the SUV-lite stance gives the Inster a raised driving position.
Perhaps more importantly, Hyundai is offering the Inster with a choice of two different battery sizes: a 42kWh option with a 95bhp electric motor and a 49kWh pack with a 115bhp motor. Admittedly, neither is going to have the range or performance to rival a Porsche Taycan, but alongside other electric city cars, the Inster stacks up pretty well. An official range of up to 229 miles is commendable, and performance is perfectly adequate, if not exactly exciting.
2. Dacia Spring
From £14,995
At £14,995, the Spring is the cheapest electric car you can buy in the UK, and that’s a mixed blessing. Obviously, there’s good news for those watching the pennies, but there are some trade-offs in terms of equipment and capability.
Nevertheless, those who want cheap transport and don’t have too much interest in brand image will find a lot to like about the budget hatchback. The car looks a little more SUV-like than most, but don’t be fooled – it isn’t a rugged, do-anything option. Instead, it’s very much an urban runabout for nipping around town, rather than covering the distance between towns.
As such, it’s a car more or less devoid of frills and thrills. You start it with a key, which always feels a bit odd in an electric car, and the cabin isn’t exactly salubrious, with some hard plastics kicking about. It isn’t that exciting to drive, either, with narrow tyres that hardly promise barrels of grip, and soft springs.
It comes with a range of around 140 miles on a charge – and that’s an official figure, rather than a real-world number – so while the electric motor is punchier around town than its output might suggest, the Spring is really limited to towns and their surrounding areas. But it’s comfortable, and though it may not objectively be a triumph, there’s a bit of charm about its minimalist, no-fuss nature. Especially when it’s so cheap.
3. Fiat 500e
From £24,995
The 500e is the electric sibling of the more conventional 500 models, but it doesn’t look or feel all that similar. Sure, you can see the relation – both cars have a familiar silhouette and a cute, retro image – but the 500e looks considerably more modern and more upmarket, as well as being more high-tech inside.
Like the petrol-powered 500, the 500e is available in hatchback and convertible forms, but unlike those cars, the 500e has a battery pack under the floor and an electric motor driving the front wheels. In fact, it has a choice of batteries and motors, with base models getting a 94bhp motor fed by a 24kWh battery that permits a range of 118 miles on a single charge, while more upmarket versions have a 42kWh battery and a 116bhp electric motor. The latter combination offers a much more compelling range of just under 200 miles on a charge.
Either way, the 500e will not be the ideal car for longer drives, but it will perform admirably around town, what with its manoeuvrability and compact dimensions, as well as its cool interior with a big central touchscreen. And with an electric motor on board, it’s easy to drive and cheap to run, while the near-silent yet almost instant acceleration makes it nippy in traffic.
4. Kia Picanto
From £15,845
The Picanto has long been one of our favourite small cars, but it has been getting long in the tooth. So, Kia saw fit to refresh it with a bold new look inspired by the massive EV9 electric SUV. It’s an odd fit – the car somehow looks a bit too small for its styling – but it’s more modern as a result and it’s handsome enough.
More importantly, the new look has made no difference to the car’s plentiful talents, which include solid cabin quality, impressive fuel economy and a much more enjoyable driving experience than you might expect. Admittedly, the tiny 1.0-litre engines ensure it never manages to feel that exciting, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a bit of fun with it.
For most, however, the Picanto exists simply for getting around town and maybe making the occasional long journey. While the former is definitely its forte, thanks to its size and visibility and the lightness of its controls, it’s surprisingly capable on the motorway, where it’s comfortable and that generous standard equipment shines through.
Despite costing less than £16,000, even the base model comes with alloy wheels, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera, as well as an eight-inch touchscreen navigation system and the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration tech.
5. Toyota Aygo X
From £16,515
Over the years, the Toyota Aygo has grown up a bit, and the Aygo X now has some SUV-inspired styling to it. A chunky, rough-and-tumble design and slightly raised suspension quite literally elevate it above many other city cars, but make no mistake – this is a car that’s ideal for urban environments.
Yet unlike some other city cars, which very much feel as though they’ve been built to a budget, the Aygo X continues the Toyota tradition of building cars that feel as though they could withstand an artillery barrage. Inside, the Aygo X is roomy and robust, and it comes with a big screen in its stylish dashboard. Think of it, then, as more of a Polo-rivalling hatchback that’s simply shrunk in the wash.
Despite the relative solidity, and a fairly generous specification for more upmarket models, the Aygo X has a frugal little 1-litre petrol engine that does become something of a weak spot if you venture into the countryside or even onto a motorway. Performance is, shall we say, limited, and though fuel economy is generally good, the Aygo X does occasionally struggle to get up to speed.
Once you have caught up with the pace of surrounding traffic, however, you’ll find the ride is pretty good for such a small car, and the seats are comfortable enough. And in a world of expensive hybrids and electric city cars, the Aygo X now looks well priced, too.
Related articles
- If you found this guide to the best city cars useful, you might also be interested to read the best superminis to buy
- Here are some of the best compact SUVs and crossovers to buy
- Car makers’ electric vehicle plans for the future
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