What are the Best Small Cars in the UK?

Many drivers residing in the heart of the city prefer small cars, and it's not hard to see why. Compact cars are more affordable to buy and easier to drive and park on busy and congested city streets.

Over the years, small cars have become more powerful and stylish, proving themselves to be quite the rival of larger saloons, hatchbacks, and even those big SUVs.

If you’re shopping for the best small cars in the UK, here are our top picks! 😀

Best Small Electric Car: BMW i3

One of the best electric city cars is the BMW i3 because of its excellent performance combined with an efficient powertrain.

Driving this small car is both enjoyable and stress-free. As a BMW car, you can expect that the build is top-quality from the inside out.

Even the interior is well-designed, and you’ll feel like you’re driving a luxury vehicle. It’s certainly much better than the Peugeot e-208 and the Renault Zoe in this category. 

It’s easy to think of city cars as unexciting vehicles, but the BMW i3 is different. This EV is affordable to run, and you never have to worry about price changes in fuel.

The BMW i3 may look expensive, but it’s actually worth it. Since its update in 2018, the i3 now has a larger battery of 42.2kWh, more than the Nissan Leaf's 40kWh.

This car can run up to 190 miles on a single charge, which is a big improvement over the earlier versions of the BMW i3.

Best Small Automatic Car: Toyota Yaris

The Toyota Yaris combines style, practicality, and plenty of kit as standard. It's another car that’s great to drive in the city while still performing well on the motorway. 

The Yaris is a hybrid car, and Toyota, being a pioneer of hybrid tech, continues to deliver top-of-the-line green cars. It's doing a lot to address the range anxiety of drivers who are still new to alternative-fuel-powered vehicles.

Toyota cars are practical and reliable. The latest Yaris now has a bigger battery that allows you to drive it all-electric for up to 80% of the time if you’re driving in the city. 

The Yaris’ standard equipment is comprehensive. It includes 16-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, automatic wipers and headlights, and a seven-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. 

Toyota cars may not be the most exciting ones to drive, but if you’re looking for a car that you can depend on to take you to your destinations day in and day out, then you won’t make a mistake buying a Toyota Yaris.

And because of Toyota's long warranty, it's also one of the best used small cars to buy!

Best Small Hybrid Car: Renault Clio E-Tech 

Among the hybrid cars available on the market today, the Renault Clio E-Tech stands out. It’s a complex car with advanced hybrid technology, strengthening this super mini’s status as a frontrunner in its category. 

In short distances, you can drive this car using its full-electric mode, not like mild-hybrid models similar to the Ford Fiesta hybrid.

The Clio can achieve 60mpg without sacrificing other important features. Renault has been truly successful in making this hybrid vehicle look good while ensuring that it performs excellently well on the road. 

The Renault Clio has been available to drivers for over three decades, but this E-Tech has been the best version yet.

If you compare the usual Clio to the E-Tech Hybrid, you might not spot the difference, but underneath, the hybrid version is filled with complex technology. 

As a hybrid, it still has a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, but it also comes with two electric motors and a 1.2kWh battery plus an F1-style gearbox.

This car has no clutch, but the motors help a great deal in allowing you to have smooth gear changes and quick acceleration. 

Best Small Family Car: Volkswagen Golf

The latest version of the VW Golf made it a point to feature better tech functionality. If you drive the Golf, you’ll have this classy car that doesn’t compromise on practicality.

It’s still as great to drive as ever, making sure you and your family are comfortable whenever you’re out on a long drive.

The Volkswagen Golf was first introduced back in the 1970s, and the German carmaker has retained all the good features of this car while still updating the style, tech, and other features that make driving fun and easy.

As a family car, the Golf is a five-door hatchback, but there’s also a version that has an estate body style. Plus, there’s an all-wheel drive variant that is just perfect if you and your family enjoy taking drives in the countryside.

The onboard tech ensures that your family will never get bored, even on longer trips. The Golf has a 10-inch colour touchscreen, and you can also charge your phone wirelessly.

This VW family car comes in petrol and mild-hybrid variations, and both are very capable cars that can take you from the city to the country without a problem. 

Thinking of buying a good city car?

Small cars may seem unexciting, but they're a great choice if you need to drive in the city. They're much easier to navigate, park, and drive around.

From small hybrid cars to small family cars, there’s definitely one that will fit your needs. And to help make your car purchase a lot smoother, you can get your city car with Carmoola. 

You can finance your car with Carmoola and spread the cost into affordable monthly payments. You can start by getting an estimate using our car finance calculator.

Applying for car finance with us is easy. You only have to download our app and follow the steps! Be sure to prepare your driver's licence for verification. Once you're done, you'll know the result instantly.

Learn more about how Carmoola works, or get in touch if you have any questions for us! 😎