What Car Q&A: April 2010 - What car will fit in my small garage?

Q) I live in an old house with a very small garage. Until now I haven’t bothered to use the garage, but a car less than 3048mm long and 1905mm wide would fit. Is there anything suitable?
Alec Jones

A) Plenty of cars are narrow enough to squeeze into your garage, but only two new models are shorter than 3048mm.

By far the best is the Toyota iQ, which is 2985mm long. It is cheap to run, well equipped and can carry up to four people (although three adults is more realistic). It costs more than it should – starting at £9974 – but it’ll hold its value well.

The only other new car that will fit is the Smart Fortwo. It is even shorter than the iQ – measuring 2695mm – but is poor to drive and has only two seats. Prices start at £8715.

There aren’t many second-hand options, either. The Rover Mini would just about fit, but it’s a very outdated car that has been out of production for at least 10 years.