Best used city cars

The Skoda Citigo and the near-identical Seat Mii are admittedly the cheaper siblings of the Volkswagen Up, but we see that as a tremendous positive.

You see while it's true that the Citigo misses out on some of the Up’s smart interior plastics, it's still great to spend time in and it's even more stupendous value as a second-hand buy.

What’s more, it shares the Up’s spacious interior, smooth ride and top-notch driving experience.

According to the last What Car? reliability survey, the Citigo is a pretty safe bet. The last survey it appeared in saw it finish in 10th place out of 28 cars in the small and city car class.

A budget of £3000 will get you an early Skoda Citigo with a medium to high mileage for the year. At this price, you’re looking at an entry-level S trim three-door with the lower-powered engine. For five doors, you’ll need to add around £500 to that budget.

Better-equipped SE Citigos start from £3500, again with an average mileage for the year. If you want a more powerful 74bhp Citigo, expect to pay upwards of £4000, for which you’ll also get more equipment.

Later cars from 2016 to 2017 will cost between £4000 and £6000, cars from 2017 and 2018 between £6000 and £8000 and the last petrol-engined 2019 models around £9000. You'll need at least £10,000 for the all-electric version from 2019 onwards. 

"For me, there's something immensely likeable about the Citigo. Within reason, it does all you need of a city car and does it with character. That you can buy one so cheaply now only makes it even more attractive in my eyes." - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found 2019 Skoda Citigo 1.0 MPI SE, 35,000 miles, £6000

Read our full used Skoda Citigo review

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If you're looking for a tiny town car that offers more civilised motoring on a sensible budget, the Hyundai i10 is an ideal candidate.

It's relatively spacious, comes with a smart-looking interior and great infotainment system, and rides and drives more impressively than plenty of bigger, pricier cars.

The current Hyundai i10 finished sixth out of 19 cars in the small car class in our latest What Car? Reliability Survey.

More refined than the Citigo, but it'll cost you a fraction more like-for-like to buy. Prices start at around £8000 for an early one. This kind of cash will get you a 2020 model in SE Connect trim, sporting the 66bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine. For similar cars from 2021, expect to pay upwards of £10,000. If you're after a higher trim and engine specification, such as a 2023 99bhp 1.0-litre car in N Line trim, you'll need to up your budget to around £12,000. All examples should have minimal mileage. Spend over £12,000 on a 2024 model. 

"This is a truly grown-up car. It's good to drive and feels like something from a couple of classes up. The interior is nicely finished, too. Anyone downsizing from a larger car will have found the perfect vehicle here." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found 2021 Hyundai i10 1.0 MPi SE Connect, 25,000 miles, £9000

Read our full used Hyundai i10 review

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The VW Up has a lot in common with the Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo but is a little bit classier with a smarter interior.

It's great to drive, relatively spacious inside and has a smooth ride. While its plusher plastics make the Up a smidge pricier, it's also likely to hold on to its value better than the equivalent Mii or Citigo.

Avoid automatic versions, though, because the gearbox is a little sluggish. 

The Up has always performed well in our reliability surveys, and although it didn't feature in our latest reliability survey, our latest data from the previous survey shows no deviance. Its score of 96.9% in our 2023 survey means it's the fifth most reliable small used car, and ahead of its sibling, the Skoda Citigo.

Basic Take Up models from 2012 can be found from £2500, but these have usually had a hard life and previously repaired accident damage, either that or they have a high mileage. Better-equipped Move Ups are £3000, rising to £4000 for the poshest High Up variants from 2013 or 2014. Spend between £4000 and £5000 on clean 2015 cars with a full service history and you should find similar 2016 cars for the same money.

If you can stretch to it, the facelifted car from July 2016 with a TSI turbocharged engine is available from £5000 upwards. The extra performance this version offers over other Ups in the range is worth it, along with the other improvements Volkswagen made to the Up range. Between £5000 and £7000 should net you a nice 2017 car, and between £7000 and £9000 for a 2018-2019 one. Look to spend between £9000 and £10,000 on a 2020 or 2021 car, and upwards of £11,000 for a 2022 or 2023 example. 

"I think this is one of the nicest and most innovative small cars of all time. It makes every town and A-road journey fun. If the city car class comes to an end soon this is the car we'll all miss and the one that set the benchmark for what a diminutive hatchback can achieve." - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found 2021 Volkswagen Up 1.0 High Up, 24,000 miles, £8500

Read our full used Volkswagen Up review

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City cars often have skimpy equipment levels and meagre engines, but the Kia Picanto offers lots of big car features and sprightly motors.

It's a great blend of space, performance, comfort and equipment. The Picanto is good fun to drive, too, and its light steering makes it a doddle to park – ideal for a small city car, really.

The Picanto's performance in our latest reliability survey was terrific. It finished in second place out of 20 cars in the small car class with an excellent overall score of 99.3%.

The Picanto prices start at a little over £5000 for an early '1' example that doesn't have any write-off history but might have a higher than average mileage. Better yet, spend between £6000 and £8000 for a '2' with a bit more equipment and a respectable mileage from 2018, maybe even 2019. Expect to spend at least £7500 or more for a rarer '3' or an automatic example from a franchised dealer, or for cars from late-2019 and 2020. Spend between £8000 and £10,000 on good 2022 cars, £10,000 to £12,000 on 2023 and 2024 models. Post-facelift cars from 2024 and 2025 will attract a premium above this. 

"Like the i10, the Picanto feels remarkably grown up. As a town car, it is without serious fault, and its success means it holds on to its value well. I drove one happily for a week into town and out of it and down country lanes and was sad to see it go." - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found 2019 Kia Picanto 1.25 3, 38,000 miles, £6500

Read our full used Kia Picanto review

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It might have hints of a small SUV about it, but the Toyota Aygo X is very much a city car. 

It's much more urban runaround than it is a wilderness explorer. Sure, it sits 11mm higher off the ground than the previous Aygo, for increased ground clearance and visibility, but its 4x4-inspired exterior doesn't translate underneath. 

It's good to drive, ultra-reliable and should be cheap to run. Only a slightly cramped interior for taller people will count against it. Ultra-reliable? Oh yes. In our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, the Aygo X finished in first place in the small car class with a perfect score of 100%. 

The most affordable Toyota Aygo Xs – 2022 in Pure trim – will set you back around £10,000. It should have a low mileage and be in excellent condition. Spend between £10,000 and £12,000 on 2023 models and over £15,000 on 2024 and later cars.

"This tiny Aygo X is a surprisingly competent little car. I used one every day for a week and soon got used to its foibles and learned how much fun it can be. It's also easy to drive and really well screwed together." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found 2022 Toyota Aygo X 1.0 VVT-i Pure, 46,000 miles, £10,950

Read our full used Toyota Aygo X review

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The Seat Mii is perhaps a smidge more fashion-conscious than the Skoda Citigo and a fraction more expensive used but there are no other notable differences between them.

Ecomotive versions are a bit more economical than regular models because they’re fitted with low-rolling-resistance tyres and a start-stop system. Fewer examples exist than the Citigo and Up, though, which makes also them slightly harder to source on the used market.

There wasn't enough data to include the Mii individually in our most recent reliability survey, but the near-identical Skoda Citigo and Volkswagen Up finished third and 10th respectively out of 28 cars in the small and value car class, so the Mii should be a pretty dependable choice.

You can find an early three-door Mii for around £3000. If you want a more practical five-door model, expect to pay a few hundred pounds extra. Increase your budget to between £4000 and £5000 for a Sport with the more powerful engine or a tidy 2015 car with below-average mileage from a dealer. A Design Mii from 2017 will be about £5000, while a 2019 top-spec FR-Line with minimal miles starts at around £7500.

"Sharing so much with the Up and the Citigo makes the Mii a winner before it even turns a wheel. It loses little or nothing in overall quality to the other two and for me only its comparative scarcity counts against it." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found 2019 Seat Mii 1.0 Ecomotive SE Technology, 30,000 miles, £6500

Read our full used Seat Mii review

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Used car buyers looking for an inexpensive and practical five-door city car that's easy to park, while also being remarkably capable beyond city limits, should find plenty to like in the Ka+.

It rides extremely well. It steers nicely, too, and, pushed hard, it corners neatly, just like the first-generation Ka. The 1.2-litre engine is most palatable in its most powerful 84bhp form, and we’d recommend you track down Zetec trim since it comes with plenty of kit.

The Ford Ka+ didn't feature in our latest What Car? Reliability Survey data, but its sibling, the Ford Fiesta, did. The two share several similarities under the skin, so we've reproduced the Fiesta's results here.

Unfortunately, the Fiesta finished in 12th place out of 19 cars in the small car class of our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey, albeit with a reasonably good overall score of 94.9%.

To find a decent early example, you'll need £4000 to get into a Ka+. However, for this amount, it will have a mileage of over 100k. If you increase the budget, £5000 will get you a 2018, post-facelift Ford Ka+ with a more modest mileage.

"Go a size up on these cars and you'll arrive at the Ford Fiesta, one of our favourite small cars and one I actually own. However, if you don't want the extra size of the Fiesta the Ka+ delivers nearly everything its bigger sibling does and at less cost." - Oliver Young, reporter

We found 2020 Ford Ka+ 1.2 85 Zetec, 48,000 miles, £6995

Read our full used Ford Ka+ review

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The first-generation Aygo was a well-screwed-together and economical car, and all its good qualities were carried over into the more mature – and even more rakishly styled – second-generation car.

It has now been replaced by the largely similar Toyota Aygo X but this older version remains a great buy today.

The Aygo didn't feature in our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey, but in the last survey it did appear in it shared the top spot with the Skoda Citigo in the value and small car category. It scored a perfect 100%, with owners reporting no faults at all in cars up to three years old.

Our data seems to confirm that this generation of Toyota Aygo is a very reliable car. Parts, when needed, can be pricey, but owners report few problems. 

Shop around and you can get the second-generation Aygo for less than £3000, but some of these examples will be high-mileage or Cat D cars. It is possible to find a clean 2014/15 car with an average mileage and a full history, bought privately, for around this figure, although upping the wedge to between £4000 and £6000 buys you a potentially superior 2016 or 2017 car with an average mileage. Step up to £6000-£8000 and you can net a 2018 or 2019 car or spend around £10,000 on a 2021 model. 

"It's small and agile and nicely screwed together, this Aygo. The good news is it's very competent on the road and bought at a few years old it can be had for buttons." - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2020 Toyota Aygo 1.0 X-Play 5dr, 40,000 miles, £8000

Read our full used Toyota Aygo review

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The modern Fiat 500 reinvented one of the most iconic cars of the Fifties and Sixties. Its retro styling, compact dimensions and competitive used prices have continued the model's success over its 15-year-plus lifespan. The 500 isn't all that practical or amazing to drive, but if that's not what you're after, there's plenty to like here. Spend at least £3000 to put a tidy example on your driveway.

"What can I say about the Fiat 500? What a success story it is. True, it feels a bit compromised inside, especially if you're over 6ft tall, and there are rivals that ride and handle better, but nothing looks as charming." - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2019 Fiat 500 1.2 Lounge, 45,000 miles, £5495

Read our full used Fiat 500 review

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While its interior is cheap-feeling, the Suzuki Celerio gives you a lot of bang for your buck in other areas. For starters, you get a heap of kit, plus it's practical, with a rear-seat area and boot that are impressively roomy for a car of this size. It’s cheap to run, too, and while it won't set your heart alight, it’s still decent to drive.

Although it didn't feature in our most recent reliability survey, the Celerio was the most reliable entry in the small and city car class in the last one it featured in. 

Reported problems with the Celerio are very few. All parts are easily attainable and Suzuki's excellent reliability record should add peace of mind to any used purchase. 

You can pick up a Celerio with a massive mileage for around £2000, but look to spend £3000 to get one with a sub-100k mileage. You’ll need £3500 to get your bottom on the driver’s seat of a 2015 Celerio of average mileage for the year and a full service history. Spend £4500 to £6000 to find a 2017 or 2018 car, while around £7000 to £9000 should secure you a 2019 example from a main dealer with a minimal mileage. 

"Cheap as chips, the Celerio is a lovely example of a truly tiny city car that feels like a bigger car in terms of its driveability. Comparatively rare on the used market but if you can find one great value." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found 2019 Suzuki Celerio 1.0 SZ2, 61,000 miles, £6000

Read our full used Suzuki Celerio review

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