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Best used city cars for less than £10,000

Used city cars provide hassle-free transport that's cheap, simple and, in the case of these modern offerings, cheerful...

05 September 2019

Best used city cars (and the ones to avoid)

Need to gad about town with a minimum of fuss and cost? A used city car sounds just the ticket. And if you’re worried you’ll have to compromise on space, style or comfort with a car of this size, let us put your mind at ease.

Modern city cars now available on the second-hand market are the best yet, with many offering some of the best qualities of cars from the class above at a much lower price. Many now have automatic emergency braking systems to prevent low-speed accidents, too, and some have sophisticated infotainment systems to keep you connected while on the move.

To help you pick one that's right for you, we’ve brought together 10 of our favourites and ranked them in order of preference, taking into account price, space, comfort, driver enjoyment, fuel economy and running costs. Read on to find out which one we think is the best.

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10. Suzuki Celerio

Stylish the Suzuki Celerio most certainly ain’t, but if you can live with its frumpy looks and cheap-feeling interior, it has a lot going for it. For starters, you get a heap of kit for your cash, plus it's practical, with a rear-seat area and boot that are impressively roomy for a car of this size.

Suzuki came out on top of all 31 manufacturers in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey – an encouraging sign for the Celerio’s long-term dependability. It’s cheap to run, too, and while it will never set fields of hay alight, it’s still a decent enough little thing to drive. The Celerio's off sale now as a new car so it's used only.

We found 2018 Suzuki Celerio 1.0 Dualjet SZ3, 5039 miles, £6991

Read the full Suzuki Celerio used review

9. Fiat Panda

The Panda is something of an icon. Fiat’s more practical alternative to the 500 has become well loved for its cheeky character, funky styling and low running costs. And as a used buy, it’s even more appealing, because it’s so cheap.

True, rear leg room isn’t as good as in some rivals and the cheaper models feel a bit basic. But if you want a fairly new city car for a low price, the Panda is certainly worth a look.

We found 2019 Fiat Panda 1.2 Lounge, 100 miles, £8995