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. 

We found 2019 Skoda Citigo 1.0 MPI SE, 35,000 miles, £7195

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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. Used examples of the latest 2020-onwards version are now plentiful at great prices.

We found 2020 Hyundai i10 1.0 MPi SE Connect, 25,000 miles, £10,000

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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. 

We found 2019 Volkswagen Up 1.0 High Up, 24,000 miles, £8490

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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.  

We found 2019 Seat Mii 1.0 Ecomotive SE Technology, 30,000 miles, £7750

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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.

We found 2019 Kia Picanto 1.25 3, 38,000 miles, £9695

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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. 

We found 2019 Suzuki Celerio 1.0 SZ2, 31,000 miles, £6490

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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.

We found 2019 Ford Ka+ 1.2 85 Zetec, 28,000 miles, £8995

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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.

We found: 2019 Toyota Aygo 1.0 X-Play 5dr, 30,000 miles, £8950

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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.

We found: 2019 Fiat 500 1.2 Lounge, 35,000 miles, £7995

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The Peugeot 108 is extremely easy on your wallet. Even if you're looking at a four-year-old example, as here, the model remains temptingly affordable to buy. You'll find insurance groups in the single digits (for many variants) and official fuel economy at a 68.9mpg average (under the older NEDC fuel tests) for the 68bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine. There are more spacious city cars out there, but few are as pleasantly inexpensive to own.

We found 2019 Peugeot 108 1.0 72 Active 5dr, 36,000 miles, £7950

Read our full used Peugeot 108 review

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