2025's best new city cars

It wasn't so long ago that you bought a small car JUST because it was the cheapest way of getting around. You accepted the compromises: cramped interior, naff dashboard, questionable build quality. You can see where this is going...
Today, even the smallest and cheapest city cars can have the sort of tech, refinement, quality and choice that big cars do. That said, there’s always a bit of push-and-pull with the various characteristics of city cars. A city car will rarely be all things to all people, so it’s especially important to think about how you’ll use it when choosing one. Do you need a decent amount of boot space? Will you regularly have people in the rear seats? Do you just want the lowest costs possible? Are you bothered about having the latest tech? Do you need long-distance comfort? So here are five of our favourite city cars, each picked for their unique characteristics:

A thing we called "the prefect first car", the Picanto is making a mockery of its age now. First out in 2011, it's lasted two normal car lifetimes thanks to a couple of major updates (the last one in 2023) and the fact that it's basically brilliant. It's stylish, feels much bigger than it is thanks to its quality and refinement, it's peanuts to run, and it's quite practical. Seven-year warranty as standard, too. Nice.
Read our full Kia Picanto review here.

Another ancient little car, but another little classic. That the 500 is still on sale 18 years (!!) after it launched is a testament to what a great job Fiat did; most cars last seven years before they’re replaced. It even survived the arrival of an all-new electric Fiat 500 – itself a brilliant city car that’s well worth a look. It’s far from perfect, mind. The boot is tiny, the rear seats are more cramped than opening day at the Next sale, and anyone over 5'10" will struggle to adapt to its driving position. It’s just so cool though, even after all these years. Its dimensions make it perfect for busy streets and small parking spaces, and it’s very cheap to run.
Read our full Fiat 500 review here.

Bursting onto the scene like a young Micah Richards, the Renault 5 is already looking like a modern classic. Stunning to look at, practical, reasonably priced and surprisingly affordable, it's a £22k head-turner. And it has a baguette holder, so there's that. It offers up to 252 miles of range (officially, anyway), good performance (0-62mph in 7.9s), and even has bi-directional charging. That means you can use it to power your house, basically - a feature generally reserved for the most expensive EVS up until now. We love it.
Click here to find out more about the Renault 5, YouTube style.

The great thing about the Dacia Sandero is that for less than the price of most small city cars, you can get a car that’s bigger and more practical, but still small enough to feel totally at home in the city. That extra space, both in the passenger compartment and the boot, will come in very handy for families living in cities. The Stepway version has more style than the regular Sandero hatchback thanks to its SUV-esque design, and the jacked-up suspension means the ride is a little smoother, too. It's not brilliant to drive in other ways, but there’s no arguing with the amount of car you get for your money.
Read our full Dacia Sandero review here.

It was only a matter of time before Abarth (Fiat’s high-performance sub-brand, basically) got its hands on the electric 500. Among other things, Abarth bumped up the electric motor from 118 to 155 horsepower, fettled the steering and suspension, and added an external speaker to make it sound like a fast petrol car. The result is a genuinely entertaining, pin-sharp driving experience that’s fun even at low speed – which is exactly what a hot hatch should be.
Find out more about the Abarth 500e here.