Best small cars 2025 plus the one to avoid – tried & tested

Think of the Renault Clio as being the Swiss Army Knife of small cars, because it’s a truly outstanding all-rounder.

If you choose the hybrid version, you’ll enjoy official fuel economy of up to 67.3mpg, but to keep costs low, we’d steer most buyers towards the 1.0-litre petrol option. This still delivers excellent real-world efficiency, and while it’s not as nippy as some rivals, its acceleration is more than enough for town or motorway driving.

The latest Clio is also better to drive than most rivals, including the Skoda Fabia and Suzuki Swift. And despite having firm suspension, it strikes a good balance between comfort and agility.

Our recommended Techno trim comes loaded with goodies, too, including a 7.0in touchscreen infotainment system, front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

Sealing the win for the Clio as our Best Small Car is its price, because the Renault undercuts the equivalent Swift and Fabia on price, as well as the Honda Jazz.

“I found the physical switches below the touchscreen and to the right of the steering column (for functions such as deactivating the lane-keeping assistance) much easier to operate than touch-sensitive equivalents.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

Read our in-depth Renault Clio review

In truth, it's a very fine line between first and second place on this list, but while the Renault 5 is undoubtedly a fantastic choice if you're set on going electric – indeed, it's our reigning What Car? Car of the Year – there are still compromises to be made when choosing to go green. There's the increased cost, for one, and you'll need to make sure that you can charge it up.

Still, if you decide that going electric is right for you, then you'll love the Renault 5. From its cheeky styling to its tech-heavy interior, this is an electric car which may look a bit retro, but is thoroughly forward-facing. 

Our recommended Comfort Range model has an official range of up to 253 miles, which should be more than enough for the needs of most families. It's punchy, too, with the 148bhp electric motor offering enough pep to beat the Citroen e-C3 and Hyundai Inster up to motorway speeds.

The 5 is a pratical choice, too, with lots of space up front and a bigger boot than what you'd find in the rival Fiat 500 or Mini Cooper.

“Renault's Google-based infotainment system is a breeze to use, and I liked how I could change the look of the digital instrument cluster at the touch of a button” – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

Read our in-depth Renault 5 review

The Jazz's space and seating flexibility – including rear seat bases that flip up like those in a cinema – puts other small cars to shame. But crucially it's not just a box on wheels; it’s brilliant even if you take practicality out of the equation.

Its hybrid engine, for example, delivers strong performance and excellent real-world fuel economy. Meanwhile, a soothing ride and generous luxury and safety equipment add further to its appeal.

Only a steep purchase price stops it topping this list, although slow depreciation partially makes up for this and also ensures PCP finance rates are competitive.

“The Jazz’s three-knob air-con set-up is easy to adjust on the move and large cut-outs in its windscreen pillars mean you have a great view out when tackling roundabouts and junctions. I found the Jazz exceptionally easy to live with.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

Read our in-depth Honda Jazz review

The Hyundai Inster is proof that you don't need to spend a lot of money to get something that's green and with SUV style – both elements which appeal to lots of buyers these days. Indeed, keeping its price low means that you won't feel guilty about skipping over the standard battery and going straight for the Long Range model.

We suggest that you do just that, because Long Range versions can officially take you up to 229 miles between charges, which is more than any version of the Dacia Spring, Fiat 500e or BYD Dolphin can manage. Speaking of the Dacia Spring, the Inster is roomier than that car in the rear seats, and although its boot is rather small, your weekly shop is unlikely to cause any problems.

Going for the Long Range model also unlocks the ability to choose 02 trim, which comes with luxuries including 17in alloy wheels, heated front seats and wireless charging for your mobile phone. The Inster comes with a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty and an eight-year, 100,000-mile battery warranty too.

“I was pleased to see that, unlike in some rivals, you get physical controls inside the Inster for the air conditioning, making them easier to use while driving.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

Read our in-depth Hyundai Inster review

Volkswagen's latest Polo is available with a broad range of engines and trim levels, ensuring that there's something for almost everyone in the line-up.

It also has a classy interior that's well equipped even in entry-level Life trim, though we'd prefer to jump up to mid-range Match, which won't cost you much more to buy. And few small cars are as good at soaking up bumps in the road or do a better job of suppressing wind and road noise on the motorway.

Previously, the Polo has lost out to the rival Seat Ibiza because it couldn’t justify its additional expense, but the impressive deals and monthly finance rates that are often available mean that's no longer an issue. Then again, the Ibiza is still more fun to drive.

"I found rear leg room almost as plentiful as in the Honda Jazz, although there’s less head room and a big hump in the floor for the middle passenger to straddle. The front seat slides back a long way to accommodate long-legged drivers.” – Darren Moss, Deputy Digital Editor

Read our in-depth Volkswagen Polo review

While it's not the cheapest new car you can buy, the latest Skoda Fabia is still very well priced, undercutting most rivals – including the closely related Volkswagen Polo.

True, the interior of the Fabia is a bit drab, but there's excellent space for both passengers and luggage; only the Honda Jazz is significantly more practical.

It's also worth noting that the Fabia is more comfortable and a lot safer than the Dacia Sandero; the independent experts at Euro NCAP awarded it five stars out of five, whereas the Sandero managed just two stars.

We think the latest Fabia is best sampled in 1.0-litre petrol form, in SE Edition trim.

“Boot space is impressive, although I think it’s a bit of a shame the Fabia misses out on the Clio’s height-adjustable floor.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

Read our in-depth Skoda Fabia review

The latest Mini keeps all of the cheeky styling of its forebears, but adds in an extra dollop of green-minded usability thanks to being available with electric power.

While entry-level versions are a bit limited on how far they can take you between charges, our recommended SE models have a far more usable official range of 250 miles. That makes longer journeys a doddle, and is more than some rivals can manage. And when you find a winding country road, the Cooper Electric corners with more agility than the rival MG4 or Vauxhall Corsa Electric.

Buyers looking for something a bit left-of-centre will appreciate the Mini's quirky interior design, which presents all of the information you need on a rounded infotainment screen and a head-up display. It takes a little getting used to, but works well for the most part - some of the infotainment screen's icons are small to hit on the move, though.

As a small car, it won't surprise you to lean that practicality is not a big strength here – indeed, the Mini has only two rear seats where some rivals have three – and the Mini's boot is among the smallest in the class. You'll fit more into the boots of the MG4 or Peugeot e-208, for example.

“One of the quirks of our recommended SE models is the ability to customise your front and rear light signatures. I had great fun choosing which patterns I wanted to show on the headlights and tail lights.” – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

Read our in-depth Mini Cooper Electric review

With the Ford Fiesta now off sale, the Seat Ibiza takes up the mantle as the most engaging small car to drive. Key to that is its steering; it starts off light to suit town driving, before progressively weighting up and providing impressive feedback as your speed builds.

At the same time, the Ibiza is more spacious than many rivals – particularly in the rear seats – and it holds its value better, meaning it will cost you less in the long run.

You do have to put up with quite a lot of road noise, though, and FR versions have a firm ride. Go for the 1.0-litre petrol engine for the best mix of performance and economy, and team that with SE Technology trim for the right mix of kit.

“I was able to stretch out in the Ibiza, because it has more leg room than the Fabia and Polo. All three have similarly shaped boots, but the Ibiza is the only one not available with a height-adjustable boot floor.” – Dan Jones, Reviewer

Read our in-depth Seat Ibiza review

The phrase 'solid all-rounder' must have been written with the Hyundai i20 in mind, because while it might not be stellar in any one particular area, it is competent at just about anything you might want a small car to do.

For example, the sole 1.0-litre petrol engine might not be the last word in pep, and it doesn't come with the kind of green-minded mild hybrid assistance as some small cars, but it's perfectly fine for most situations. Plus, you should still achieve around 50mpg so long as you drive carefully.

Firm suspension and sharp steering makes the i20 more fun to thread along a country road than the Skoda Fabia and Volkswagen Polo, but the ride is also less forgiving than some rivals – though never outright uncomfortable. While the i20 isn't quite as good as the Honda Jazz at accommodating your rear-seat passengers, there's still more space than you'd find in some rivals, and the boot is a close match for that of the class-leading Renault Clio.

“I think the i20's standard height-adjustable boot floor makes it a lot easier to load in heavy items than in some small cars – it also lets you create a separate storage area if you want to.” – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

Read our in-depth Hyundai i20 review

While you can have your Peugeot 208 in both petrol or electric forms, it's the former which we think will have the biggest appeal to most buyers. And in mid-range 99bhp form, the 1.2-litre petrol engine is a relatively strong performer, offering decent pep while helping to keep your fuel bills low.

The 208 scores points over several small car rivals in the way it drives, too, with a gentler, more supple ride than either the Audi A1 or VW Polo could manage. the Clio still beats it for body control, though, and that soft ride doesn't lend the 208 a sporty edge – it leans through corners more than some rivals.

Peugeot's i-Cockpit layout – which has you looking over a small steering wheel at the instruments rather than through it – takes some getting used to and can lead to issues if you're either very tall or small, but for most drivers it's okay. We like that there's plenty of adjustment in the 208's seats, to, though adjustable lumbar support is only available via the options list.

“It's handy that both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring come as standard in the 208, because I found Peugeot's own software to be confusing to use.” – Claire Evans, Consumer Editor

Read our in-depth Peugeot 208 review

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