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Best City Cars 2025
City driving can be challenging; however, it can be made that little bit easier with the right car.
As of 2024, there is an ever-growing presence of fantastic car options – from dynamic
performance cars to vibrant
SUVs, and even innovative
electric vehicles that have taken the market by storm over the past few years.
With the booming period that the car industry is in right now, we are going to narrow down some of the best city cars out there.
Best City Cars
1. Honda e
Honda has grabbed the hearts of many motorists in the UK through their ever-reliable and efficiently performing car models.
So it’s only fitting to start with a Honda model, that being one of their first electric vehicles produced – the Honda e.
The
Honda e is an all-electric small hatchback car released by Honda in 2020.
This model really kickstarted Honda’s electric vehicle production, offering EV buyers a stylish car that has great capabilities of city driving.
So much so, the Honda e was named ‘City Car of the Year’ at the UK Car of the Year awards back in 2021.
On a sad note, however, the Honda e was discontinued in January 2024, meaning that you can’t pick up a new Honda e anymore. Even if you can’t get it brand new, the Honda e is still available as a used car.
2. Vauxhall Corsa
The best-selling British car brand of all time is
Vauxhall, so we have to include a city car of theirs.
Without doubt the most recognisable city car, or even car model made by Vauxhall is their iconic
Corsa, a small city hatchback that has been on British roads since 1993.
The UK’s most successful super-mini offers sound performance capabilities that really suits city driving; for example, the latest SE of Corsa offers a ‘City’ button that was designed to give city drivers increased steering assistance at lower speed conditions.
Looking for an electric model like the Honda e? The
Corsa-e is an all-electric version of the Corsa that is available to order today.
Overall, the Vauxhall Corsa encapsulates safe city driving for all ages.
3. Hyundai i10
Hyundai have made their name for producing great performing, yet reliable cars over the years.
A recent success of Hyundai is their i10. The
Hyundai i10 was unveiled in 2008, but has had a real resurgence as of late.
On the topic of ‘City Car of the Year’, the Hyundai i10 has claimed the award for the city car category through Auto Expresses New Car Awards in 2023.
Therefore, it was pretty hard not to include the reigning Auto Express ‘City Car of the Year’ on this list.
With the Hyundai i10 having power outputs of up to 90 PS (dependent on variant of car), the small city car has solid performance capabilities making it an incredibly fun car to drive.
Opting for more performance? The N line i10 offers more power and speed output, making the Hyundai i10 N another viable option for city driving.
The Hyundai i10 is a great option if you wish for an efficient, yet fun-to-drive small car.
4. Fiat 500
Given the fact that
Fiat has been manufacturing cars for over 100 years, their expertise in producing efficient small cars has translated well into modern day motoring.
Fiat’s flagship model for decades now is their 500, a small hatchback car that has been around since 1957.
What makes the
Fiat 500 a great city car? Many things: it’s safe to drive, has an easy on the eye design, and has extremely low running costs.
The capabilities of the Fiat hatchback is highlighted through the praise from industry experts. We just spoke about the Hyundai i10 become the Auto Express ‘City Car of the Year’ in 2023, but the Fiat 500 actually claimed this prize the year prior, with the i10 dethroning it as Auto Expresses pick for being the best city car out there.
Much like a couple of models on this list, the Fiat 500 has an electric version, the 500e, that has also been very highly thought of during its short lifespan.
It’s hard to argue that the Fiat 500 is a fantastic option for city driving. A sound engine capacity of 70 bhp gives the car a safe driving performance, making it that bit easier to drive in the city.
5. Volkswagen up!
VW are no strangers to the production of efficient cars, with some of the most popular models available coming out of Volkswagen’s line-up.
A model that has critically acclaimed in recent times is the
Volkswagen up!
The up! is a small hatchback manufactured by
Volkswagen that has offered city drivers a fantastic choice in car since its release in 2011.
This is another car model that has claimed the ‘City Car of the Year’ prize from Auto Express, when the up! bettered cars such as the Hyundai i10 and SEAT Mii Electric in 2020.
A nice 60 PS engine output gives the up! specifications that are worthy of a city car – safe, yet reliable.
Like a couple other cars on this list, the VW up! was sadly discontinued back in 2023, however, is still available to purchase as used, making it a credible city car for anyone to drive.
6. Toyota Aygo X
Last car on the list is Toyota’s Aygo X, a compact SUV produced by
Toyota since 2022.
The Aygo X is a larger version of the
Toyota Aygo, offering more interior and boot space than the original Aygo.
Arriving with a 1.0-litre engine that has a power output of 72 hp, the Aygo X is an efficiently performing vehicle that is both reliable and spacious.
Like the original Aygo, the Toyota Aygo X is technically a ‘small vehicle’, with the model winning ‘Small Car of the Year’ at the 2023 Car of the Year Awards.
Due to its practical features and being a great car for both younger and older drivers, the Aygo X is a top choice to consider for city driving.
Final Takeaways
Overall, these are just some of the best city cars on the market today, with many other cars out there being quite unlucky to not make this list.
The cars listed above are typically low emission vehicles. This is due to many UK cities having
Clean Air Zones,
Low Emission Zones, and for
London, an
Ultra Low Emission Zone. These areas with these zones enforced face a strict allowance on what cars can be driven based on a vehicle’s emissions output.
You can check if your car is complaint by entering your registration today.