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Best City Cars

A runaround car is perfect for quick trips to town, we reveal the best city cars on the market right now that are easy to drive and even easier to park.

Best City Cars

City cars are perfect for commuting due to their compact size and efficient small engines that keep running costs low. However, with the rise of SUVs and electric vehicles, finding new cars designed specifically for city commuting can be increasingly difficult. We'll share what we believe to be the best cars available for city commuting, helping you choose a practical, comfortable and budget-friendly option.

What is a city car?

A city car is a small, easy-to-drive vehicle designed to navigate city driving. Their compact size allows them to fit into tight parking spots and manoeuvre through busy streets with ease. This makes them ideal for city driving, where space is limited, and traffic is often heavy. The smaller size of city cars also means they are cheaper, and their small engines are more fuel-efficient, which helps save on fuel costs.

This combination of practicality and affordability makes city cars a smart choice for anyone looking for a reliable and budget-friendly way to get around.

White KIA Picanto

KIA Picanto from £15,595

The KIA Picanto is a great city car with many features. Its compact size allows for easy manoeuvring in cities and its fuel-efficient engine allows for great savings.

Despite its small design, the Picanto offers a surprisingly comfortable well-equipped interior perfect for the daily city commutes. Additionally, its low emissions are friendly to the environment and for that added peace of mind, the Picanto includes multiple airbags, an anti-lock braking system and much more, making the Picanto a great city car combining practicality, efficiency, and comfort into one.

Engine Size: 1.0/ 1.2 Litre

Fun Fact: The KIA Picanto is designed with multiple modes, one being “Eco Mode” great for those commutes when you're sat waiting in traffic. You can use minimal fuel on the go.

SEAT Ibiza from £19,725

The SEAT Ibiza is a fantastic choice for city driving, even though it's not officially a city car. Its compact size makes it easy to navigate through tight streets and find parking when necessary. With a fuel-efficient engine, it keeps running costs low, and the comfortable interior is ideal for daily commutes. A standout feature of the Ibiza is the integration of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which provides excellent navigation support. These systems help you manage one-way streets and busy roads with ease, making urban driving more convenient and stress-free.

Engine Size: 1.0 Litre

Fun Fact: The SEAT Ibiza has a small turning radius allowing you to easily navigate around narrow city streets with ease.

Red SEAT Ibiza
Blue Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo from £20,975

The Volkswagen Polo matches all the essential features for urban driving. Its compact size helps navigate through congested traffic with ease and the advanced parking assist system makes parking in crowded areas easier. The comfortable interior and efficient fuel economy ensures a pleasant and economical driving experience making the Polo a superb choice for navigating city landscapes, even if it doesn’t carry the official city car badge.

Engine Size: 1.0 Litre

Fun Fact: The Volkswagen Polo's "Park Assist" system, can automatically steer the car into parallel spaces or other parking spots making navigating tight city parking spots much easier and stress-free.

Audi A1 from £23,500

The Audi A1 excels with efficiency, modern features, and safety. Its fuel-efficient engine makes it perfect for busy city commutes, while the interior provides a comfortable experience with advanced technology for convenience. Safety is a top priority, with features like automatic emergency braking and lane assist offering extra protection in congested traffic. Additionally, the A1's compact design ensures easy manoeuvring.

Engine Size: 1.5 Litre

Fun Fact: The Audi A1 comes with a start-stop system, which automatically turns off the engine when in traffic and restarts it when you're ready to move. This feature is particularly useful in city driving, helping to save fuel and reduce emissions during frequent stopping.

White Audi A1
Volkswagen Taigo R-Line

Volkswagen Taigo from £25,870

While the Volkswagen Taigo is larger than many typical city cars, the added size enhances comfort and the elevated driving position improves visibility, making it easier to navigate through traffic. The Taigo is also equipped with modern technology and driver assistance features, helping simplify city driving and parking and its stylish design not only makes it visually appealing but also remains fuel-efficient.

Engine Size: 1.0/ 1.5 Litre

Fun Fact: The Volkswagen Taigo is equipped with a Beats audio sound system, making your commute much more enjoyable with a great system all around the vehicle, no matter where you're sitting.

CUPRA Born from £34,535

The CUPRA Born is an excellent fully electric city car, offering zero emissions and a quiet operation, making it perfect for areas with strict pollution rules in place. The Born is equipped with advanced features, including a range of sensors and cameras for enhanced safety. These include a rearview camera for easy parking, parking sensors to alert you of restrictions, and more. Its compact size allows for easy manoeuvring, and the electric motor delivers a smooth and responsive driving experience with a sufficient range for daily city trips.

Electric Range: Up to 264 miles

Fun Fact: The CUPRA Born has a regenerative braking system. This means whenever you lift off the accelerator or apply the brake energy is created.

Blue CUPRA Born
White Volkswagen ID.3

Volkswagen ID.3 from £36,560

The Volkswagen ID.3 is the smallest of Volkswagen's electric range and is designed to offer smooth driving and acceleration to make driving more enjoyable. Its compact size is great for manoeuvring through tight streets and its user-friendly infotainment system keeps you connected with easy access to music, navigation, and apps, ensuring that you stay entertained and informed during your city commutes.

Electric Range: Up to 261 miles

Fun Fact: The Volkswagen ID.3 Infotainment system allows you to find the nearest charging points. This is great when you're navigating busy city streets and need to recharge your vehicle on the go.

Whether you're looking for a city car, a car on the smaller side or a automatic car that simplifies driving, we have plenty of new cars available at JCT600, all packed with a range of great features.

*Please note, all prices are updated as of September 2024.

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Representative finance example: Personal Contract Purchase (PCP)

Representative APR%
9.90% APR 
First Payment
£249.71
46 Monthly
payments of
£249.71
Optional final
payment
£9,090.00
On the road
price
£20,000.00
Term of
agreement
48 months
Customer deposit
£4,000.00
Amount of credit
£16,000.00
Cost of credit
£4,826.37
Annual mileage
5,000
Excess mileage
8.4p
Total amount
payable
£24,836.37
Fixed rate of
interest
9.90%