When you’re zipping through urban traffic, you need to keep things simple. No need for extra bells and whistles, huge turning circles or fuel-hungry monster trucks.
What you need is a super stylish, capable car with a price as economical as its engine. So, to help you, we’ve rounded up some city slickers that fit the bill for under £10,000.
X-tremely efficient: Toyota AYGO
If you’re looking for an exciting supermini that really stands out from the rest, the Toyota AYGO ticks (or crosses) all the boxes for city driving. Its fun three-cylinder 1.0-litre engine is perfectly designed for navigating urban roads, delivering 68.9mpg and getting you out of those jams with ease.
Its bold, cartoonish looks might not be for everyone, but when you factor in its class-leading fuel efficiency, ultra-low 95g/km CO2 emissions and that Toyota five-year warranty, you’ve got a winner.
Go large: Dacia Sandero
You don’t necessarily need a small car to navigate the city. The Dacia Sandero is an accessible, no-frills spacious hatchback that can handle urban roads while still having the space to carry the entire family and their luggage.
As well as an astoundingly low starting price (just over £8000 brand-new), you’ll also be pleasantly surprised at the smooth ride and the 0.9-litre petrol TCe engine, which delivers 54.3mpg and is perfect for driving in town.
Family favourite: Kia Picanto
Everybody, from new drivers and small families to WhatCar? magazine (who named it City Car of the Year 2018), loves the Kia Picanto. Its reputation as an affordable and user-friendly small car is unparalleled – cheap to run, cheap to insure, and cheap to buy – with seven years’ peace of mind thanks to Kia’s famous warranty.
Prices start from just over £7000 for an entry-level model, but although the spec is slightly basic (you have to go for a level 3 or GT line model to get kit like touchscreen display and smartphone capability) this is still a popular car that city dwellers really rate.
Small and mighty: Volkswagen up!
The up! is Volkswagen’s cheapest model, but it still retains the high build quality and upmarket interior you’d expect from the German manufacturer. On the road, it’s comfortable to drive and even the entry-level model comes with an impressive range of features such as DAB digital radio, LED daytime running lights, 3.1-inch display and smartphone integration.
It’s worth noting that you can only fit two passengers in the back, but there’s plenty of head and legroom for adults to get comfortable. And, given its size, the boot is nice and spacious with a 251-litre capacity.
Riding high: Hyundai i10
Hyundai’s bestselling i10 does everything a city hatchback should – it’s engaging to drive and zips economically around town, the driver sits up high, giving good visibility in traffic, and it’s light enough to pirouette gracefully into awkward parking spaces.
For under £10,000, you can get a new i10 with lots of nice extras and practical features, including manual air conditioning, electric front windows, cruise control and Bluetooth connectivity.
Bold move: ŠKODA Citigo
A real star of the segment, the Citigo has bags of charm, sharing the same build as the Volkswagen up! and boasting a small but agile engine that can nudge its way through the tightest side street, while coming in at a claimed 68.9mph with just 96g/km of CO2 .
Available in 3- and 5-door versions, it comes with superior safety equipment as standard, including collision-sensing technology, and also an array of connectivity options, from SD card slots and USBs on entry-level trims to a 5-inch display and smartphone dock on the SE trim. Either way this clever little city car will keep you right.
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