The best city cars – driven, rated and ranked

Good city cars are an endangered species – here's our top 10 of those that remain It's a tough time for city cars. Over the past few years, we've lost several great ones to ever-changing CO2 regulations and new safety regulations – and it doesn't help that car makers simply make more profit from higher-riding SUVs. It's a shame, because the best city cars generally consume less fuel and use the least amount of resources in their construction. Still, the city car genre isn't going down without a fight, and despite the increasing challenge of making these mini marvels meet law makers' demands, the current crop includes some of the best ever. Choosing the perfect city car can make all the difference for navigating busy streets, tight parking spots, and stop-and-go traffic with ease. But city cars are also getting much more accomplished at travelling long distances, delivering better fuel economy and utilising smarter technology than ever before. What’s more, with their skinny tyres, low mass and peppy engines, these machines often deliver driver thrills way out of proportion to their humble place in the automotive pecking order. So which is the best city car on sale today? Our top 10 is packed with charming models – but our pick of the lot is the Fiat Grande Panda, which we've also named as the best small car on sale. It takes eye-catching style and blends it with an all-important dose of fun on the road. Read on to see which models stand out in 2025 for their urban agility and everyday convenience.

Comments

automobile news

BYD to bring 1000kW electric car charging to UK this year

Autocar

Comments

automobile news

BYD to bring 1000kW electric car charging to UK this year

Mazda 6e

The best city cars – driven, rated and ranked

Watch: Up close with radical Jaguar Type 00 concept at Goodwood

Honda shows baby EV concept at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Skoda Elroq vRS

MG Cyber X SUV could be on UK roads by 2027

Used Mazda 6 2013-2023 review

Alpine to introduce bespoke, button-heavy interiors with next A110

Renault 5 Turbo 3E: £140k hyper-hatch sold out until 2028

Denza B5: 677bhp hybrid Defender rival lands in UK

Christoph Häußinger: Meet the man transforming Audi's lighting design

Bugatti Mistral

Porsche's Cayenne EV is nearly here – and we've been for a ride

Ferrari F80

Jaecoo 5 to arrive in UK this year Evoque rival

Audi design guru reveals the true meaning of Vorsprung durch Technik

Bold new logo for Range Rover as brand gears up for first EV

Christian Horner sacked as Red Bull F1 team boss

Skoda Superb

Ford Tourneo Connect

My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep.148)

Lexus RZ

Aston Martin Vantage S returns as 202mph V8 brawler

Audi design guru talks the true meaning of Vorsprung durch Technik

Bentley begins new era with radical raised limousine

Blue Train: Driving the vintage GT that's inspired Bentley's future

The best supercars: driven and ranked

Ineos Grenadier gets portal axles for £147k

Jaecoo and Omoda owner launches Chery as third UK brand

The best electric family cars – driven, rated and ranked

Revived Freelander brand reveals new logo ahead of first car in 2026

New Kia EV5: VW ID 4 rival lands in Europe ahead of 2026 launch

Families rally against cuts to lollipop crossings

Why we need another era of affordable hot hatchbacks

Renault taps metaverse tech in race to build cars quicker

Next Lamborghini Urus to keep hybrid power as EV delayed

Goodwood Festival of Speed 2025 preview: all the biggest launches

Volvo EX30

Is there a better hot hatch than the Honda Civic Type R?

Inside the new range-extender that could change the world

Kia chief confirms new city car in next wave of EVs