Best city cars on the market today
They offer ultra-low running costs with fun driving characteristics, but which ones are the best on the second-hand market?
The Cazoo editorial team
Published on 12 August 2025 | 1 min read
City cars are the perfect choice if you’re looking for your first car, or you just need a cheap-to-run vehicle.
The second-hand market is flooded with choice, all offering funky styling, decent equipment levels and impressive practicality.
Their low running costs and cheeky driving characteristics make these cars some of the easiest and likeable vehicles to live with on a day-to-day basis.
So, if you’re looking for a used city car, which ones are the best on the market?
We’ve compiled a list of the city cars that you should consider for your next car, which are all available on Cazoo.
Hyundai i10
The i10 is one of the best city cars on the used market as it offers so much for so little.
It’s great fun to drive, comes with an impressive list of standard equipment and there is lots of interior space.
There is a choice of two engines, with either a 1.0-litre naturally-aspirated unit or a punchier 1.0-litre three-cylinder with a turbocharger available.
Plus, if you can find one which is less than five years old, it will have some of the remaining manufacturer’s warranty.
Three-year-old examples with less than 10,000 miles on the clock can be picked up for £10,350, or a higher mileage car for around £10,000.
Kia Picanto
Underneath, the Kia Picanto shares the same underpinnings and chassis as the Hyundai i10.
That means, this little Kia is also great fun to drive, frugal, efficient and very practical for a small car.
If you go for a ‘2’ specification and above, equipment levels are decent, as well as there being a choice of 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engines and a larger 1.25-litre four-cylinder unit.
Expect to pay around £9,000 for a ‘2’ specification registered in 2022 with less than 30,000 miles on the clock. If you want a more premium GT-Line or X-Line car, you’ll have to spend a bit more at £11,000.
Search for used Kia Picanto on Cazoo
Volkswagen Up!
The Volkswagen Up! is a cool and funky urban runabout that has bags of character and a premium image.
It’s available in three and five-door body styles as well as older cars come fitted with a 1.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine, while facelifted cars receive a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged unit, which is peppy and full of charm.
Out on the road and the car’s lightweight body means you can really chuck it into a corner, making it great fun to drive.
There is even an electric version of the car, which is called the ‘e-Up!’ and features a 36.8kWh battery and an electric motor that Volkswagen claims can travel up to 159 miles
On the used market, three-year-old cars with low mileage can be purchased from around £9,750, or £10,750 for a five-door.
However, used e-Ups are priced from £9,900, which makes them a very affordable way into electric motoring.
Toyota Aygo
One of the perfect first cars is the Toyota Aygo as motoring doesn’t get much cheaper than this.
It comes fitted with a 1.0-litre naturally-aspirated three-cylinder petrol engine that delivers a claimed fuel economy figure of 61.4mpg.
It sits in a very low insurance group five, and cars registered before April 1 2017, qualify for £20 a year road tax.
Its funky ‘X-shaped’ front end gives the car a bold look and there are several different colour combinations to make your Aygo stand out from the crowd.
Cars registered from 2022 will set you back around £10,400 with low mileage. However, if you can find an older car before 2017, not only is it a lot cheaper on tax, but prices start from as little as £6,000.
Smart Fortwo
If you don’t carry lots of people and just need a car to simply drive around town, then the Smart Fortwo is well worth a look.
Not only is it one of the shortest cars on the road, but it has only two seats yet an impressive 350-litre boot capacity.
Under the bonnet, there is a choice of a 0.9-litre turbocharged engine or a cheaper 1.0-litre naturally-aspirated option.
Or, there is an electric model, which features a 17kWh battery and an electric motor, which gives a claimed range of up to 96 miles.
The Fortwo has one of the tightest turning circles of any car, and it’s great for nipping through gaps in traffic.
Used examples are very affordable with 2015 cars on the market for £6,000, or electric versions are priced from £7,500 with less than 10,000 miles on the clock.
Fiat 500
The Fiat 500 is one of the most popular city cars around due to its retro styling and cheap running costs.
There are plenty of engines to choose from, including a 0.9-litre two-cylinder unit, a 1.2-litre four-cylinder and a 1.0-litre mild-hybrid.
The 500 is all about style, with its bright interior colour combinations and cutesy exterior design.
It’s also great around town and all the controls are nice and light, which are made even easier with the ‘City’ button, which makes the steering even lighter.
Second-hand prices vary depending on age, colour combination and mileage. Later mild-hybrid cars are priced from £9,000, however, older cars with the 1.2-litre engine can be yours for £6,000.
Suzuki Ignis
The Suzuki Ignis is a cool and unusual alternative on this list as it’s a mini off-roader.
Its exterior proportions are just as compact as any other city car, but this little Suzuki has a raised ride height and can be equipped with four-wheel drive.
The Ignis offers lots of interior space, decent standard equipment levels and has a cheeky charm and character.
It also looks great, with subtle design cues harking back to some of the firm’s models from yesteryear, and there is a great range of bright exterior colours.
Second-hand prices start at around £11,000 for a three-year-old ‘SZ3’ example, or £13,200 for a flagship ‘SZ5’ car.
Search for used Suzuki Ignis on Cazoo
Honda E
If you plan to buy a city car but only drive locally and around town, then the Honda E might be the perfect solution.
It comes with concept car looks, camera door mirrors and one of the most distinctive body styles of any vehicle on the road.
Inside, the dashboard is dominated by screens, while there are bench-like front seats and lots of handy cubby holes.
Underneath, the E comes fitted with a 35.5kWh battery and an electric motor that gives a claimed range of up to 137 miles between trips to the plug.
The E is fun, quirky and above all else, unique and one-of-a-kind.
If you can find a good used example with low mileage, look to spend around £14,400 for a top-of-the-line ‘Advance’ model.