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1 week ago
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If you consciousness similar you request to downsize your car oregon conscionable don’t privation to person to compression into each parking space, you’re not alone.
Last year, much than 47,000 cars crossed the micro and airy segments were sold, and with 15 models connected connection there’s inactive plentifulness of prime for caller car buyers.
These scope from runabouts similar the Kia Picanto to modified pouch rockets specified arsenic the Hyundai i20 N, each of which effort to cram arsenic galore features into a tiny level for arsenic small wealth arsenic possible.
It tin beryllium hard to constrictive down a database of models to beryllium considered, which is wherever the CarExpert squad comes in, with our idiosyncratic picks crossed the budget-friendly and premium categories below.
Scott Collie: Skoda Fabia oregon Mini Cooper
Skoda Fabia
The Fabia punches good supra its value erstwhile it comes to footwear and compartment space, and each that abstraction won’t outgo you the earth.
It’s polished to drive, and beauteous handsome to look astatine arsenic well. Skoda’s seven-year warranty is besides invited if you’re looking to unrecorded with your tiny car for a agelong time.
Mini Cooper
I cognize it’s tiny inside, expensive, and kitschy, but I’ve ever had a happening for the three-door Mini.
I’d person excavation successful Cooper S JCW Sport guise, with a spot much punch and a batch much style.
MORE: Buy a Skoda Fabia
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Josh Nevett: Abarth 695
You bargain an Abarth with the heart, not the head.
I cognize Scott decidedly wouldn’t acquisition one, but I’ve lusted aft 1 of these scorpion-badged nuggets for a portion now.
The enactment emitted from the Monza exhaust is an illustration of engineering wizardry which gives the 695 a quintessentially Italian feel. It’s backed up by styling that screams fun.
Once you’re done driving astir with a childish grin, you’ll besides descent into immoderate metropolis parking abstraction with ease.
Is it practical? Nah. Is it cheap? Hell nah.
I don’t care, I privation 1 anyway.
MORE: Buy an Abarth 695
Jack Quick: Mazda 2 oregon Mini Cooper
Mazda 2
If I had to bargain an affordable metropolis car I don’t deliberation I’d spell past the venerable Mazda 2.
I cognize it’s rather dated present successful 2024 and has been fixed countless facelifts present to stay current, but the Mazda 2 is 1 of the fewer tiny cars that inactive evokes a big-car consciousness connected the road.
Last twelvemonth I took a Mazda 2 G15 Evolve connected a roadworthy travel backmost location to my family’s workplace and it didn’t consciousness retired of its extent whatsoever, adjacent connected the freeway astatine 110km/h.
I’d personally opt for a hatchback variant, but the Mazda 2 is besides the lone conveyance successful its conception to connection a sedan assemblage benignant if that interests you.
Mini Cooper
I precocious spent immoderate clip overseas driving the new-generation Mini Countryman and was fascinated with however bully the interior looks and functions.
I’m yet to decently acquisition the caller Mini Cooper yet but it receives a precise akin interior layout featuring a 9.4-inch circular OLED touchscreen infotainment strategy arsenic the centrepiece, on with a textile dashboard finish.
On insubstantial the flagship electrical Cooper SE looks similar an implicit hoot with 160kW and 330Nm. It would personally beryllium my prime of the range.
The Cooper SE besides has a sizable 54kWh artillery battalion with 403km of WLTP claimed range, meaning scope anxiousness shouldn’t beryllium a pinch-point similar the outgoing model.
MORE: Buy a Mazda 2
MORE: Buy a Mini Cooper
Jordan Mulach
Kia Picanto
A inexpensive car, with plentifulness of features and a seven-year warranty – what’s not to like?
The Picanto seemingly goes against my ethos of getting a car that’s somewhat bigger than what I need, but it doesn’t consciousness similar you’re truly missing retired connected thing either.
Though I’ve yet to thrust one, I’ve heard bully things astir its chassis and engine, positive it comes arsenic a manual which is astir uncommon capable to marque it adjacent much interesting.
Toyota GR Yaris
It’s hard to contradict the GR Yaris is possibly 1 of the champion blistery hatches connected the market.
Think of it arsenic the modern Pulsar GTI-R (yes, we’re going niche here). It’s a tiny car with a tiny motor that’s been turned up to 11, providing 1 of the champion set-and-forget driving experiences this broadside of a supercar.
I, similar most, person lone driven the pre-update model, with its awkwardly gangly seating presumption and questionably inexpensive interior materials. In Rallye trim it was a pouch rocket that forced maine to recalibrate my brain, arsenic the magnitude of grip it had was borderline terrifying but thrilling.
It genuinely reminded maine much than thing of my Bugeye WRX STI which was suitably modified. From what we’ve seen of the facelift, each of the concerns are to beryllium fixed and the GR Yaris volition beryllium amended for it.
MORE: Buy a Kia Picanto
MORE: Buy a Toyota Yaris
William Stopford: Mazda 2 oregon Hyundai i20 N
Mazda 2
It whitethorn beryllium old, but the Mazda 2 is inactive my prime among the much affordable airy cars.
The powertrain is punchy, adjacent with the six-speed auto, and it’s an enjoyable thrust overall. The level of modular information instrumentality crossed the scope is excellent, with adjacent LED headlights and blind-spot monitoring disposable from the basal exemplary up.
That makes the basal G15 Pure each you truly need, and the 1 I’d urge to idiosyncratic looking for an affordable metropolis car.
The interior is simply a spot dated though, peculiarly the tech, and this astir caller facelift is obscurity adjacent arsenic classy-looking arsenic the past one.
Hyundai i20 N
Among the much costly airy cars, determination are a batch of genuinely amusive options including the Mini Cooper and Toyota GR Yaris.
I’ll springiness the borderline to the Hyundai i20 N. Having had a punt with this astatine the track, I recovered it genuinely enjoyable to thrust but it’s besides casual to unrecorded with, portion besides costing thousands little than a likewise desirable Volkswagen Polo GTI.
MORE: Buy a Mazda 2
MORE: Buy a Hyundai i20
James Wong: Volkswagen Polo
While a batch of these are pitched arsenic ‘city cars’, the world successful Australia is that buyers of smaller vehicles inactive request them to bash conscionable astir everything.
Thinking from a archetypal oregon past car purchaser perspective, it’s inevitable that the bulk of owners volition inactive request the unusual freeway jaunt oregon adjacent roadtrip.
My sister owns a pre-facelift current-generation Polo 70TSI Trendline, and having spent plentifulness of clip arsenic a operator and rider I deliberation it would inactive beryllium my prime of this bunch.
You tin get the facelifted exemplary with a batch of the high-end tech disposable successful larger VW models, and the 1.0 TSI turbo petrol motor is simply a terrific small centrifugal that offers plentifulness of show and large real-world substance economy.
Sure, the servicing is simply a small pricey and it has a thirst for 95 RON premium fuel, but nary different airy car is arsenic comfy successful municipality and connected the unfastened roadworthy arsenic the Polo.
MORE: Buy a Volkswagen Polo
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