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Compare the best cheap small cars

High quality affordable small cars from rated and reviewed dealers

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Rated 4.6/5 from 49,181 reviews
blue dacia sandero driving

Best small affordable cars of 2024

A tight budget is no barrier to owning a decent car. These compact hatchbacks are all value-for-money champions. Carwow’s expert reviewers rate these as the 10 best affordable new cars on sale in the UK.

Dacia Sandero

1. Dacia Sandero

8/10
Dacia Sandero review
Consistently one of the least expensive new cars on sale, the Sandero is not as small and cramped as you might expect, making it even better value for money. You get what you need (air conditioning, an eight-inch touchscreen and digital radio) and little else. Sure, it's lacking in some of the creature comforts you get in more expensive cars, but it is way more comfortable and refined than the previous model. The Euro NCAP safety rating is poor though.
Hyundai i10

2. Hyundai i10

8/10
Hyundai i10 review
The dinky i10 is actually a little bit pricey for one so small (it’s a size down on the Sandero, for instance) but the smallest Hyundai makes up for that with good quality, a long five-year warranty, and the prospect of excellent reliability in the long term. You get a touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, along with lots of safety kit.
MG MG4 EV
2024
Urban Living Award
Highly Commended

3. MG 4

9/10
MG MG4 EV review
Battery range up to 323 miles
You’ll struggle to find a cheaper new electric car than the MG 4. Not only is it great value, the MG is fun to drive and looks great too. Even the basic SE spec comes with autonomous emergency braking, a 10.25-inch colour touchscreen, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In fact, we’re such big fans of the MG 4 that we named it our 2023 Car of the Year.
SEAT Ibiza

4. SEAT Ibiza

8/10
SEAT Ibiza review
For a similar price to the Fiesta, the cheapest Ibiza gets you an 80hp 1.0-litre engine (5hp more than the equivalent Ford!) while the SE trim gets you an 8.25-inch touchscreen and 15-inch alloy wheels. It’s basically a Volkwagen Polo with a £1,000 discount, making it even more of a value prospect.
Toyota Aygo X

5. Toyota Aygo X

7/10
Toyota Aygo X review
Want a little rugged SUV aesthetic from your small city car? The Toyota Aygo X might just be the perfect car for you. It gets chunky body cladding and the alloy wheels go up to 18 inches, a great combination with its sharp styling. We'd recommend the slick manual gearbox over the noisy automatic, and there are some scratchy plastics in the cabin, but overall this is a fun, affordable city car.
Kia Picanto
2024
Smart Spender Award
Highly Commended

6. Kia Picanto

7/10
Kia Picanto review
Regularly competing with the Sandero for cheapest new car on the market, the Picanto is a tempting option. It’s no hair-shirt, though - OK, so you won’t get a touchscreen nor alloy wheels on the basic entry model, but you do get a zippy 1.0-litre engine, Bluetooth connection, and front electric windows. And, of course, Kia’s brilliant seven-year warranty.
Suzuki Swift

7. Suzuki Swift

6/10
Suzuki Swift review
Don’t fancy spending north of £20,000 on a Mini? Then get a Swift instead. For a good chunk less, the Swift offers Mini-like styling and handling that’s not too far south of what a Cooper can offer. OK, so it’s not very sophisticated, and the cabin is full of cheap, black plastic, but you do get 16-inch alloys, LED headlights, air conditioning, and radar cruise control. And more pennies left in the piggy bank.
Vauxhall Corsa

8. Vauxhall Corsa

7/10
Vauxhall Corsa review
The Corsa’s always been a big seller, and the current model is a firm favourite with buyers. It shares a chassis and engines with the Peugeot 208, so it’s quite sophisticated to drive. Entry level models get a 7.0-inch touchscreen, 16-inch alloy wheels, climate control, automatic emergency braking and speed-sign recognition, so it’s a bit of a bargain too. Spend more and you can get an electric version.
Renault Clio

9. Renault Clio

9/10
Renault Clio review
Small and stylish, the Clio cuts quite a visual dash for less than £20,000, and you get decent standard equipment too - a 7.0-inch touchscreen with built-in sat-nav, automatic high-beam headlights, automatic air conditioning, and keyless ignition. It uses the same 90hp three-cylinder turbo engine as the Dacia Sandero, but you do get classier surroundings…
Skoda Fabia

10. Skoda Fabia

9/10
Skoda Fabia review
Skoda’s always been strong on value, and while the new Fabia isn’t much cheaper than rivals, it is a bigger car than most others here, with a massive 380-litre boot and a cabin design that’s far nicer and classier than most. Standard equipment includes 15-inch alloys, a 6.5-inch touchscreen, and LED headlights.

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Cheap small cars FAQs

Of the cars on this list, either the Kia Picanto or the Hyundai i10 are likely to be the best choices for reliability. Not only do the Korean companies have excellent reputations for building solid cars, they’re backed up by long five-year (Hyundai) and seven-year (Kia) warranties.

For more information, check out our rundown of the best new car warranties.

If you’re really economising, it’s the Kia Picanto that’s the cheapest, and therefore the one that you’ll care least about if you damage it or need to repair it. Otherwise, the best choices are probably the default Vauxhall Corsa or Ford Fiesta, as they’re solidly built, easy to drive, and easy and cheap to service and repair.

Looking for a car for a new driver? Take a look at our recommended cars for first time drivers.

Somewhat surprisingly, it’s the Dacia Sandero that’s the fastest — the basic 90 TCE version taking just 11.7sec to cover the 0-62mph sprint. Most of the rest here are on the wrong side of 12secs, and the Hyundai i10 takes a glacial 15.9secs.

The winner here is the Suzuki Swift, which as standard now gets a 1.2-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine with a figure of 59.7mpg on the combined fuel economy cycle, according to the official WLTP test.

The two best-performers in terms of VED tax for the first year are the Suzuki Swift and the Dacia Sandero, both of which will at present cost you £85 in the first year. Most of the rest will be £210 or more. For insurance, the Dacia Sandero, Hyundai i10, and Renault Clio are all in Group 3 for insurance, while the Ford Fiesta, and Skoda Fabia are in Group 2. The Nissan Micra actually dips into Group 1, but the Suzuki Swift is surprisingly high-rated, in Group 9.

Not sure what an insurance group is? Our handy guide tells you everything you need to know about car insurance groups.

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