Which Small Car Is Best?


The quick answer is the one that fits your lifestyle and budget. But with over 30 small cars for sale in the UK and so many geat deals out there at the moment both new and used it gets more complicated.


Probably the first thing to consider is do you need a tiny city car about 3.5m long or a larger small car near 4m long? Obviously the difference is in size, rear passenger space and boot capacity. The larger small cars are also more likely to be 5-star Euro NCAP rated.


As the best small car is the one that fits your lifestyle be certain the size is all you need - it fits. To make an early unplanned change because a small car wasn't big enough could would cost a fortune in depreciation -the equivalent of several years petrol costs.


Other points to watch out for:

• It's not necessarily the case the newest models are significantly better than ones that have been about for a few years. I'll compare the VW Polo and Mazda2 in a moment.
• When cars rank closely for fuel consumption the DVLA make the point they are lab' figures and in real driving conditions there may be no significant difference in economy.
• Only consider diesel if you are a high mileage driver because it can take near 50,000 miles - even more - before savings in fuel consumption pay back the added cost of buying a diesel car.
• A car being in the top ten new car best sellers list is not social proof it's the best. New car sales volume is heavily influenced by marketing. It does not take into account popularity in the used car market which is more than 3 times the size of the new market. It seems most small cars have their own loyal fan base.
• Pundits are paid to be critical of cars. It's fair to say the vast majority of small cars on the market deliver what they promise. A Kia Picanto isn't pretending to be a RenaultSport Clio.

If we compare the new model VW Polo with the Mazda2 which appears unchanged for a number of years we can see differences and similarities. There was only £310 difference in their entry prices in April. As you walk up the model options the Polo gets more expensive. They're very similar in length. Both are 5-star EuroNCAP rated with ESC as standard.


The Mazda2 1.3 petrol engines are more economical than the Polo 1.2 options. They're also cleaner and quicker. The Mazda2 1.5 is also quicker than the 1.4 Polo. The Polo 1.4 auto is more efficient than the Mazda2 option. The Polo also has high performance 1.2 and 1.4 models. The 1.6 diesel engines in both cars are very similar. The Polo has 1.2 diesel options which are more economical.


As I remember the Mazda2 was launched in 2006 for 2007 but you can see it can still hold its own against the latest competition. This is because legislation and industry targets for engine efficiency and safety means cars will be similar if their solutions meet these standards.


If a car is in the same class as another it will be a similar size and have similar space. The only real differences are in the way you personally feel about a cars styling and comfort. As they're matters for your personal taste you can see it's difficult to go wrong when trying to find the best small car for you. If the car size fits your life and it's affordable , you like the look and feel of it then it's one of the best small cars for you.


I say one of the best small cars because several will probably fit the bill. In that case go for the best deal. There are certainly plenty of great deals about this summer on both new and used cars.


Regards
Ralph