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Best small car: which used models and engines to choose for town and commuting

Which used small car should you buy? The best generations, engines and gearboxes for town driving, commuting and the occasional longer trip.

October 29, 2026

Best small car: which used models and engines to choose for town and commuting

Key takeaways

For town driving, the Toyota Aygo II (2014–2022) and its technical twins, the Citroën C1 II and Peugeot 108, are a good fit, always with the 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and five-speed manual gearbox.
For both town and commuting, the all-rounder is the Škoda Fabia III (2014–2022) with the 1.0 TSI 70 kW engine (from 2017) and a manual gearbox. It is also the only car in this selection available as an estate, with a 530-litre boot.
If you want an automatic, look at the Toyota Yaris III Hybrid 1.5 with a system output of 74 kW (in Comfort trim from 2014–2017 it returned 4.4 l/100 km in the ADAC test) and the Honda Jazz 2015–2020 with the 1.5 i-VTEC 96 kW engine and CVT gearbox.
Drivers who want a light petrol car with a manual gearbox and enjoy driving should consider the Mazda2 III with the 1.5 Skyactiv-G 66 kW engine or the Suzuki Swift RZ/AZ with the 1.2 Dualjet 66 kW engine.

The best small car is the one that matches the way you drive. For short trips around town, the smallest class of car is enough. For regular commuting or carrying adults in the back, a larger small car is the better buy, or possibly a small estate. With a used car, you are choosing a specific generation, engine and gearbox: over the years, cars with very different technology have been sold under the same name. The selection below therefore offers six options for different situations. For each one, it gives the engine and gearbox combination that has a good reputation on the used market.

Best small car for town and commuting: overview

For mostly urban driving, the smallest class with a 1.0-litre petrol engine is enough. If you commute regularly or carry other adults, you will appreciate a larger small car with some power in reserve. In this selection, an automatic is offered by the Toyota Yaris III Hybrid and the Honda Jazz with CVT. More options are covered in the article on the small automatic car. A small electric car is a separate topic.

Model and generation	Years	Body style	Recommended engine and gearbox	Best for
Toyota Aygo II, Citroën C1 II, Peugeot 108	Aygo II: 2014–2022; C1 II and 108 from the same technical family	hatchback	1.0 petrol, five-speed manual	mostly town driving, second car in the household
Škoda Fabia III	2014–2022; 1.0 TSI engine from 2017	hatchback, estate	1.0 TSI 70 kW, manual	town and regular commuting, small estate
Toyota Yaris III	2011–2020; 1.33 engine until the 2017 facelift	hatchback	1.33 73 kW, manual; Hybrid 1.5 74 kW, automatic	short trips, traffic jams, buyers interested in a hybrid
Mazda2 III	generation launched in 2015	hatchback	1.5 Skyactiv-G 66 kW, manual	single drivers or couples who enjoy driving
Suzuki Swift RZ/AZ	generation launched in 2017; versions before the 2020 facelift	hatchback	1.2 Dualjet 66 kW, five-speed manual	town and country roads, light and agile car
Honda Jazz	2015–2020; 1.5 engine from 2018	hatchback	1.5 i-VTEC 96 kW, CVT or manual	buyers who want an automatic and a versatile interior

The Aygo, C1 and 108 were developed together and share their technology. When looking for a used one, you can therefore consider all three, which widens the choice.

Toyota Aygo II, Citroën C1 II and Peugeot 108: mainly for town

Recommended combination: 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and five-speed manual gearbox.

The Toyota Aygo II and its French siblings suit people who mostly drive alone or with one passenger and want to fit into any parking space. In everyday stop-start driving, a small body and low weight are more useful than extra power. The 1.0-litre engine with a manual gearbox is fully up to the job.

Compared with the larger cars in this selection, they tend to be cheaper to buy and cheaper on everyday consumables such as tyres. Their weak points are the modest space in the back and in the boot, and less comfort when fully loaded. They can manage a longer trip, but anyone who drives on the motorway regularly will be happier with one of the larger models below.

This recommendation applies only to the 1.0-litre engine with a manual gearbox. Other engines and automated manual gearboxes are not part of this selection.

Škoda Fabia III: an everyday all-rounder

Recommended combination: 1.0 TSI 70 kW with a manual gearbox, available from 2017.

The Škoda Fabia III is a sensible middle ground between a tiny city car and a larger family hatchback. It suits someone who drives through town in the morning, carries on along country roads and occasionally takes passengers. The turbocharged engine pulls from low revs, so you do not have to rev it hard on the daily commute.

Its strengths are clear controls and space. The hatchback has a 330-litre boot, while the Estate offers 530 litres. If you expect a small car to carry a pushchair or luggage for a weekend away, the estate gives you something the other models in this selection do not.

The weaker points are a plain interior and, on some used examples, sparse equipment. For a driver who wants one small car for everything, the Fabia III is one of the most practical options in this selection.

Toyota Yaris III: petrol manual or city hybrid

Recommended combinations: 1.33 73 kW with a manual gearbox, or Hybrid 1.5 with a system output of 74 kW and an automatic gearbox.

The Toyota Yaris III from 2011–2020 offers two quite different routes. The 1.33 four-cylinder petrol engine, sold until the 2017 facelift, suits buyers who want a conventional engine and manual gearbox. For brisk acceleration it needs higher revs than the Fabia's turbocharged engine.

The hybrid is at its best in heavy traffic. It pulls away smoothly, you do not have to change gear, and it recovers some energy when braking. The Toyota Yaris 1.5 Hybrid Comfort from 2014–2017 achieved combined consumption of 4.4 l/100 km in the ADAC test. You will notice its advantage over the petrol engine most when you are constantly pulling away and slowing down, and less on long runs at a steady speed. Its drawbacks are a noisier engine under hard acceleration and usually a higher used price. The fuel consumption of hybrids and petrol engines is compared in the article on the most economical small car.

This recommendation applies only to the Yaris III. In the 2026 ADAC breakdown statistics, the newer Yaris first registered in 2021–2023 is among the small cars with an unfavourable rating. According to auto motor und sport, this is mainly due to flat starter batteries rather than the hybrid drive, and Toyota has been fitting a stronger battery since November 2024.

Mazda2 III: the petrol choice for keen drivers

Recommended combination: 1.5 Skyactiv-G 66 kW with a manual gearbox.

The third-generation Mazda2, launched in 2015, appeals to drivers for whom a small car is more than an appliance for getting from A to B. It steers pleasantly and has a naturally aspirated petrol engine that responds smoothly to the throttle. A manual gearbox suits its character well.

When overtaking, you need to be more willing to shift down. The reward is a natural delivery of power with no turbo lag. For both town and commuting, the 1.5 Skyactiv-G is a good alternative to small turbocharged engines.

The rear seats are not its strong point. If you often carry adults in the back, the Honda Jazz has a more practical layout. If you mostly use the front seats, the Mazda2 is a well-judged compromise between urban agility and driving enjoyment.

Suzuki Swift RZ/AZ: lightness instead of a big engine

Recommended combination: 1.2 Dualjet 66 kW and five-speed manual gearbox, versions before the 2020 facelift.

The Suzuki Swift RZ/AZ, launched in 2017, benefits from low weight and a compact body. It is agile in town, and on country roads it does not need a lot of power to be fun. The naturally aspirated 1.2 Dualjet engine with a manual gearbox matches that character well.

It suits drivers who want undemanding controls and do not regularly carry heavy loads. Compared with the Fabia it feels more playful, and compared with the Aygo, C1 and 108 city trio it is more versatile. The cost-conscious design does show in the sound insulation and interior materials, though. Anyone expecting quiet and the feel of a bigger car will be disappointed.

Honda Jazz 2015–2020: automatic and a clever interior

Recommended combination: 1.5 i-VTEC 96 kW, available from 2018, with a CVT or manual gearbox.

This generation of the Honda Jazz uses its body mainly for the benefit of its occupants. The versatile rear seats are a real help when you alternate between carrying passengers and bulky items. Anyone who finds ordinary small hatchbacks cramped should take a look at the Jazz.

The 1.5 i-VTEC engine with 96 kW has power in reserve outside town too, and with the CVT gearbox it suits relaxed everyday driving without changing gear. The downsides are a higher used price and a smaller choice of cars with this engine. The Jazz is therefore not the pick for the cheapest small car. You are paying extra for a usable interior and easy controls.

What to watch out for when choosing

Same model, different technology

The recommendations apply to the stated generation, engine and gearbox. With models that were built for a long time, two similar-looking cars can hide completely different powertrains. The listing must therefore match the whole combination, not just the make and model range. What to look for when choosing a small car is summarised in the article How to choose a small city car.

The smallest car is not always the best buy

If you regularly carry other adults or mix town driving with longer trips, the low purchase price of the smallest class stops being an advantage. A larger small car is a better compromise in that case. If you want to sit higher, you will find tips in the articles on the small SUV for the city and the small car with a high seating position.

Low mileage does not mean an easy life

A city car can have low mileage and still have thousands of cold starts and short trips behind it. That is why regular time-based servicing matters, even if the car has spent most of its life parked. A well-kept example with a documented service history is a better buy than a cheaper car with no history.

A model's good reputation is no substitute for an inspection

A model's reputation helps narrow the choice, but the condition of a specific car is determined by an inspection, diagnostics and a test drive. When buying through Carvago, this work is done by CarAudit™.

Carvago: a used small car in exactly the combination you want

A specific generation with the recommended engine and gearbox is a narrow filter, and a local market often offers only a handful of such cars. Carvago has the widest selection of used cars: around a million cars from dealers in several European countries. The choice of small cars is therefore considerably larger, usually by an order of magnitude, than on a local market. Through the Carvago Blacklist, Carvago does not include problematic models in its offer at all.

Before it is sold, every car is checked by a technician as part of CarAudit™, with up to 270 checkpoints. The inspection covers the available information on the car's history and legal status, the exterior, interior and technical components, diagnostics and a test drive. You know the result before you decide to buy, and Carvago guarantees the condition stated in the CarAudit™ certificate.

Before the sale, Carvago buys the car from the original seller, becomes its owner and takes on its risks. You therefore buy directly from Carvago. Once the purchase is approved, Carvago uses a power of attorney to handle the paperwork, including registering the car in your country, and as standard delivers it to your door. You can drive off as soon as you take delivery.

FAQ

Why are the Renault Clio and Kia Picanto missing from the selection?

Because of the reputation of specific generations. In the ADAC used-car ratings, the Renault Clio IV from 2012–2020 has below-average reliability on the road. The Kia Picanto II from 2011–2017 comes out below average in technical inspections.

Does a diesel make sense in a small used car?

Not for mostly short urban trips. A diesel suits regular longer journeys in which the engine and exhaust system warm up properly. For town driving and commuting, a petrol engine or a hybrid is the better choice.

Is a five-door body worth it if I mostly drive alone?

Yes, if you occasionally carry passengers or put things on the back seats. Rear doors make getting in easier and help when fitting a child seat. A three-door version only makes sense if you rarely use the rear of the cabin.

Which equipment is worth paying extra for?

Above all, air conditioning. In town, parking sensors or a reversing camera are also useful, especially on a car with poor rear visibility. Large wheels with low-profile tyres, on the other hand, reduce a small car's comfort and make replacing the tyres more expensive.