In this post entitled City Cars, have a guess at what I am going to be discussing! I imagine that wasn’t too hard a guess. Whilst the following cars arent made by Mini themselves they offer an alternative that are also pretty mini in terms of size, like Ford KA Cars, that kind of vehicle.
The city car is a car that is very much designed to get you form A-B not A-Z. They are incredibly effective if you only drive short distances at any one time, which makes them particularly good for anyone who’s driving is confined to the back drop of one city, rather than someone who needs a car that will take them from city to city on say, their daily commute. They are more popular than ever, so let us round a few up.
Kia Rio
The Kia Rio can be bought in supermini hatch back form which makes it a good choice for any city dweller. Not only is it small and nimble, it is also well equipped and one of our favourite superminis to look at. Also if you are into the environment, the Rio may impress you especially if you consider the diesel engine. The 1.1 litre diesel allows you to do anywhere up to 88.3 mpg and its CO2 emission are kept so low that the Diesel Rio qualifies for free road tax. The Rio also offers a good deal of space considering its size, and it feels comfortable on the motorway making the Rio more than just a City Car.
Seat Mii
Say hello to the Seat Mii, the epitome of the City Car. The Volkswagen Group are no stranger to producing good city cars, and the Seat Mii is arguably their best one yet. Well, honestly it isn’t much different to its Skoda and Volkswagen cousins, but it is just as fun to drive and it is cheaper than the VW Up. As you would expect with such a car it has a good MPG, 60 – 69 depending on which engine you go for. The Mii is another that is deceiving in terms of space and comfort, from looking at it, cramp and pain might come to mind, but the Mii makes excellent use of its shape and is surprisingly spacious. It is a pretty fun car to drive also, I had a go in a friend’s second hand Seat Mii a couple of months ago and it was a lot more exciting than I was expecting.
Skoda Citigo
The Skoda Citigo is the cousin that I have mentioned in the previous paragraph. Whilst I personally prefer the Seat Mii the Skoda Citigo is still well worth considering if you are in the market for a City Car. It is more or less the same price as the Mii so you should be looking to spend between £7,850 and £10,550 depending on what model you pick which is pretty cheap considering how much a second hand Skoda Citigo would cost (at the minute you can get a used one from £7000 to £9500). Honestly there isn’t much difference at all between the Citigo and the Mii, and I imagine the same goes for the Volkswagen Up, so all three are well worth putting on your list of best city cars, if you have one that is.
Renault Twingo
The Renault Twingo is a city car that is cheeky in its appearance and perky to drive. There is only one choice of engine with the Renault Twingo, and it is relatively economical; it can do 60.1mpg and it produces 108g/km of CO2 emissions. Whilst this sounds good some of the Twingo’s diesel rivals are much better. As of now a Renault Twingo would cost you £10,715, however you can save a fair bit if you buy a second hand Renault Twingo which are currently around the £4,000 mark.