Best small cars for Motability 2024
Small cars offer Motability users transport to get from A to B, but there's much more to our three picks
Some Motability users just want to get mobile, so a small car is all that's needed. Our picks for the best small cars on Motability consist of some of the best city cars available on the market.
Modern city cars are a long way from the noisy, sparsely equipped boxes of the past, too. These cars offer a surprising amount of sophistication for their size but they’re still far easier on the wallet as well, with some of the lowest running costs of any cars on sale. While these models are at their best in town, they're certainly capable of venturing beyond city streets for longer runs on the motorway when needed.
The best small cars on Motability
These are the best small cars that are currently available through the Motability scheme.
Hyundai i10
The latest Hyundai i10 was already one of the most sophisticated city cars on the road, but a recent facelift has helped to keep it at the top of the class. We’re so impressed with it that we named the i10 our City Car of the Year at the 2023 Auto Express New Car Awards.
The i10’s interior is filled with materials and tech that wouldn’t be out of place in a much larger and pricier car. The i10 is only available as a five-door, but this makes it easy for all passengers to get in and out of, and four adults should be able to get comfortably seated, too. The downside of this sophistication is that it’s not the most thrilling car to drive, but the little Hyundai does remain composed at motorway speeds, unlike some rivals. If you are able to drive a manual car then we’d recommend choosing this, as the automatic transmission can prove very sluggish.
Fiat 500
With zero emissions and endless retro charm, the latest Fiat 500 offers all of the appeal of its ancestors but with even lower running costs. The 500’s compact size makes it a breeze to manoeuvre and park, but the downside is that you may struggle to comfortably fit any taller passengers in the back. However, if you don’t usually carry more than one extra passenger, you’ll not only have a desirable small car on your driveway, but you should save plenty of money on running costs, too.
If you’re considering making the switch to electric power but are a bit worried about range anxiety, opting for the larger 42kWh battery will bag you up to 199 miles on the WLTP combined cycle. When testing the Fiat 500 as part of our long-term fleet, we achieved an average of 140 miles when driving in a variety of conditions. This should still prove plenty when zipping around the city streets where the 500 truly shines. That said, the little Fiat isn’t too out of its depth on longer journeys, either.
Toyota Aygo X
If you’ve always fancied the styling of an SUV but without any of the bulk, the Toyota Aygo X certainly fulfils this role. If you’re also a fan of standing out, the tiny Toyota’s chunky body panels and bright paint schemes definitely look the part. It’s not all about the looks, though, as there’s plenty of equipment on the inside, along with a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine that can return over 55mpg in both manual and automatic forms.
Although we’d like to see the Aygo X gain a similar hybrid powertrain to that of its Yaris supermini sibling, running costs should still be very reasonable. All models come with a decent level of mod cons, too, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, adaptive cruise control and a whole suite of safety tech fitted as standard.
Like the look of these compact models? These are the best small cars you can buy...
