Best Small Cars with Big, Spacious Boots

We hear you – we know you want a modestly sized, affordable and economical car, but this doesn’t mean you want to compromise on outright space.

Indeed, while the very definition of a ‘small car’ would suggest the flip-side is a limitation on practicality, the truth is there are plenty of manageable small cars out there that have been expertly packaged to maximise space.

After all, who doesn’t want a big boot to swallow those suitcases for a family holiday, to lug bulky items from point-to-point and to make sure you can splurge as much as you want at the shops.

Check out these great value cars that won’t overfill a parking space but still have a big enough boot to fill with your precious booty.

Hyundai KONA

Boot Space: 466-litres

With raised ride heights and optimum visibility, it’s little wonder that small SUVs have proven so popular, but they’re also great options if you’re looking for a particularly spacious model.

The most impressive of these, however, is the Hyundai KONA, which packs a generous 466-litre boot into its rear-end, making it marginally larger than its Ford Puma and Volkswagen T-Cross rivals.

What helps further is the rear bumper is fairly low, which improves access considering its ride-height, while it is a good shape to nestle in suitcases.

The large boot complements an already accomplished car, the KONA offering a well-equipped, quality interior, frugal engine choices and – if you’re inclined – futuristic styling that stands out on the road.

Skoda Scala

Boot Space: 467-litres

A real champion of cars that offer vast amounts of space, the Skoda Scala hatchback has rivals like the Ford Focus and even the Volkswagen Golf – upon which shares its underpinnings – comfortably beaten.

At 467-litres, the Scala’s boot is genuinely large for a hatchback body shape, while it has a flat load lip and, if you want to get even more space, you can fold the rear seats down for a cavernous 1410-litres.

Overall, the Scala is the thinking person’s choice of car with its well thought out interior that can comfortably accommodate five people and their luggage.

But, if the Scala isn’t big enough for you and you don’t mind having something larger – but not too large – in dimension on the driveway, the Skoda Octavia with its 600-litre boot makes a logical choice too.

Volkswagen T-Cross

Boot Space: 455-litres

The Volkswagen T-Cross has a lot going for it, and not just because it is a funky little SUV with that reassuring VW badge on it.

Boasting a squared-off, upright profile to give it a trendy utilitarian appearance on the outside, it means the T-Cross is also advantageously shaped for a spacious interior.

This stretches to the boot area where a 455-litre space opens-up to prove more capacious than a Ford Puma and Peugeot 2008.

Beyond that, the T-Cross is the quality product you’d expect from Volkswagen, while it is also cheap to insure and great value for money.

Kia EV3

Boot Space: 460-litres

The Kia EV3 is once again proof that electric cars can be much more than simply economical, emissions free vehicles that cost pennies to run.

Indeed, pop a conventional engine in the EV3 and it’d still be among the very best in the class with its bold, chunky styling a real standout on the road and a quality interior experience too. Electric range of 375-miles, however, is particularly impressive.

Not only that, the EV3 packs a lot of space into its modest size with its 460-litre boot far out-ranking other similar electric hatchbacks like the Volvo EX30 and Smart #1.

It even has a clever trick in that the boot floor can be adjusted to have more depth if you need it, but if you don’t then it allows the floor to be level with the boot lip to make loading easier.

Renault Megane E-Tech

Boot Space: 440-litres

As the manufacturer that gave us the Scenic and Espace over the years, Renault has made developing practical and spacious family cars its forte.

Now the latest generation Renault Megane E-Tech has taken on the baton as a spacious model without too much external real estate taking up the road.

With a 440-litre boot, is both large and deep to stop items rolling around, while it has a storage area under the boot floor, though this is likely to be taken up with the charging cable.

Beyond that, the latest Megane is a triumph of sleek and svelte design that really stands out, while it is refined on the move and boasts a quality interior.

Ford Tourneo Courier

Boot Space: 570-litres (up to parcel shelf)

If a large boot is front and centre of your new car wish list but you don’t want to stretch to a large SUV or an estate, then the Ford Tourneo Courier is an exceptional alternative.

True, you are getting a so-called ‘van with windows’ per se since the Courier started life as a Transit before being converted for passengers to join Ford’s Tourneo range.

However, any misgivings you might have are easily allayed by the fact the Tourneo Courier is actually quite a sharp looker with its boxy profile and edgy design touches.

And it all has a positive effect on interior space with a massive 570-litres of boot space on offer up to the parcel shelf, rising to an immense 1002-litres from floor-to-roof. All in a car that is shorter than a Focus.

Vauxhall Astra Estate

Boot Space: 517-litres

While estates have become a rare breed in recent years, a load lugging version of a small family car is among the best ways to get a model with lots of space without being unwieldy on the road.

Options include the Skoda Octavia Estate – though it’s quite large in this company – the SEAT or Cupra Leon Estate and Toyota Corolla Touring Sports.

However, the most spacious estate out there is the Vauxhall Astra Estate, which offers 517-litres in a space that is broad and tall enough to swallow large bulky items with aplomb.

Better yet, the extra bodywork on the rear-end actually suits the Astra’s sharp ‘Vizor’ styling direction, while it is also a refined and premium feeling product.

Dacia Jogger

Boot Space: 712-litres (five seats)

The Dacia Jogger may be a seven-seater, but if you only need those extra two perches on an infrequent basis, it also works as a hugely spacious five-seat car.

Blurring the lines between estate and multi-purpose vehicle, the Jogger is difficult to pigeon-hole, but you won’t get a more spacious or practical car in its great value price bracket.

As a five-seater, the Jogger offers a huge 712-litres of space, which is much larger than in even bigger, more expensive estates on the market.

Spacious and very affordable, with prices starting below £20,000, the Jogger complements its great value status with frugal engine range, including Hybrid options.