Best Used Small Cars

Small cars have always been a big deal in the UK, with their penny-pinching running costs, affordable prices and unintimidating compact dimensions making them the ideal accessory for tackling towns and scything through cities.

At Vertu, not only are small cars a big deal, there are literally big deals to had on all our small used cars.

Our nationwide network of Vertu dealerships feature a wide and diverse selection of superminis and city cars that will suit every budget, every must-have and every style.

Whether your priority is a low insurance group, a spacious interior, a frugal engine, trendy looks, or all the above, there is a small used car that is just right for you at Vertu.

While the sheer breadth of quality-approved choice might make a decision seem daunting, Vertu is here to help by putting a spotlight on the best used small cars available right now…

Used Ford Fiesta

It might have dropped off new car price lists (for now…) but the ubiquitous Ford Fiesta remains a stellar small used car proposition.

For so long the nation’s favourite car, over time the Fiesta would consolidate that popularity by establishing itself among the most accomplished small cars on the market too.

The most recent generations might be a familiar sight on the road, but the Fiesta still looks remarkably fresh, while the interior’s touch points have a premium feel. Moreover, the Fiesta is still a slick handling small car both in town and on the open road.

It’s generously equipped across the board too with even base models getting air-conditioning, electric windows, electric mirrors and Bluetooth. There is also a wide choice of trims available, including lavishly kitted out Titanium X and Vignale models, not to mention the sporty ST-Line with eye-catching 17-inch alloy wheels and bodykit.

Later models received a punchy 1.0-litre turbo capable of either 99bhp, 124bhp or 138bhp, and these are the pick of the range if you’re looking for sprightly performance on a budget.

Why Buy a Used Ford Fiesta

• An entertaining driving experience
• Wide choice of perky engines and well-equipped trim levels
• Affordable to run and great value to buy

Used Volkswagen Polo

It’s arguably the small car many aspire to owning but a used Volkswagen Polo is not only a savvy choice, it’s more within reach than you might expect.

Owners regularly praise how easy the Polo is to live with, its comfortable, well-built interior and refined driving experience going a long way to making it feel like a value-added purchase.

It’s also spacious with the latest generation boasting one of the largest boots in the class (351-litres) and decent space for three adults in the rear.

A handy spread of engines and trims ensure the Polo can cater for a wide demographic, from those seeking a quality car with affordable running costs and a low insurance group, to others who want a big car feel in compact dimensions.

Why Buy a Used Volkswagen Polo

• Grown-up, mature feeling
• Affordable running costs, low insurance groups
• Quality interior and badge kudos

Used Toyota Yaris

Whether they’re self-charging or plug-in, hybrid cars have become increasingly popular choices on the new car scene.

Such a recent development might lead you to think there won’t be many small hybrid cars filtering onto the used market just yet, but thanks to the Toyota Yaris, you’d be wrong.

In fact, the Yaris has become an unlikely pioneer of the eco-friendly motoring movement, Toyota’s decision to offer a hybrid version in the mid-2010s proving several years ahead of its time.

It serves to make the Toyota Yaris Hybrid a particularly tempting small used car proposition with its frugal fuel returns and easy-to-drive nature making it attractive even before you factor in the fun looks, solid reliability reputation and generous kit.

Why Buy a Used Toyota Yaris

• One of the few small hybrid cars on the used market
• Day-to-day fuel savings and low emission figures
• Fun to look at and drive

Used Vauxhall Corsa

You don’t have to go far to find someone who has driven a Vauxhall Corsa. It might have been their first car, they might have learned to drive in it, it may have belonged to their parents…

Point is, the Vauxhall Corsa has been a reliable go-to small car for decades, its unintimidating nature making it easy to love and even easier to live with.

The model itself has gone through some significant transformations over the years, though the current generation (known as the Corsa F) is arguably the most rounded rendition with its nippy engines, spacious interior and refined driving manners.

Earlier models are a trendy alternative to the Ford Fiesta, while like its famous rival, there is a wide choice of engines and trim levels to assure a good chance of finding a used Corsa with the perfect specification for you.

Why Buy a Used Vauxhall Corsa

• Large choice of engines, trims and specifications
• Easy-to-drive nature makes Corsa an excellent first car
• Roomy, comfortable and well-kitted out

Used MINI Cooper

For those who want to make a big statement in a small car, a used MINI Cooper takes a lot of beating.

Its timeless design remains as trendy now as it was when the model was famously revived at the start of the millennium, a desirability that extends to the myriad ways a previous owner might have customised it.

It means there is a diverse choice of MINI models out there, so searching for a used one that appeals to your style can be a fun experience.

Once you have found a used MINI Cooper to fall in love with, prepare to be blown away by the entertaining driving experience, the fun interior design traits and the overall quality of the package.

Why Buy a Used MINI Cooper

• Timeless design always looks trendy
• Entertaining handling is fun yet still easy-to-live-with
• Feels more special than other small used cars

Used Toyota Aygo X

You won’t need to go far before spotting either a Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 108 or a Citroen C1 on the road, the mechanically identical trio proving a big hit in the UK when they first hit the road in 2005.

Since then, three has whittled down to one with the Toyota Aygo X (as it is now known) the only member of the triumvirate to have continued production, but it’s pint-size appeal – especially to young or first-time drivers – is arguably stronger than ever.

Quite possibly the perfect city car, the Aygo X is both funky to look at and to sit in, while the compact dimensions make it feel agile and taut when nipping through its natural habitat in the city.

Being a Toyota brings its benefits too, not least a five-year warranty that might still have a balance remaining depending on the age of the used Aygo X you’re considering, while the combination of low insurance costs and a solid reliability record offer peace of mind too.

Why Buy a Used Toyota Aygo X

• Funky looks with trendy touches
• Frugal engines, cheap insurance makes Aygo X an excellent first car
• Youthful image backed by strong reliability record

Used Renault Clio

As the nation that brought us the Peugeot 206, Citroen Saxo and Renault Clio, there is a good argument to be made that no other country understands small cars better than the French.

Here we’re highlighting the used Renault Clio, a car that has come on leaps and bounds in recent generations without losing the chic spirit that made the originals of the 1990s such a huge success.

Unusually for a model that has undergone so many bold styling direction changes with each new generation, the Clio remains instantly recognisable and is certainly one of the more interesting models in the class to look at.

Post-2019 Clios get vastly improved interiors, while they are also spacious for the supermini class, while the frisky engines and light steering make light work of heavy traffic.

Why Buy a Used Renault Clio

• Unmistakably chic styling
• Comfortable and spacious
• Later models more mature but still desirable

Used Honda Jazz

It might have accumulated an (unfair) image for putting function over form all the years, but truth be told, the Honda Jazz’s function is actually something to get excited about.

The Japanese manufacturer hasn’t steered too far from the original concept with the Jazz, the unconventional proportions and space-efficient interior layout that revolutionised the small car segment in the early 2000s still its USP today.

It’s a testament to how well Honda got the Jazz right first time that it remains the most practical and flexible small car on the road, from its well thought out interior design to its clever Magic Seats to its airy tall roofline.

Later models introduced hybrid power into the mix, so it is possible to buy a great value used Jazz that will swallow plenty of items and still return upwards of 70mpg.

Why Buy a Used Honda Jazz

• Spacious, flexible interior set-up
• Frugal fuel returns from hybrid engine set-up
• Well-built with a strong reliability record

Used Hyundai i10

City cars that put the emphasis on keeping costs down without skimping on big car features might be few and far between today, but the Hyundai i10 proves you only need one option if you do it properly.

Contrary to what its slight external dimensions would have you believe, the i10 is surprisingly spacious inside, a comfort level that is complemented by a smooth driving experience.

A car that excels in the city, the i10 offers spirited performance, while the light steering makes it nimble through traffic and a doddle to squeeze into parking spaces.

Later models have even dialled up the style, while kit levels are more generous than the price suggests. Better yet, not only did WhatCar? recently name the i10 the UK’s most reliable small car, it was among the UK’s most reliable cars outright too.

Why Buy a Used Hyundai i10

• Old-school city car that nails the formula
• Easy-to-drive, cheap to insure, excellent value
• Big car specification, excellent reliability record

Used Skoda Fabia

While the Skoda Fabia may not come across as the most stirring small car on the road when new, its litany of strengths for day-to-day driving makes a used Skoda Fabia an unignorably enticing prospect.

Sharing its mechanicals with the Volkswagen Polo is a good start, the Fabia feeling similarly grown-up to drive, comfortable to sit in and cheap to run.

Despite the similarities, the Fabia is generally a cheaper proposition than the Polo, making it staggeringly good value-for-money as a used buy.

And that’s before you consider Skoda have also tweaked the platform to offer more interior and boot space than its esteemed German cousin.

Why Buy a Used Skoda Fabia

• Spacious interior with a big boot for a small car
• Refined, mature feeling on the road
• All the qualities of the Polo at great value prices