With the continuing expansion of our cities and our rising population, it seems appropriate that there has been a rise in the amount of City Cars on the road. Thanks to their small, dinky dimensions that make us these small hatchbacks, these cars are great for the tight corners and narrow streets that can make up towns and cities.

When it comes to parking on high streets and side alleys, big saloons and expensive sports cars aren’t the most appropriate of choices whereas city cars are perfect for the job.

These cars also great because of their low price tags. They are usually the cheapest cars on the market because of their size, their engine sizes and their perceived amount of usage, however that does not mean that the quality of the car has dropped. They are usually cheaper to insure and cheap to get on finance. They are even cheaper to lease with monthly payments being far less than finance on the majority of leasing deals.

Here are two of the best city cars currently on the market. These demonstrate how good these small city cars really are and why you should consider them if you live in a city or built up area.

Skoda Citigo

Skoda has one of the best superminis on the market in the form of the Fabia. We would have been disappointed if they hadn’t put the same effort or attention to detail into their city car. I am so pleased to say that we are not disappointed with the Citigo. We are thrilled with how this small hatchback has turned out.

It is a keen rival of the Volkswagen Up that is coming up, but beats the UP on price. The starting price for the Citigo is £8,220 and for that you have a 4 seater City Car that feels like it should cost much more.

Speed costs and for the fastest Citigo, there is the 1.0-litre MPI 75 GreenTech SE L model. Its engine has an improved 75 bhp that gets the car to a top speed of 107 mpg and can accelerate from 0-60 in 13.20 seconds.

As you might expect in the Citigo, the interior is basic and practical, taking out anything you will not require. It feels strong and robust and the seats are comfortable. The boot is one of the largest for the City Car class with 251-litres of capacity and the rear seats can be lowered to increase the capacity up to 959-litres.

If you are interested in this car, there are a variety of different ways of purchasing or leasing it. To buy it outright, depending upon the model, the price will be between £8,220-£11,065. Obviously when it comes to finance deals, this will depend upon which finance company you wish to sign up with. Car leasing usually begins for less than £100 on city cars and the Citigo because leasing is cheaper on monthly payments than the majority of finance options.

Volkswagen Up

The Volkswagen Up is the king of the city car after taking tips from its two bigger siblings, the Polo and Golf. The Up looks smart and will stand out when you are nipping it through the city streets. The issue you may have with this city car is that it is by far the most expensive. It is worth considering that is it similar to the Citigo is a majority of ways. It might be harder to see why it deserves such a higher price tag.

The truth is the interior. While other city cars have basic interiors, Volkswagen Up has an interior with the same high quality as more expensive Volkswagen models. The styling remains very simple. However instead of simply having a grey feel, you can customise the interior with brighter colour options. Regarding the boot space, it comes with a 251-litre capacity.

Engine-wise, the Up comes with a three-cylinder 1.0-litre petrol engine that delivers either 59-bhp, or 74bhp or 89 bhp depending upon the model of your choice. The fuel economy of the Up is similar to the Citigo with 61-68 mpg. The bhp ranges from 60-75 bhp. 0-60 times can different between 15.3 seconds and 13.2 seconds. The base model, Up 1.0-litre Take Up has a top speed of 99 MPH & goes from 0-60 in 14.40 seconds. This all comes from the engine developing 60 bhp.

The fastest model is the Volkswagen Up 1.0-litre BlueMotion Tech High up that also comes with 5 doors. This model offers 75bhp that delivers a top speed of 106 MPH and can run from 0-60 in 13.2 seconds.

Best way of affording a City Car

These are two of the best city cars currently on the market. The cars are available for buying outright and finance options. If you are looking for the cheapest alternative for deposits and monthly costs then why not consider car leasing? There are great deals to lease cars like any of the models for these two. If you are looking for a great, cheap city car then these two should definitely be your first considerations.

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