WhatCar? experts have driven a number of popular small cars on sale in the UK, and have come to a clear top three – one of which was named the best in terms of practicality
A team of motoring experts have put a selection of small cars on sale in the UK through their paces to decide which one is the best on sale. The specialists from WhatCar? magazine took to the wheel of an array of small cars from various carmakers around the world.
Their testing led them to a definitive top trio, with one particular vehicle being hailed as the most practical despite not winning overall. The winner was the Renault Clio, which has a starting price of £20,595.
Summarising why they had given it five stars out of five, the testers said: “Think of the Renault Clio as being the Swiss Army knife of small cars; it’s got an answer to virtually every question you might ask of it.”
The Clio earned accolades for its fuel economy and performance, due in large part to its 1.0-litre petrol engine, and was celebrated for being “better to drive than most rivals” as a result of “a good balance between comfort and agility”.
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Their verdict was clear, it was the best small car to buy in the UK. They said: “All in all, the Clio is great value for money; it undercuts the equivalent [Suzuki] Swift and [Skoda] Fabia on price and is far cheaper than the Honda Jazz.”
In second place was another model from the French manufacturer, the electric Renault 5, which has garnered acclaim as one of today’s top electric cars.
The motoring experts have given their verdict on the Renault 5, noting that although it’s a bit of a squeeze for taller passengers in the back, they’ve lauded its “attractive pricing…well equipped interior [and] slick infotainment”.
Going deeper into their assessment, they remarked: “The Renault 5 is designed primarily as an urban and suburban runaround, and it’s really well suited to town driving. The tight turning circle of just 10.3 metres certainly helps, but the light, accurate steering also impresses.”
The Honda Jazz scooped third place in their rankings, earning top marks for practicality among small cars, yet it was flagged for being pricier than competitors and not the most serene on motorways.
In a more detailed review, the experts likened the Jazz to a talent show act, as they explained: “The Honda Jazz is one of those cars that – like contestants on Britain’s Got Talent – are gifted in various ways but have so far not had the universal adoration they perhaps deserve.
“While the Jazz has always stood out for its practical interior and reputation for excellent reliability, it has never really hit the heady sales heights of some of its more conventional small car rivals.”
This insight from WhatCar? into the UK’s best small cars comes at a time when new figures reveal a surge in electric vehicle purchases, with a quarter of new car buyers opting for an electric model.
The latest figures from the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) reveal that while electric vehicle sales are on the up, they’re still not hitting the targets set out for them.
Mike Hawes, the Chief Executive of the SMMT, commented: “A second consecutive month of growth for the new car market is good news, as is the positive performance of EVs.
“That EV growth, however, is still being driven by substantial industry support with manufacturers using every channel and unsustainable discounting to drive activity, yet it remains below mandated levels.
“As we have seen in other countries, government incentives can supercharge the market transition, without which the climate change ambitions we all share will be under threat.”
