The best mini cars, like Ford Fiesta, Opel Corsa, Renault Clio, Volkswagen Polo, live their particular sweet moment and are the best segment if you are looking for a utility car. They are models that continue to preserve their contained dimensions, which helps those looking for an urban vehicle. It increasingly offers better management of space on board and the load capacity of the boot, especially now that spare wheels have been replaced. replaced by repair kits.
A utility vehicle is also an economical car, although in recent years some models have been renovated and have begun to equip the technology of safety, comfort, and entertainment of cars of superior ranges, which are also more expensive. Please, have a look at the mid-size luxury SUV.
6 Best mini cars
I generally present the so-called utility cars in an intermediate and balanced position between the smallest and most practical urban and compact cars. Let’s say they are a good alternative for those who need a car for the day to day and at the same time for weekend getaways and trips, for which, with the limitations of natural space of their size, they can more than fulfill.
It generally offers the utilities with three and five doors, sometimes also with derivatives of family type and even sedan. In this comparison, we will only focus on those of three and five doors, taking into account only those that we can consider cheap, leaving aside the premium range.
Citroën C3
The most characteristic of the C3 is its lightness and simplicity, two features that result in reduced consumption and performance a little above what its modest powers might suggest. Possibly the best option is an essential PureTech three-cylinder gasoline to save the most, especially considering that the equipment is already complete from the input versions.
The Citroën C3 is an exact vehicle, whose interior of hard plastics does not hide that it is made to adjust production costs but whose philosophy “less is more” taken to the extreme results in a car-friendly, attractive, youthful, economical and practical to a very tight price.
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The best: Price, interior space, daring design, equipment details.
The improbable: Quality of some plastics.
Dacia Sandero
The Dacia Sandero is a utility available in a 5-door body. It is a reliable and cheap car. See all the characteristics of Dacia Sandero
The most inexpensive service on the market, by far, is the Dacia Sandero. Its price is the only secret that it is one of the best-selling models in our country, having reached the top of the most sold some months. With aid and financing, it is possible to acquire a Sandero for just over € 6,000, although choosing engines more complete and savers than the 1.2 of 75 hp, the price starts to grow to get close enough to that offered by their rivals.
The safe bet is offered by the 90 hp dCi and the 90 hp TCe, two engines of Renault origin. Generally, the difference between diesel and gasoline is relatively small, so the oil price premium is amortized over a reasonably short period.
The Dacia Sandero is exceptionally modest in finishes, simple in terms of materials (which in some aspects are quite poor) and the most basic version is very spartan in equipment, so if our budget allows it, it is worth opting for a version more complete and equipped since the options are downright cheap too.
The best: Price without competition, space and suitcase, affordable maintenance.
The improbable: Fairly perceived quality, equipment possibilities.
Fiat Punto
The Fiat Punto is a car of utility type available only in bodywork five doors with a total length of 4.1 meters. See range and prices of Fiat Punto
The Fiat Punto is the dean of the segment and most of the market, one model that, by far, has not been renewed for a few years, adapting little by little with face washes and updates of greater or lesser importance that affect its aesthetics and its engines. Although innovation is not its forte, Fiat Punto supplies its shortcomings with promotions and discounts that place it among the most competitive in its price category.
Currently, the Fiat Punto is marketed with diesel engines, gasoline, and bi-fuel (both LPG, as Gas Natural) quite modest, between 69 and 77 HP of power. The Multijet diesel are always a safe bet, while they are not much more expensive than the Multi air-gasoline and are, by far, the most savers, compared to gasoline engines that with the emergence of supercharged 3 cylinders have become obsolete in terms of efficiency.
The best: Price, interior space.
The improbable: Obsolete model, general quality.
Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is a classic among utilities, with a wide range of options, engines, and equipment ranging from the most basic to the most complete. You can check here all the data of the Ford Fiesta
The current generation of Ford Fiesta has 4 versions of differentiated personality: the Fista Titanium, Vignale, ST Line and Active.
The Fiesta Titanium would be the most classic face of the Fiesta as a utility, the Vignale the most luxurious with finishes and special materials, the ST Line the sportiest and the Active has slightly elevated suspension and crossover aesthetics with an adventurous wink.
The Ford Fiesta is a model that has many options of equipment and customization, its design is a modern, especially by a front grille, on the front, which resembles those used by the latest Focus and Mondeo. In general, its appearance is that of a miniaturized focus.
We can emphasize that the Ford Fiesta continues to be one of the most agile models in its category and that it is probably the one that offers a better balance between finishes, well-finished interiors, design and price.
Regarding the engines, the most interesting, for good performance and low consumption, are the 1.0 EcoBoost, available in two power levels of 100 and 125 HP. They are not cheap engines, but quite recommendable if we compare them with the diesel offer. With these engines, it is easy to obtain real consumption in the order of 5.0 liters/100 kilometers.
The best: Safety equipment, practicality, dynamic behavior, driving feel.
The improbable: Somewhat higher price, access rear seats in 3 doors.
Honda Jazz
Versatile and spacious, it is a differentiated alternative in segment B. In the exterior size of a utility has a large interior space and a very usable trunk, which is benefited by its “magical seats” rear with a unique folding system in the market. A practical, reliable and rational purchase.
The Honda Jazz is a utility car, although for some of its characteristics we could almost pigeonhole it like a small minivan. The reason is that one of the premises of Honda has been to offer very practical solutions for habitability, space distribution and cargo on board. In addition, its roof is quite high, the free height of the passenger compartment and the feeling of very pleasant space.
Among the most characteristic details of the Honda Jazz we have its seats with folding base towards the backrest, cinema armchair style. This system has a great advantage when it comes to housing a long, tall and narrow object. For example, a television or an IKEA package.
The Honda Jazz is marketed with a petrol engine i-VTEC of 102 hp, associated with a manual 6-speed or automatic by the continuous variable. This mechanical combination gives very low consumption and has a smooth and progressive behavior. The version of 130 CV possibly is less advisable, because it is a car something noisy, hard of suspensions and that does not agree very well with the urban philosophy of Jazz.
The best: Interior width, luggage compartment, modularity, complete safety equipment.
The improbable: Mechanical offer, without hybrid option as in previous generations, few optional elements, fair quality perception for its price.
Hyundai i20
The Hyundai i20 is a utility available in bodies of three and five doors with a length of just under 4 meters. If you are interested you can have a look at all the information about the Hyundai i20
The Hyundai i20 is a product that was completely renewed in 2015, which gains character with certain details, such as the new features of its front or black rear pillar and which aims to make a quantum leap in what quality is appreciated. This model is marketed with five and three doors.
This striking exterior design translates, ironically, into a quite sober and, to a certain extent, German design on board. There are modest materials, hard plastics and some fluffy, but also good adjustments. The objective of Hyundai was to offer a product that enjoys the best relationship between quality and price possible.
The best: Price adjusted, complete equipment, construction quality.
The improbable: Interior and exterior design boring and sober.
