Recommend a small car please

[Sonolanona]

I need to replace my car. I want a small car, and needs to be a 5 door (sadly as I'd love a standard Mini but the boot is too small and have kids car seats)
I also need to put the dog in the boot OR the back seat ( she has a seatbelt harness...not unrestrained!) She did used to fit in a Fiat Panda.

Looking at : Suzuki Ignis, Smart forfour, Kia Picanto. Does anyone have one of these? I mostly do short 10 mile trips to work and the odd long journey (200m) to my DD. I'm looking at an older car (16 plate or thereabouts)

I have an Ignis. I flipping love that car. It takes barely any petrol, can park it anywhere and it's pretty adept at some tougher ground, and i don't have the allgrip version. I also love that the driving position is higher than most small cars i don't feel like im driving a go cart like i did when i had a swift. It's also really easy to gind in a carpark due to being a bit weird looking (and mines red). I'd recommend it to anyone it's the best buy I've ever made car wise. I usually just make it to work about 8 miles away but I've also done 400 mile journeys in it and it's been fine. You won't regret it.

My partner has an Ignis, fantastic little car, very economical, surprisingly good on motorways and it can take two child seats no issue. the only downside for me is the ride is slightly hard. If boot space is an issue don't go for the 4grip

I am driving a picanto at the moment whilst my car has repairs … avoid ,avoid. It’s rattly and I feel unsafe …thank god I get my Corolla back next week.
i have a hybrid Corolla which I love … economical, zippy, plenty room.

I drive a Kia Picanto X-Line, had it from new and it's just coming up to seven years old so the 7 year warranty is going to run out.

It's been a great car so far, serviced every year, I recently had four new tyres and new windshield wipers so it's not cost me much in extras from new. I did think of getting a new one next month but I'm going to hold off for another year and decide then. I would definitely have another one.

It's zippy enough, I don't do big mileage in it and it's absolutely suitable for the amount of driving I do.

I have a citroen c1 but the boot is small. I used to have a chevrolet matiz and I could get more shopping bags in it than my current car. I loved my matiz 😥

I absolutely loved my Vauxhall Mokka. It's essentially just a Corsa but with a higher up driving position which I really liked. Not a massive boot but I managed fine with two DDs and a pram to fit in the car. I miss that car a lot!

I have a Hyundai i10 which has been absolutely fantastic - it’s never let me down mechanically and it’s great to drive. I can fit a Labrador sized dog in the boot or back seat with no issues.

If you are open to other suggestions, the Hyundai i10 is a fantastic little car. New shape for 14 plates, unchanged until now as far as I can see. Economical, roomy (family holiday with 2 late primary age / early secondary kids), bombproof, nippy and cruises fine on a motorway.

Great minds think alike

I’m on my second Smart ForTwo which I know is smaller than you’re looking at but in terms of build quality and reliability, they’ve both been excellent so the ForFour might be worth looking at.

But I agree with others, I had a Hyundai i10 when DS was small and it was a great little car.

I've 'upgraded' from a beautiful 2001 Nissan Micra (which finally died, leaving me distraught...) to a Mazda 2, which I love. It's small enough to be nippy and big enough to be speedy.
It also has insanely 'modern' (to me) things like mirrors that close and an adjustable steering wheel - I'm easily pleased!
I never thought I'd drive anything but a Micra but this is lovely. Also, Japanese - reliable

For those with the i10, do you have a 1.0 or 1.2?

Would recommend the 1.2. I 've had this on both my i10s . Lovely cars.

I’d look at a Honda Jazz if I were, a similar size externally to the Hyundia I10, but much bigger inside, much more reliable too.

Re i10 I've been driving my mums 1l 09 plate automatic and it's a cracking little car!

If a manufacturer has a 7yr warranty, they must have faith. Rattly depends so much on what spec you get.

Yaris is a good car and amazing what you can fit in the boot!

Suzuki engines are great, stay clear of anything French unless you want a new engine, you don't want a wet belt either( car part not yours!)

Mazda 2s are great, not sure I’d use either nippy or speedy to describe them though.

1.0. Very nippy around town, cruises really well on both roads at 40-60 and motorways at 70+. Only power weakness is acceleration between c.40-60, so overtaking a slightly slower vehicle quickly on a single carriageway A or B road is something that needs a bigger gap and a bit of planning!

Speedy compared to what I'm used to!

Mine is the 1.2. I’m not sure I’d want the 1.0 as I live rurally with lots of hills!

I wouldn't recommend the Picanto. Noisy and the car vibrates due to the 3 cylinder engine. Not great on hills either.

Place marking as I need to think about replacing my Citroen c1 sometime in the near future.

We had a Nissan Micra for years. As well as nipping around the local area it was great for longer trips - we went all over in it and had no problems at all.

I would have lived another Citroen c1 but they stopped manufacturing them about three years ago. I have been looking at the C3 it’s a step up in size but still a nippy car.

Thank you for replies... adding Hyundai i10 and Mazda 2 to the list!
My DD1 actually has a little 10 plate i10 auto and I agree it's a nice little car (except all the red paint has faded, but to be fair we aren't into the looks of a car!) my only reservation is that the seats don't fold flat , otherwise it would be perfect.
Years ago I had an old Micra and I LOVED that car, so no idea why I didn't think of that!!
Now to find something local, costing less than 6k!!!

That will be the old model i10 - as I said, the new model came out for the 14 plate and was a total redesign. The seats fold flat in the post 14 model.