What are some of the good small cars in Australia?

You could shop for a small car model with only your budget in mind, but it could help to consider other aspects, such as the car’s safety rating and its fuel efficiency. After all, you would expect to drive your car for a long time and need to consider the safety aspect as well as the maintenance and fuel costs. 

A good place to start your search for a reliable small car could be the ANCAP Safety ratings, which can point you to the reliably safe small cars available in the Australian market. The Australasian New Car Assessment Program, also known as ANCAP Safety, crash-tests cars extensively and awards them ratings that range from one to five stars. These ratings cover four safety metrics, which are Adult Occupant Protection; Child Occupant Protection; Vulnerable Road User Protection; and Safety Assist or use of safety-enhancing devices. ANCAP Safety’s rating criteria are updated every year, which means you can trust cars with the highest, most recent ratings to offer structural stability and safety technology. 

These ratings remain valid for up to six years, but the criteria are upgraded every year. You could therefore compare small cars by their rating and the year they were rated. For instance, the highest-rated small car is currently the Kia Cerato, which was rated 5 stars in 2019. However, the Citroen C4, tested in 2021, is the most recently tested small car, but it only received a 4-star rating. 

 If you are buying a small car solely based on ANCAP Safety ratings, you could choose from the following small cars given the highest recent safety rating by ANCAP Safety, after considering the price, availability in Australia, and other factors. 

Citroen C4:

This car’s variants were launched in October 2021, and rated 4 stars in 2021 corresponding to an Adult Occupant Protection score of 76 per cent; Child Occupant Protection score of 81 per cent, Vulnerable Road User Protection score of 57 per cent; and Safety Assist score of 62 per cent. 

Audi A3:

2-wheel drive variants of this model scored 89 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, 81 per cent in terms of Child Occupant Protection, 68 per cent on Vulnerable Road User Protection, and 73 per cent on Safety Assist, for an overall rating of 5 stars in 2020.

Cupra Leon:

This model’s New Zealand variants were awarded the highest rating of 5 stars in 2020 based on scores of 91 per cent, 88 per cent, 71 per cent, and 80 per cent, respectively, on the four categories of Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist. 

If you want to look at other factors beyond safety, you may find other reviews, such as Drive Car of the Year, helpful. Drive’s list factors in the cars’ pricing, interiors and exteriors, technical specifications, and safety ratings. For 2022, Drive picked the following models as the top three: 

Volkswagen Golf:

This hatchback model from the European carmaker is available at various price points, boasts comfortable space in the back row and the boot, and has the shortest braking distance. It features a touchscreen interface for most car controls. 

Toyota Corolla:

Being a hybrid car model, it scores highly in terms of its fuel economy, but passengers may not find sitting in the back row comfortable for long.  

Hyundai i30:

A popular car thanks to the low price for its entry-level variant and comfortable size and boot capacity. One of the downsides is poor fuel economy.

You are likely to use your car for purposes different from others, and the amount you are willing to spend can vary accordingly. Your choice can also depend on the level of comfort you desire when driving. Some of the factors to think about when comparing small cars include: 

• Reason for buying the car:

The space available inside a small car, including the boot, can differ significantly across models, and you should make sure the car has sufficient room for the desired purpose. For instance, if you plan to travel long distances with more than two people sitting in the car, you may prefer a car with more legroom in the back seat as well. 

• Price of the car:

Even if you can’t afford to pay upfront for the car, you should check if you can keep up with car loan repayments while also paying for car insurance, fuel, and maintenance.

• Fuel use and efficiency:

Even if you aren’t an auto geek, comparing the distance a car can travel on a given amount of fuel can help you estimate the costs involved in regularly using the car. Also, you could go for a hybrid car if you are environmentally conscious and want to minimise using petrol as fuel. 

• Safety rating:

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program, or ANCAP Safety, is an independent authority that publishes yearly ratings comparing the ability of newly launched vehicles either to avoid or survive a crash. Ideally, you would want to buy a car with a higher safety rating.

• Engine, transmission, and technology:

While the technical aspects of a car may seem more relevant to the geeks, they can be crucial to ensuring a comfortable drive. You may not be comfortable with a powerful car that can accelerate quickly, or you may prefer a car with manual transmission over an automatic car. A car equipped with safety technology can be a better choice for younger drivers with less experience.

When comparing small car models online, make sure you are comparing models or variants with similar features, especially when checking the ratings or scores published by different websites. You should also remember to consider the various costs, such as financing costs, car insurance, fuel, and maintenance. Insurance costs can be critical, particularly if you are buying an upmarket model for which you may want to consider comprehensive car insurance.