Best and worst small cheap cars on Motability
Are you eligible for the Motability scheme? Confused about which car to go for? Here's our pick of the best and worst small cars on the scheme...
If you are after a small car on the Motability scheme and want to keep down costs, there are plenty of great models to choose from.
All of the cars below can be leased through the £59.75 weekly mobility allowance as part of the Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment. While some require you to make a one-off Advance Payment, some can be had for less than the total allowance, leaving you with a bit of extra money to play with each week.
When you lease a car through Motability, the monthly payments cover insurance, servicing and repairs, full RAC breakdown assistance and road tax. These cars are offered with a three-year lease, and if you are unable to use a manual gearbox, the good news is that most automatic versions of our favourite models are available at no extra cost.
For a full rundown of the Motability scheme and what it is, read our guide, or you can visit the website here.
If you're buying privately, city cars are cheaper than small cars. However, if you're buying through the Motability scheme, small cars and city cars are often the same price, so there are some brilliant deals to be had. Below are the best small and cheap cars you can buy through Motability, as well as the ones to avoid.
As well as taking into consideration how well each model fares in the standard What Car? road test, we've also thought about how easy they are to get in and out of, the lightness of the major controls and the roominess and practicality of their interiors and boots.
The best small, cheap cars on Motability
10. Skoda Citigo
The Skoda Citigo is one of the best city cars out there. Accurate steering and impressive body control, paired with a ride that is as good as it gets for small cars, makes the Citigo one of the best to drive in its class. It’s virtually identical to the Volkswagen Up and Seat Mii, but it's cheaper than both of those. This Citigo model is available for a weekly price of £54.50, leaving you with £5.2 surplus a week.
Read the full Skoda Citigo review
Our pick: 1.0 MPI SE L
9. Hyundai i10
The Hyundai i10 is one of our favourite city cars, and Motability has lots of versions available with no Advance Payment necessary. The 1.2 Premium SE model comes with a decent amount of equipment, including alloy wheels, a leather steering wheel, Bluetooth connectivity and LED daytime running lights. If you're after an automatic model, the four-speed gearbox in the i10 is one of the best in any small car. The weekly rental is just 75p less than the full amount of the mobility allowance.
Read the full Hyundai i10 review
Our pick: 1.2 Premium SE
Want to buy a used Hyundai i10? Click here to read our used review
8. Hyundai i20
It may not be as classy or as quiet as some of the best cars in the class, but the i20 offers a generous amount of standard equipment and a roomier and wider interior than almost anything else for the same price. The brand has a strong reputation for reliability, too. Even though it's in the next class up from the Hyundai i10, our favourite model requires no Advance Payment, with a weekly rental cost of £58.50 making it good value.
Read the full Hyundai i20 review
Our pick: 1.2 SE
Want to buy a used Hyundai i20? Click here to read our used review
