The big city is where the action is. Places like New York, Toronto, London, Tokyo, and Paris. This is where the corporations have their offices and where all the stars live. The big city is where you go to make a name for yourself and places like London and New York usually have the highest paid jobs too.
The issue is in these large major cities, is that they are expensive. You have to have serious money if you want to live in these places comfortably. All of this gets harder when you mention the “C” word. That “C” word is probably more offensive to these big-city mayors than the actual “C” word. The word in question is the car. As we know, major cities are full of cars despite all of the cycle lanes and public transport offerings.
Major cities are at war with cars. Therefore, everything for a car in the city is expensive and difficult. You have the ludicrous congestion charges in London, the tight parking spaces in New York, the traffic jams in Tokyo, and the mad driving in Paris. These four cities have state-of-the-art public transport systems. What if you live in a place like Los Angeles which doesn’t have that? Well, that’s where things start to get tough and you have to ask yourself, what car is ideal for a city this big?
Well, let’s find that out now.
Let’s Clear Something Up First!
There is no point in a car really if you live in a city like New York or London. Believe us, it is such a pain. With the super-efficient subway/tube services and many cycle lanes, is there really a point in owning a car? In most cases, using public transport systems is cheaper than owning a car.
Did you know, Hong Kong has the world’s most expensive car parking space? It was a parking space in the 73 story building, The Centre. That was sold at $969,000 which is stupidly insane.
London is very expensive for parking. If you’ve lived there you will also know the pay and park system is such a hassle. New York has equally bad parking with wardens everywhere.
Cars are great things. But sometimes, they’re really not practical. If you live in the centre of the city, work in the centre of the city and spend most of your time in the city centre then you do not need a car. If you do need one, then hire one.
However, what if you need your own car? Let’s take a look.
What Sort of Car Should You Get If You Live In The City?
If you live in the city, then you need a small car. Something like a city car. If you live in the USA, then there aren’t too many city cars available. A city car is essentially a small hatchback that is ideal for the city.
Some of the ideal cars for the city on sale in the USA, are the Smart car, the Fiat 500, the Mini, Chevrolet Spark, Kia Rio, the Honda Fit, and the Chevrolet Sonic.
These cars are all very small and quite economical. Two things that are perfect for the city. These cars can be purchased new or off the used market. These cars aren’t the most common in the main cities but that doesn’t mean they are good choices. Something larger with a bigger engine will be far more hassle.
The Smart car was designed for the city. It’s a very safe car with groundbreaking technologies. It has a sort of exoskeleton on the outside which makes it extremely safe. It may be a small car but inside it is quite spacious and it is packed with technology. The elder models can always be fitted with an aftermarket Apple car play unit. Newer Smart models are fully electric which is even better for the city.
The Chevrolet Sonic is a small sedan that seats five comfortably. It is a bit dated but it does its job of getting from A to B. The Sonic is also available as a hatchback, but the sedan is a far better-looking car. It starts at just over $17,000 which is pretty cheap too. It is a very respectable-looking car and ideal for a young professional.
The Mini and the Fiat 500 are great cars too. They are small, stylish, and quite nippy. They seat four though which is less than the other cars. The Mini starts at just over $23,000 new and the Fiat 500 starts at over $16,000. Not the most expensive cars but there are far more practical cars for the money.
If you want something fast, the Abarth 500 and Mini Cooper John Cooper Works are ideal. They are small but extremely fun and they are so much more premium. If you want a fast car for the city, look no further. A Fiesta ST is also a good shout, however, that is a slightly bigger car.
To Conclude
If you want a great car for the city, then you need something compact but spacious. You want something that is easy to park, has all of the technology on board. The issue is with many of these small cars is that there is a lot of sacrifices in most. You either have one thing or the other. You can’t have both. This becomes a real issue, because where do you draw the line? How do you get a car that is ideal for the city which has everything you need?
The Fiat 500 is stylish and funky. It fits in well within the posh areas and it has a personality. But it has a tiny trunk and it only seats four. The Nissan Versa sedan is the cheapest car in the USA starting at just over $12,000. The Versa sedan is a very nice car but it looks like a complete rental car. It is essentially a tin box on wheels, and inside it isn’t very nice at all.
The Mitsubishi Mirage is just horrible and nobody wants that car. A Smart car is nice but again impractical and small. The Mini is too expensive and also too impractical, though it is very stylish. Then there is the Chevrolet sonic which is a bigger version of the Spark, but it still feels dated.
To conclude, we believe the Kia Rio sedan is the best option. It starts at just over $15,000 and it is comfortable, practical, and reliable. The interior is quite modern and it is offered with CarPlay and 33 mpg in the city. It may not be the safest car, but around the city that doesn’t matter.
Featured image credits via: motortrend.com