Used Renault Twingo for sale: everything you need to know

The Renault Twingo is a compact city car that has close ties to the Smart ForFour, which is another small four-wheeler designed with the urban environment firmly in mind.

It features cute, compact looks while underneath the dinky body there’s an engine at the rear that drives the back wheels. Renault’s thinking here was to keep space for occupants and, in many ways, the experiment worked.

Perhaps the most appealing thing about the Renault Twingo is its size, which is definitely built for packed city streets, for which the car can cope admirably thanks to short overhangs, a zesty little engine and a decent turning circle.

A couple of petrol engine options, 900cc or 1-litre makes it economical to run while either a five-speed manual or six-speed auto box makes it easy to drive. Inside, it’s pretty spacious too and with five different trim levels available it’s likely you can find a used example to match your budget.

If you’re looking to buy a used Renault Twingo, there’s a huge amount of choice. Take a look at a Renault Twingo for sale on heycar to discover just what’s on offer. 

Should you buy a Renault Twingo?

The Renault Twingo makes a great deal of sense if you’re after a small but practical city car that can handle short runs frugally and with ease.

It’s related to the Smart ForFour, sharing the same rear-engine setup, but used examples of the Twingo are generally more keenly priced. Competitors also include the SEAT Mii, the Skoda Citigo as well as the Volkswagen Up.

Similarly, the small car marketplace is supplemented by the likes of the Hyundai i10 and the Citroen C1. Considering all that, if you pick a Twingo with one of the better trim levels you’ll find you’ve got a fun car on your hands that is surprisingly roomy on the inside.

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What’s the best used Renault Twingo model to buy?

Of the two engine options, the turbocharged 0.9TCe is definitely the one to go for. It is fractionally less economical than the non-turbocharged 1.0-litre option, but offers a considerable performance boost and makes the Renault Twingo a viable out of town option. The higher-power TCe engine is only available in the GT model, and while it offers useful extra performance it is the most expensive model in the range.

The basic Renault Twingo Expression model is relatively well-equipped, but is only available with the 1.0-litre engine. The Renault Twingo Play model makes more sense, as it adds air conditioning and driver’s seat height adjustment, both of which make a big difference to driver comfort levels. It’s also worth considering moving up to the Renault Twingo Dynamique, which adds alloy wheels and other visual niceties but more importantly brings stop/start, cruise control and a leather covering for the steering wheel and gear lever.

Used Renault Twingo fuel economy and performance

• Renault Twingo 0.9L TCe 70/90 petrol: The smaller three-cylinder engine options, with a turbocharger for good measure, which gives the car a zingy presence and delivers around 62.8mpg.
• Renault Twingo 1.0L: The other option of the two, complimented by a five-speed gearbox. It’s zesty and ideally suited to picking your way around busy urban areas though speed tops out at around 95mph but offers 65.7mpg.

What used Renault Twingo trim levels are available?

The Renault Twingo was available in five different trim levels, which is quite impressive given the size of the car. However, its appeal to city dwellers after a bit of style and funkiness is clear to see so getting the right look is a big part of the package.

• The Renault Twingo Expression is the starting point with a Bluetooth and USB option that allows you to sync the car to an app that offers lots of functionality. Cosmetically, there are body-coloured bumpers and door handles, spoiler and mirrors too. LED daytime running lights plus electric front windows, height-adjustable steering wheel and basic driver aids keep things simple but effective.
• The Renault Twingo Play is the more desirable option with air conditioning, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, 15-inch alloys, leather trim touches and some cool white instrument lighting.
• The Renault Twingo Dynamique is a good choice thanks to its stop/start feature, ideal for city streets.
• The Renault Twingo Dynamique S sits up a notch from the lower trim with 16-inch alloys, cool cosmetic graphics and a much better looking interior with combination part leather trim.
• Renault Twingo GT is the one to go for headturning appeal thanks to 17-inch alloys, a body kit and all of the other chrome touches that makes a GT car what it is.

Used Renault Twingo dimensions and boot size

The Renault Twingo’s dimensions are:

• Length: 3395mm
• Width: 1646mm
• Height: 1554mm
• Ground clearance: 170mm

The Renault Twingo’s boot size is:

• 188-litres (219-litres with rear seat tilted)
• 980 litres with rear seats folded down

Used Renault Twingo road tax

All model variants of the Renault Twingo fall into the £140 to £165 bracket for annual road tax fees, depending on the age of the car and its engine size.

How much is it to insure a Renault Twingo?

Models with the 0.9-litre TCe engine are in group 8, with the exception of the more powerful GT model which is 11, making any of them an affordable option to cover. Interestingly, 1.0-litre models come with a lower rating, with Play, Dynamique and Dynamique S trims placed into group 3. Even better, the entry-level Expression model falls into group 2.

Read our full Renault Twingo review