If you're looking for a narrow car - which if you're reading this, you probably are - then they don't come any narrower than the Citroen Ami. At just 1390mm across, we've encountered wider birthday cakes. Seriously, if you can't fit this thing in your garage, then we regret to inform you that what you thought was your garage is actually a wardrobe.

That's provided you consider the Ami to be a car at all, of course. Technically, it isn't. According to the law of the land, it's classed as an electric quadricycle. You don't need a full driving licence to drive one, it only does 47 miles on a charge, and the top speed is just 28mph, so it's unadvisable - borderline dangerous, in fact - to take it outside the city limits. What's more, there's no boot, no radio and no air-con, so you do without a lot of things that most car drivers would consider to be deal-breakers.

However, it's nevertheless a cheerful little thing that costs peanuts to buy and run, and it'll get more attention from passersby than the most exotic of supercars. 

The Kia Picanto is a city car with sweet styling and a sensible approach to practicality and interior space. Overall, it's a brilliant all-rounder and one of the best cars in its class. It also measures about 1595mm wide (without mirrors included).

Despite being narrow, you don't get the unpleasant sensation of sitting huddled together with your passenger as you can in a Citroen C1 or Toyota Aygo, for example. All Picantos come with five doors as standard, so getting into the back is also easy.

There’s a 255-litre boot that's bigger than those of all but a handful of rivals and, with the back seats folded down, you can cram over 1000 litres of luggage in. Bear in mind, though, that if you need even more space, the little Suzuki Ignis is quite a bit bigger, but costs roughly the same.

Traditionally, you don’t buy a Toyota Aygo (or indeed any Toyota) with your heart. It’s a rational purchase, led by a reputation for reliability and value for money. The Aygo is part of a collaboration between Peugeot, Citroen and Toyota, with each manufacturer producing their own version of the car, so the three are relatively similar and share a width of 1615mm.

The Aygo range is simple in terms of the big decisions, with a single petrol engine option, three or five-doors and a choice of manual or automated manual gearboxes. Front seat passengers are well served, with generous legroom and decent headroom, and although the boot is relatively small, it’s far from the smallest in the class.

On the inside, the Aygo’s interior is relatively simplistic in its design, but feels like decent quality for a car at this price. As you move up the Aygo range, Toyota offers a wide range of personalisation options. The engine isn’t quite as refined as rivals either, but it’s a smart choice for those that like the styling compared to Peugeot and Citroen’s offerings.

The Citroen C1 - along with the Peugeot 108 - came about as a result of the same collaboration we were just talking about that also resulted in the Toyota Aygo. Toyota has since replaced the Aygo with the SUV-inspired Aygo X, but in the name of maximising profits, Citroen hasn't bothered replacing the C1.

At 1615mm wide, the C1 is one of the narrowest cars available. Up front there’s plenty of space to accommodate tall adults. Elbow room is a little less plentiful, but unless both you and your passenger are nightclub bouncers, it shouldn’t be a problem. As for boot space, the C1 offers 196 litres. That’s a lot smaller than the SEAT Mii and Hyundai i10, but it is more than the almost-identical Toyota Aygo.

Despite the low sticker price, the C1 doesn’t feel like a discount special in terms of comfort or equipment (as long as you skip the base Touch model). Although it is happiest in town, there is enough power to make motorway journeys tolerable as long as you're not too loaded up with people. And it’s frugal, too, with over 50mpg well within reach.

If you think the Renault Twingo looks quirky, that theme continues into the mechanics of the car, too. Renault oddly designed the car so that engine sits at the rear, which Renault says leaves more space for people in the car. And, while it isn’t ideal for taller drivers or passengers, it is capable of carrying four adults. Although, anyone hoping for a second ‘boot’ up front under the bonnet (like a rear-engined Porsche) will be disappointed; the space is taken up with a crash structure and can’t be filled with your stuff.

As expected, The Twingo excels in the city and looks much better than some rivals in this list. The Twingo offers 188 litres of luggage space with the rear seats in place, which is a little less than many of its rivals. However, you can fold the rear seats to give you 980 litres of space, and even fold the front passenger seat forward to swallow loads of up to 2.3m in length.

The Twingo was well-equipped, too, so a used model is likely to come with a decent amount of kit, and the cabin is sweet, with flashes of coloured trim on the doors, steering wheel, dashboard and centre console, and it's matched to the body colour on some versions.

As the name suggests, the Skoda Citigo is at its best on city roads. With a Skoda badge, the Citigo also has a lower list price than the very similar Volkswagen Up and SEAT Mii. Inside, the cabin isn’t packed with tech, but it is well thought out. The Citigo is also 1641mm wide, making it a great choice for those with a narrow garage or driveway.

It’s very sensible, although possibly a touch boring (especially inside) compared to more premium or flashy rivals. But you could spec more personal, colourful touches if you so choose, so hunt for a car with that sort of specification on the used market. The good news is that the Citigo is one of the best in the class in respect of interior space, despite being under 3.6 metres in length.

In the rear, there is not quite as much space available, but it is still good for a car of this size. And the Citigo’s boot space is equally impressive, with a sizeable 251 litres available, putting it just behind the Hyundai i10 and ahead of the Renault Twingo and Toyota Aygo. Fold the rear seats and this can be expanded to 959 litres, and there’s an adjustable boot floor, too, so you can hide more valuable items.

The Fiat 500 (for clarity, the petrol-powered one that's been around for yonks, not the Fiat 500e, the electric-only second-generation one that was released in 2021) delivers city car motoring with an Italian twist. Sadly, though, the little city car struggles when you compare it to the best in class from Volkswagen, Kia and Suzuki. Let's be honest, you’re probably considering the Fiat 500 because of it’s looks. And we agree: its cute styling gives a heavy nod to the 1957 classic.

However, most of the Fiat 500's problems are caused by the fact it's very small. The cabin is cramped, the seats narrow and the boot is barely large enough to cope with a weekly food shop. Generally, both short and tall drivers will find the 500 equally frustrating in the long run. Yet, that doesn’t deter swathes of buyers from putting their cash into one.

So, what does the 500 do well? The 500 is an easy thing to live with in a town or city where space is limited. What’s more, at 1627mm metres wide, the 500 has little trouble cutting its way through heavy traffic or squeezing into a narrow parking space. But, you get just 185 litres of boot space, which is significantly less than the 250-260 litres you get in the Volkswagen Up, Hyundai i10 and Suzuki Ignis.

The Suzuki Ignis is a chic mini-crossover, with an eye-catching design that features retro styling inspired by the 1970s’ Suzuki Whizzkid. Being exactly 3.7 metres long, it’s just 10 centimetres longer than a Volkswagen Up, and at 1660mm wide, it’s certainly narrow. Where the Suzuki Ignis differs from pretty much every other city car in the class, though, is in it’s height, meaning it can fit four adults with ease and comfort, and the boot space is right up with the best in class.

The Ignis is good fun to drive, too, though not flawless. Most importantly, it’s great in town, where its compact dimensions and lack of weight make it highly manoeuvrable and easy to park. The ride quality is good in most conditions, too, with a suspension setup designed primarily with comfort in mind. SZ3 models get a bench rear seat that has three seat belts, while SZ-T and SZ4s get two rear seats that can slide forwards or backwards to increase the amount of legroom or boot space.

The boot has a handy 260 litres of space with the rear seats in place, a little more than most of its rivals. That increases to 514 litres when you fold the rear seats. But the boot on AllGrip four-wheel-drive versions is smaller by 60 litres because of the extra mechanical hardware required. While it's a bit of a leftfield choice in this class, low running costs, a practical nature and extra character make it an attractive option, especially as it comes with optional four-wheel-drive.

A brand spanking new Hyundai i10 arrived in 2020, but the one in this list is the 2014-2019 model, of which there are plenty on the used market. While the 2020 model is fantastic, it’s ever so slightly wider. If that extra 20mm or so doesn’t deter you, the newer model is a smart buy.

The previous-gen Hyundai i10 is very good value for money while offering plenty of room inside, with especially impressive space in the back and a decent boot. On the move, the i10 also feels like a bigger car than it is and that's down to its impressive refinement. No other car this size is as quiet at motorway speeds.

What the i10 does so well is get the basics right: it's well built, good to drive and has a quality interior. Throw in two great engines  and a brilliant reputation for reliability, and you've got a winner on your hands.

The Smart car has always been renowned for being one of the teeniest cars around, and this third-generation Smart Fortwo model was indeed one of the smallest cars of its time. In fact, it’s almost 1.5 metres shorter than the contemporary Ford Fiesta. Designed to be the ultimate city car, it has a rear-mounted engine that sits beneath the boot floor and sends power to the rear wheels. There’s also an all-electric version, but that costs considerably more, even on the used market.

The size allows for a super-tight turning circle and excellent manoeuvrability, while the turbocharged engine is also pretty good, especially the more powerful 90PS version. But the ultra-short wheelbase and relatively stiff suspension means the ride quality is poor on some surfaces.

Inside, there’s plenty of headroom, and because there are no rear seats, legroom is also pretty good as you can slide the seats back as much as you require. With no one sitting behind you, it’s easy to stuff items in the space behind the seats, too. As for the boot itself, it offers 260 litres, which is actually more than the Volkswagen Up/SEAT Mii/Skoda Citigo. Therefore, if you’re happy enough only being able to ferry around one other person, the Fortwo is worth considering, even if it isn’t the best-in-class.