gg

Best small luxury cars 2022

Luxury cars are great, but they don’t half take up a lot of space. You may dream of winning the lottery and using a Rolls-Royce Phantom as your daily driver, but the first time you take it on the school run, or try to park it in the supermarket, will shatter the laid-back luxury feel.

While the most iconic luxury cars are usually five-metre-long and two-metre-wide behemoths, some car manufacturers have looked to miniaturise luxury. John Lennon may indeed have owned a Rolls-Royce, but he also had a custom-built Mini to enjoy the luxury car experience while driving to the Apple studios in London.

Today, there are lots of city-friendly small luxury cars on the market – models that take the pain out of everyday driving without being a liability on busy or tight-fitting streets.

Here is our guide to the best small luxury cars. Some even throw in the luxury of a suitably small price tag, too.

MINI Hatch

Ever since the Beatles all bought coachbuilt Minis that were like Rolls-Royces in miniature, the world’s best mini-car has looked to democratise luxury. The Mini Mayfair did it in the 1980s and, today, BMW stewardship means every MINI offers premium car luxury for an affordable price. The entry-level One is the smoothest-riding MINI 3-door Hatch, and its 102hp 1.5-litre turbocharged engine has just enough power. You can even have the luxury of an automatic gearbox. All MINIs feel a million dollars to drive, and they have loads of integrity to give a big-car feel of robustness. An iconic and classless car, the MINI is one of those rare small cars that you can still park anywhere and not look out of place. 

Audi A1 Sportback

The A1 Sportback is the smallest and most affordable model in Audi’s sprawling line-up. A supermini-sized five-door hatchback, it has expressive styling, with blistered wheelarches and cool slots above the grille that reference the legendary Audi Sport Quattro. Prices start from less than £21,000, which gets you a spacious and modern-feeling car with a distinctive interior. The smooth TFSI turbo engines are efficient and powerful, and the A1 Sportback feels particularly sophisticated with Audi’s high-tech S tronic automatic gearbox. Befitting its premium luxury status is a huge array of options. You can customise your small Audi just for you (and potentially spend a small fortune in the process).

BMW i3

The BMW i3 remains an innovative small electric car, which has the high-tech kudos of being built from carbon fibre. If luxury equals ingenuity, the i3 has it by the bucketload. Although it’s small, the distinctive profile offers oodles of luxury car status, and it looks beautiful inside, with a contemporary feel that can be tailored across several themes. It has the same infotainment systems as more expensive BMW luxury cars, while the silent-running refinement of its electric drivetrain adds to the upmarket feel. Because it’s so light, the i3 handles in an entertaining way, while its large wheels help deliver decent ride quality.

Ford Fiesta

Ford used to offer a bespoke Vignale version of the Fiesta, for those seeking the ultimate in small car luxury. But most people preferred to spend the extra on the fruity ST hot hatchback instead. Now it’s taking a different approach, by looking to democratise luxury. Vignale has bacome an add-on pack that can be combined with Titanium, ST-Line or Active grades. It brings glitzy 17- or 18-inch alloys, decadent Sensico seats and smart matt carbon-effect interior trim. Buyers also get climate control instead of regular air-con, plus a full 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. A luxurious level of kit indeed.

Renault Zoe

The Renault Zoe is an appealingly chic small car, with clean lines and a designer-led interior that boasts a very contemporary use of fabrics instead of plastics. The supportive and high-set seats are comfortable, and there’s a decent amount of space for passengers in the rear. What really makes it feel luxurious is the silence and smoothness of its pure electric drivetrain. This combines with a generous 245-mile range so the worry of range anxiety won’t chip away at the luxury car relaxation. For those seeking a more sustainable form of comfort, it’s a great choice. Owners can even boast that their seat upholstery is recycled.

Lexus UX

Lexus is a widely admired luxury car brand that offers a relatively affordable entry-point into its range with the UX 300e hybrid. This costs around £30,000 – about the same as a Renault Zoe – for which you get a very smart-looking small SUV with a classy and modern Japanese interior. Lexus build quality is excellent, and the high standard of fixtures and fittings adds to the luxury ambience. The hybrid drivetrain delivers more than 53mpg, combined with 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds. Owners will also be impressed at the amount of real-world driving that can be conducted in pure electric mode. This further enhances the luxury car feel, of course, thanks to the glide-along refinement of driving as an EV.

Vauxhall Corsa-e

The Vauxhall Corsa may not seem an obvious choice here, but the range-topping model has plenty of the attributes usually associated with luxury cars. For starters, the Corsa-e is electric, so it drives around in near-silence, with none of the vibration you sometimes get from a compact car engine. The automatic transmission is effortless and the powerful electric motor makes it faster than any other Corsa. It has a range of over 220 miles and, if you have a home charger, you’ll enjoy the luxury of never having to visit a filling station again. A generous level of standard equipment further bolsters the Corsa’s luxury car credentials.

Volkswagen Polo

The Volkswagen Polo is one of the most classless small cars. You can park it almost anywhere and it won’t look out of place – particularly the latest facelifted versions, which get smart new lights with a jewel-like appearance. These days, all Polos are well equipped, with even the entry-level Life getting air conditioning, touchscreen infotainment and a digital driver’s display. The TSI turbo engines are both fuel-efficient and extremely refined, offering a luxury-like drive. A DSG automatic gearbox delivers two-pedal ease-of-use, while the R-Line version boasts the sporty styling of the GTI range-topper without that car’s stiff ride and more aggressive nature.

Fiat 500 Electric

The latest Fiat 500 Electric has been transformed by its EV makeover. It looks superb for starters: a really high-end reinterpretation of the original 500, with smooth curves, deep paint and ultra-precise shutlines. It has come on hugely inside as well, with Fiat offering a lovely array of materials to complement the solid build quality and integrated electronic displays. The ultimate 500 Electric is the La Prima version, which Fiat says is actually the best-selling new 500 grade of all. It seems buyers are seeking the ultimate in luxury from Fiat’s fashionable new EV.

Dacia Sandero Stepway

The Dacia Sandero Stepway allows you to take an old-fashioned approach to small luxury cars. It may not have a premium badge, but it does have exceptionally good-value prices – meaning you can visit a dealer and enjoy the satisfaction of ordering the top-of-the-range, money-no-object model. This is the suitably named Prestige, which comes with a haul of standard equipment that includes touchscreen infotainment, climate control air-con and an electronic parking brake. The raised ride height and SUV body addenda of the Stepway add on-street kudos, while the fuel-efficient turbocharged engine is effortless. And all for just over £15,000: a good small luxury car and a brilliant bargain.

Which is the most affordable luxury car?

It depends on how you define luxury. If you’re looking for a genuinely premium brand for a modest price, the MINI is the most affordable luxury car on sale, with prices starting from around £17,500. That’s less than an Audi A1, and a lot less than a BMW i3. But maybe you see luxury as getting the most amount of equipment for the money – a matter of simply rocking up to a dealer and enjoying the satisfaction of ordering the range-topping model. The most affordable option here is the Dacia Sandero Stepway. The top-spec version still costs less than the entry-level MINI.

Does a small luxury car need a premium badge?

Not all premium brands make small luxury cars. You can’t get a Mercedes-Benz smaller than an A-Class, for example, while BMW uses the MINI brand as its small luxury car line. Instead, it’s best to look at well-equipped versions of acclaimed everyday models instead. A top-spec Volkswagen Polo is every inch the small luxury car, for example, delivering a very rich and satisfying experience. Or you could pick a small electric car for luxurious levels of refinement – consider the Renault Zoe or Vauxhall Corsa-e.

Are small luxury cars expensive?

Small luxury cars are certainly nowhere near as expensive as full-size ones. A MINI Hatch is priced from under £18,000, while Audi A1 prices start from less than £21,000. Both are a very affordable way to get a luxury car brand on your keyring. If you’re happy to get a luxury car experience without a premium badge, you can spend even less. Look at top-spec versions of the Dacia Sandero, for example, or upmarket editions of the Volkswagen Polo.

AS SEEN IN

GREAT DEALS FROM GREAT DEALERS