City Cars
The best kind of car for urban South African driving: compact size, easy parking, light steering, low fuel use and automatic gearboxes.
City driving is stop-start, tight and often frustrating, and it rewards a very different car from the one that shines on the open road. A short body makes parallel parking and shopping-centre bays painless, light steering saves your arms in traffic circles, and a small, efficient engine keeps fuel bills down when you spend most of your time idling. An automatic gearbox is a genuine quality-of-life upgrade if your commute involves long queues.
Compact hatchbacks and small crossovers are the natural fit, and the entry-level end of the new-car market is full of them. Pay attention to turning circle, rear visibility, parking sensors and whether the boot copes with a supermarket run. Many city buyers are also the ones who benefit most from buying below the manufacturer's retail price through Car4Less, because a small saving on a small car is a large share of the monthly instalment.
City Cars — questions
The questions people ask about city cars, answered plainly.
What is the best type of car for city driving?
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A compact hatchback or small crossover with a small, efficient engine and an automatic gearbox is hard to beat. You want a short body for parking, light steering, good all-round visibility, parking sensors or a camera, and low fuel consumption in stop-start traffic. Ground clearance matters less in town, although a small crossover copes better with speed humps and broken kerbs.
Is an automatic better for city driving?
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For most urban drivers, yes. An automatic removes the constant clutch work of traffic queues, which reduces fatigue and, for many people, makes driving safer because attention stays on the road. Modern automatics are also efficient, so the fuel penalty that older units carried has largely disappeared. A manual is still cheaper to buy and fine if your commute flows freely.
Do I need a big engine in the city?
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No. In traffic you rarely use full power, and a small engine that pulls cleanly at low speeds is more pleasant and far cheaper to run. Turbocharged small-capacity engines give strong response without heavy fuel use. Save the extra power for buyers who spend most of their time on the highway or tow. In town, a light, responsive car wins.
Which features make parking easier?
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Rear parking sensors and a reversing camera are the two most useful additions, followed by a small turning circle and good rear visibility. Some cars add front sensors, a surround-view camera or self-parking. Folding mirrors help in tight bays. If you park on the street, a security system and a tracker-ready design can also lower insurance premiums.
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