There will always be a place in the automotive landscape for small cars.
Whether you’re buying your first car, last car, or just something compact to zip around the city, small cars are often the cheapest and most efficient way to get around on four wheels.
They’re also an excellent platform for performance applications, with a level of agility that SUVs can only hope to match.
And while lifted SUVs are all the rage right now, there’s still plenty of variety in the small car segments, from budget friendly options such as the Mazda 3 to premium players including the Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf.
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Volkswagen Golf 
BYD Dolphin 
Kia K4 
Honda Civic
Electric options are also plentiful – the BYD Dolphin, MG 4, GWM Ora, and Cupra Born all deserve the consideration of eco-conscious buyers.
With that in mind, it can be tough to separate the best from the rest. We asked the CarExpert team for their picks of the bunch, and here’s what they came up with.
Let us know your pick in the comments below!
Alborz Fallah: MG 4
I recently saw the Kia K4 in person and I have to say I was very impressed. It looks great and is far bigger than I expected.
Having said that… it’s still a front-wheel drive combustion-powered sedan, and it’s not exactly competing on price against a lot of the new Chinese competitors.
So for that reason I’m sticking to my favourite (normal) car of 2024 – the MG 4 – a practical rear-drive hatch with excellent ride, driving dynamics and one of the best value for money EVs on the market.
Now with a 10-year warranty, you’d be crazy not to consider it.
Interested in buying an MG 4? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here
MORE: Everything MG 4
Marton Pettendy: Kia K4
There are good reasons why the Toyota Corolla has long been Australia’s most popular small car, and the Volkswagen remains the premium pick of the segment if you can’t afford a BMW 1 Series.
And if you’re ready to make the EV switch, the MG 4 electric hatch makes a compelling case in terms of value, ride quality, rear-drive dynamics and warranty coverage.
However, the Kia Cerato has long been my favourite small car and its replacement, the all-new K4, improves on its winning formula in all key areas.
Firstly, in sedan guise (the new K4 hatch arrives here late this year) it’s much bigger than before, it looks great and it offers all the tech and safety features, and the top-notch design and build quality we’ve come to expect from the Hyundai-Kia group.
The icing on the cake is a great locally tuned ride/handling package, low running costs, Kia’s seven-year warranty and a low-$30,000s starting price.
Interested in buying a Kia K4? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here
MORE: Everything Kia K4
Max Davies: Toyota Corolla
It’s the boring choice and safely within the box, but the Corolla is still a damn good car.
I won’t argue that its price can’t be a little off-putting, but it’s still cheaper than something like a Hyundai i30. You also get the economy benefits of a well-tuned hybrid powertrain over the Mazda 3, though that car does have a nicer interior.
You don’t have to worry about the vast upfront costs and pricey servicing that come with the Euro alternatives. While its interior isn’t as big as some of the others, you still get a lot more room than in a Subaru Impreza. In fact, the last time I drove a Corolla, I was able to fit two full golf bags in the boot with all five seats in use.
The Kia K4, meanwhile, is not a bad option either, but I still prefer the driving dynamics offered by the Corolla’s incredibly strong chassis. Maybe my opinion here will change once the sharp-looking K4 hatch arrives locally, especially given how badly the Corolla needs a major, Camry-esque update.
It’s still hard to ignore strong alternatives like the MG 4, but not everyone’s ready to go full-electric and the Corolla is therefore my pick for the traditional approach.
Interested in buying a Toyota Corolla? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here
William Stopford: Skoda Scala or Hyundai i30 Sedan
The Skoda Scala is one of the most unfairly overlooked cars on the Australian market, and deserves to sell better.
It’s smartly packaged, smartly styled, and smartly priced, though unfortunately the base grade lost adaptive cruise control with its facelift and it’s a huge jump of around $10k to the next Scala.
My time behind the wheel of the Scala was limited to a test drive for family members interstate, so I don’t know if it’s any more comfortable than the rather excessively firm Kamiq on Brisbane roads.
Alas, my family members didn’t end up buying one, though at least it ended up on their shortlist – something I suspect the Scala eludes completely for most small car buyers.
One car I do know feels comfortable on our often rubbish roads is the Hyundai i30 Sedan.
While there are warm N Line and hot N models, a mid-spec Elite with either the standard petrol or optional hybrid powertrains hits the sweet spot in terms of specifications.
Regardless of trim, the i30 Sedan is distinctively styled and as large inside as some mid-sized cars.
If the budget can stretch, an i30 Sedan N is a hoot, but the Kia K4 GT-Line is also a tempting option with its combination of a turbocharged engine and a torque-converter auto. I’m still not used to the styling though…
Interested in buying a Skoda Scala? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here
Interested in buying a Hyundai i30? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here
MORE: Everything Skoda Scala
MORE: Everything Hyundai i30
James Wong: Cupra Leon PHEV
This is actually a very real scenario for me, as I’m currently (and slowly) considering what I should replace my much-loved VW Golf GTI with…
As someone fortunate enough to get behind the wheel of so many cars, the options available to me are overwhelmingly endless, and are across multiple segments.
Being based on the same underpinnings as the latest Golf, the facelifted Audi A3 and Cupra Leon are genuinely on my ‘to-drive’ list.
Thinking about it right now, the incoming Cupra Leon facelift will bring an updated 200kW PHEV option with well over 100km of driving range, which none of its platform mates currently offer in Australia.
It makes a lot of sense in my head, being able to do multiple days of everyday driving in EV mode while having the added boost and engagement of the turbocharged petrol engine for the weekend.
The current Leon PHEV is already a great, if niche, warm hatch option in Australia. And the updated model should build on an already capable formula.
Still, watch me change my mind next week and walk into an Audi dealer…
Interested in buying a Cupra Leon? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here
MORE: Everything Cupra Leon
Jordan Mulach: Toyota Corolla and Hyundai i30 Sedan N
I have two answers to this question, wholly dependent on what the car is being used for.
For a daily driver, it’s almost impossible to go past a Toyota Corolla, which embodies the ethos of just getting on with the job, offering all the basics you’d ever need.
It helps that it’s got one of the most fuel-efficient hybrid systems in the market too. That is unless you get the flagship GR Corolla, which is one of the performance heroes of this generation and a hark back to Corolla SXs of old.
However, if I was looking for performance, I think I’d have to go for the i30 Sedan N. It’s front-wheel drive, but it has a sharp appearance, potent engine and engaging chassis.
There are few duds in this market, and more than enough choice to make a good decision regardless of budget.
Interested in buying a Toyota Corolla? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here
Interested in buying a Hyundai i30? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here
MORE: Everything Toyota Corolla
MORE: Everything Hyundai i30
Jack Quick: Hyundai i30 Sedan
Although the Kia K4 is an enticing choice, I’m gonna stick to my guns and say the Hyundai i30 Sedan is the small passenger car you should buy.
My main reason for this is you can already get it with a fuel-sipping hybrid powertrain. This is something the K4 lacks for the time being.
In all honesty, the entry-level i30 Sedan Hybrid offers a lot for the price tag ($33,000 before on-roads), including a bucket-tonne of boot space, though I loathe how it still requires you to stick the key in the barrel and turn it to switch the car on. It just feels wrong in a car that starts up silently in EV mode.
Because of this, I’d opt for the Elite trim, which costs an extra $4500 over the base model ($37,500 before on-roads).
You not only pick up push-button start, but other niceties like a proper 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, plus dual-zone climate control, and leather seats, among other things.
Interested in buying a Hyundai i30? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here
MORE: Everything Hyundai i30
Josh Nevett: Honda Civic Type R
Many of my colleagues have chosen something cheap and cheerful, so I’ll happily take the chance to push the envelope a bit.
Technically a small car, the Type R is the perfect everyday performance car for the modern age. It goes like stink, retains a fun front-wheel drive layout and still offers a notchy manual transmission – nice!
The interior of the Type R is also far superior to its compact performance car peers – neither the Hyundai i30 N nor the Toyota GR Corolla come close on material quality, and the red bucket seats in the Honda make it feel special compared to black-on-black rivals.
Go-fast bits aside, the Type R is a remarkably well-sorted daily runabout, with none of the raucousness and vibration you’d expect from a boosted small car.
Sure, you pay a premium for the privilege of owning one, but it’s a premium worth paying in this instance.
Interested in buying a Honda Civic Type R? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here
MORE: Everything Honda Civic
