The best small cars with big boots 2024

The boot space you get in the latest Renault Clio (on sale new since 2019) is genuinely impressive, even when compared with cars from a larger class. In fact, its 391-litre capacity is 16 litres more than in the latest Ford Focus – a car that’s much larger overall. If you want a compact hatchback with maximum boot space, this could be the car for you.

A movable boot floor allows you to raise it level with the boot opening to make it easier to load heavy items in and out, although you do lose a bit of capacity.

The rest of the Clio’s interior is stylish and modern and there’s good space for people, too. It’s good to drive and excellent value for money, while all versions are very fuel-efficient.

The Citroen C3 Aircross is an affordable small SUV that’s smartly packaged to give you the kind of space and practicality you expect of a compact MPV.

Its 410-litre boot is a good size to start with, and if you’re not carrying passengers in the back seats you can slide the seats forward to create a very generous 520 litres of load space. Alternatively, fold down the back seats and you’ll get 1,289 litres, which is verging on cavernous.

There’s also a moveable boot floor and a storage space for the parcel shelf when you’re really cramming things in. Other bonuses for the C3 Aircross include modern styling and a comfortable interior, as well as very efficient engines.

The Ford Puma is one of the best small SUVs and part of its wide appeal is its spacious boot. It gives you more space than most rival cars and an extra party piece – an 80-litre compartment under the boot floor that Ford calls the MegaBox.

You can keep odds and ends in there and because it’s waterproof, it’s ideal for muddy football kits or wet belongings after a day at the beach. There’s a drain plug at the bottom so you can even hose it out after use.

The Honda Jazz is one of the most practical small cars you can buy. The boot of the latest model (sold new since 2020) is actually a bit smaller than the previous version because this time around it’s a full hybrid that needs room for the battery pack. But 304 litres can easily become an impressive 1,205 litres if you fold down the back seats.

By the way, Honda calls those back seats ‘Magic Seats’ and they’re unusual in that you can fold the base upwards like a cinema seat to create a large, tall space behind the front seats. This is almost like having a second boot in the car, giving you the option of carrying taller items, like large plants or a kid’s bike, upright.

The Kia Picanto is a great bet if you’re looking for a tiny car with decent load space. Its 255-litre boot isn’t that large outright, but it gives you more space for luggage and other bits and bobs than just about any other car of this type and it’s a useful square shape.

In all, the Picanto is one of the best used city cars you can buy. It’s fun to drive, offers outstanding value and is very affordable to buy and run. You also get the benefit of Kia’s seven-year warranty, which transfers to all future owners before it expires.

The Skoda Scala – like most Skoda cars – is especially practical compared with its rivals. A boot capacity of 467 litres is more than you get with many larger cars, including the Volkswagen Golf and even the latest version of the Ford Kuga mid-size SUV (with its sliding back seat set for maximum legroom).

For a car of this size, the Scala’s boot is about the biggest you can get. A movable boot floor gives you extra flexibility if you need a large, flat surface to load bigger items. All versions are well-equipped, have low running costs and are especially good value for money.

While numbers on paper give you an indication of a boot’s roominess, it doesn’t tell you about the shape. So let us tell you that the Vauxhall Crossland’s 410 litres is almost completely rectangular, which means none of the almost-unusable fiddly corners you get in some cars. The lip you need to lift things over is tiny and if you have the optional sliding back seats, you can expand the space to 520 litres, which is huge for a small SUV.

Drop the seats down and the space expands to 1,255 litres, although the seats don’t go completely flat. That the Crossland is also very good value for money is a bonus.

With 352 litres of room to play with, the Hyundai i20 has more boot space than most other cars of this size and comes with a useful movable boot floor to reduce the gap between the floor and the loading lip.

Value for money is a big attraction for the i20. Running costs are very reasonable and it comes with an excellent five-year factory warranty from new, which many rivals can’t match.

The Volkswagen Polo is a brilliant all-rounder, giving you lots of standard features and a smooth drive. It’s one of the most practical compact hatchbacks too, with good passenger space and a 351-litre boot capacity that’s right up there with the best.

You’ll pay a bit more for the Polo than you would for some rival cars but it’s especially well-equipped and has a high-quality feel throughout.

Much like the Skoda Scala mentioned above, the latest Skoda Fabia (on sale new since 2021) is as practical as cars from a larger class. The boot offers a capacity of  380 litres, the same as the much-larger and more-expensive Volkswagen Golf.

You get more back-seat legroom than you do with most of its rivals, so the Fabia is a great option if you often ferry adults or older children. As with many Skodas, the Fabia also has several clever features, such as space in the driver’s door for an umbrella. The previous-generation Fabia (sold new between 2015 and 2021) isn’t as spacious but it’s still roomy for a compact car and you can get an estate version that has a massive 530-litre boot.