Just a Small Town Car, Or Born and Raised in South Detroit?
Not all vehicles are created equal, and while some are perfect for one use, they can totally fail at something else. It's rare that a car is both great at ripping through sand dunes and maneuvering through tight urban streets. As buyers, we have to pick and choose. If you're a city dweller, you know how much time you'll spend alternating between the gas and brake pedals in stop-and-go traffic, and you'll want a car that doesn't make this feel more painful than it has to be. Here are the 10 worst cars for urban dwellers and the 10 best.
1. Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is synonymous with off-road adventures, but its rough ride quality makes it a pain for city driving. It also has an abysmal fuel economy and poor maneuverability in tight spaces.
2. Dodge Charger
While an absolute American classic, the Dodge Charger is a bit of a boat, long, wide, with heavy steering, and tough to maneuver in tight urban spaces. This car is built for ripping down an open road, not being stuck in stop-and-go traffic.
3. F-350
At over 21 feet long, the F-350 is a massive workhorse of a truck that is a nightmare driving around tight corners and narrow lanes, and don't even get us started on parallel parking. Fuel economy? Forget about it.
4. Ford Mustang
Like many classic American sports cars, the Ford Mustang is designed for burning rubber down country roads. As such, it's not the most practical car to own in a city. Its long hood and tiny rear windows give it awful visibility, it has a wide turning radius, and it is a pretty stiff ride.
5. Chevrolet Suburban
It should come as no surprise that this monster of an SUV isn't the most ideal for city driving due to its sheer size. It's designed for carting the kids around to their various extracurricular activities in, you guessed it, the suburbs.
6. Dodge Challenger
Added to the list of muscle cars that are no-goes for city dwellers is the Dodge Challenger. It's one of the widest coupes on the road, making it awful for narrow urban lanes. It's also heavy and clunky to drive in traffic, has poor visibility, and horrible fuel economy.
7. Tesla Model X
You might think that any EV would be a good choice for city driving, but fuel economy isn't the only parameter. The Tesla Model X is a large vehicle that's awkward to maneuver in tight spaces. Its signature Falcon-wing doors may be a cool design feature, but they're terribly impractical in cities because they need plenty of clearance to open.
8. Hummer
It may come as no surprise that a car inspired by an army vehicle isn't ideal for urban spaces. For one thing, it's huge, making it a nightmare to park or maneuver around small city streets. It's also a gas gulper that's even worse in stop-and-go traffic.
9. Toyota Land Cruiser
A good rule of thumb is that any car that's built for off-roading isn't meant for a city. The Toyota Land Cruiser is the perfect example of this, with its heavy-duty suspension, rough ride quality, poor fuel economy, and difficult maneuverability.
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10. Ram 1500 TRX
The Ram 1500 TRX is a beast of a truck that's perfect for big jobs, but not great for big cities. It's massive and heavy, making it impossible to maneuver in tight spaces, has terrible fuel economy, and it's a bumpy ride.
Now that we've discussed the vehicles you should avoid buying if you live in a city, let's talk about some of the smartest choices for city driving.
1. Honda Fit
The Honda Fit's compact and lightweight design makes it a breeze to maneuver through narrow streets and park in tight spaces. It also has great fuel economy and a surprisingly spacious interior.
2. Mini Cooper
There's a reason you see so many Minis in urban centers. Not only are they cute as heck, they're highly suited for city driving due to their small size, agility, and fuel efficiency.
3. Chevrolet Bolt
One of the most practical EVs on the market, the Chevrolet Bolt is the perfect urban car. It's compact, surprisingly zippy, inexpensive, smooth, and best of all, doesn't require gasoline to run.
4. Kia Soul
The Kia Soul is funky, fun, and practical for city driving. At only 165 inches long, it puts the compact in compact SUV, but somehow still has plenty of interior space. It also has great visibility, good fuel economy, and is super agile and fun to drive.
5. Fiat 500
The Fiat 500 is perfect for brave city drivers as it's so small, it has practically no hood. Putting that aside, having been designed with incredibly narrow European streets in mind, it's extremely maneuverable, has good fuel economy, and a cute retro design.
6. Hyundai Kona
The Hyundai Kona is compact like a hatchback but with the design perks of a crossover, making it the best of both worlds. It does well on tight urban streets but offers a slightly elevated driving position, improving visibility. It's also fuel-efficient and offers plenty of cargo and passenger space.
7. Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf is another excellent city EV with a compact design that's easy to maneuver. Its instant torque and one-pedal driving feature make it a lot more enjoyable to drive in stop-and-go traffic, and it's also one of the most affordable EVs out there.
8. Mazda Miata
Living in a city doesn't mean you have to completely give up on sports cars. The Mazda Miata may not have the power of a Mustang, but it's compact, zippy, and agile, making it an enjoyable city drive. It's also surprisingly affordable and fuel-efficient.
9. Toyota Corolla Hatchback
This car has all the practicality of a Corolla but with the extra compactness of a hatchback. It's only 172 inches long, making it extremely maneuverable and easy to park. Plus, it's affordable and fuel-efficient with good cargo space.
10. Mazda CX-30
The Mazda CX-30 is the perfect city crossover, blending sporty handling with compact design. Its sharp steering and tight suspension were designed specifically for city driving, and it's far more sporty and luxurious than other cars in its class.
