Tiny cars are wildly popular in places like Europe and Japan, where limited space often necessitates practical compact designs. Walk along a bustling street in France, and you’ll likely see a street-parked Renault Twizy, a car so little it’s actually considered a quadricycle. Meanwhile, Japan has an entire vehicle classification for small cars, known as kei cars, which has lower taxes than larger classes to encourage tiny car ownership. Space is at such a premium in many European, Chinese and Japanese cities that scooters are the preferred means of transportation.
Here in America, where SUVs reign supreme, while small or subcompact cars aren’t as popular. And if you were wondering what defines a tiny car, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies vehicle size based on passenger and cargo volumes. Those with 85 to 99.9 cubic feet of passenger and cargo volume are subcompact, while those with 100 to 109.9 cu ft are considered compact.
Little cars might not be big-sellers in the USA, but there’s still a decent selection for the size-conscious to choose from. Here’s our list of the 10 best cars with minuscule proportions you can buy in 2025, in ascending order of length—and it doesn’t contain the Mitsubishi Mirage. We’ve also listed a compact car alternative from for those who need just a little more space.
Best Tiny Cars in 2025
- Fiat 500e
- Mini Cooper 2 Door
- Mazda MX-5 Miata
- Mini Cooper 4 Door
- Hyundai Venue
- Kia Soul
- Toyota GR86/Subaru BRZ
- Jeep Wrangler 2-Door
- Volkswagen Golf GTI/R
- Nissan Kicks
- Toyota GR Corolla
- Pros and Cons of Owning a Tiny Car
Fiat 500e
Length: 142.95 inches / Compact car alternative: Mini Electric
As well as being one of the smallest electric vehicles in the world, the Fiat 500e is the smallest new car on sale in the U.S. in 2025. Even so, it’s absolutely gargantuan compared to the original Cinquecento (Italian for 500) from 1957, which was a diminutive 116 inches in length—so don’t expect much from the rear seats.
The Fiat 500’s size isn’t the only thing that’s changed over the years. Whereas the first 500 was equipped with a clattering two-cylinder gas engine, the contemporary version is battery-powered with up to 149 miles of range on a full charge. As of March 2025, the MSRP starts at $32,500.
Mini Cooper 2 Door
Length: 152.6 inches / Compact car alternative: BMW 2 Series
Like the Fiat mentioned above, the 2025 Mini Cooper is a throwback to a popular microcar that launched during the mid-20th century. Like the Fiat 500, it too has grown from those early days, but the 2025 version is pint-sized by modern standards. The two-door Mini Cooper can be had in both hardtop and convertible configurations and there are more powerful Cooper S and JCW variants. The starting price is about $29,000.
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Length: 154.1 inches / Compact car alternative: Mazda 3
The Mazda Miata has carried the torch for the small sports car since its introduction in 1989. Offered exclusively as a roadster with rear-wheel drive (RWD), the Miata packs a lot of fun into a tiny package, especially when equipped with the available six-speed manual transmission. The Miata returns Porsche levels of fun at prices starting in the low 30,000s.
Mini Cooper 4 Door
Length: 158.9 inches / Compact car alternative: Mini Cooper Clubman
If you like the Mini Cooper 2 Door but it’s just too tiny for your needs, consider the longer-wheelbase 4 Door. Its stretched chassis allows for two additional rear doors, giving it an added dose of practicality while still maintaining a compact footprint.
You pay an extra $1,000 over the Mini Cooper 2 Door for the extra length and additional doors, whether you go for the standard model or the more powerful Cooper S.
Hyundai Venue
Length: 159.1 inches / Compact car alternative: Hyundai Elantra
The 2025 Hyundai Venue is a small car that straddles the line between crossover and hatchback. The Venue is blocky like a traditional utility vehicle but, unlike other SUVs, it’s only offered with front-wheel drive. Regardless of how it’s classified, the Venue is stylish and has a price tag befitting of its small stature—pricing starts at just over $21,000.
Kia Soul
Length: 165.2 inches / Compact car alternative: Kia K4
If you’re searching for a tiny car with an eye-catching design, look no further than the Kia Soul. Now in its third generation, the Soul pairs expressive exterior styling with a roomy interior that includes a generous 24.2 cu ft of cargo room behind its rear bench seat (roughly the same as the Honda HR-V, which is over a foot longer). It’s also affordable, starting at less than $22,000.
Toyota GR86/Subaru BRZ
Length: 167.9 inches / Compact car alternative: Hyundai Elantra N
Co-developed between Toyota and Subaru, the GR86 and BRZ twins are among the sportiest small cars on the road. Styling varies based on brand, but both are offered exclusively as coupes with rear-wheel drive, which makes them particularly attractive to any car enthusiast. An automatic is available, but the six-speed manual transmission ups the fun quotient of these two tiny cars. A base model from either automaker will set you back about $31,000.
Jeep Wrangler 2-Door
Length: 166.8 inches / Compact car alternative: Subaru Impreza
The 2025 Jeep Wrangler is easily the most off-road-capable small car money can buy. Every model comes standard with four-wheel drive, and for those wanting to venture far off the beaten path, the Rubicon trim adds even more capability with all-terrain tires and locking differentials. Heck, you can even spec a Wrangler with a snorkel and winch from the factory!
Pricing starts in the low $30,000 range, but be prepared to shell out upwards of $50,000 for a Rubicon model.
Volkswagen Golf GTI/R
Length: 168.8 inches / Compact car alternative: Volkswagen Jetta GLI
Once available as a mild-mannered hatchback, the 2025 Golf is now only available in one of two performance flavors — the 241 horsepower GTI and the 328 horsepower R. Either option is a bonafide pocket rocket, but the R might be better suited for those in snowy climates due to its all-wheel drive (the GTI is front-wheel drive).
Pricing for the 2025 Golf GTI starts at $32,445, while the Golf R starts at $47,100.
Nissan Kicks
Length: 171.9 inches / Compact car alternative: Nissan Sentra
The 2025 Nissan Kicks is small in size but big on features. Available high-end touches include dual digital displays, Nissan’s ProPilot Assist driver assist system, and a Bose audio system with speakers integrated into the front headrests. All-wheel drive capabilities have also been made available for the 2025 model year. Pricing starts around $23,000.
Toyota GR Corolla
Length: 173.6 inches / Compact car alternative: Honda Civic SI
Although it's ever-so-slightly longer than the standard Toyota Corolla Hatchback on which it’s based, we couldn’t resist including the spicy GR Corolla on our list of best tiny cars. Small and mighty, the GR Corolla boasts a muscle car-like 300 horsepower and 295 lb.ft of torque from a turbocharged three-cylinder engine. It has plenty of other performance goodies, including an all-wheel drive system with a dedicated track setting and limited-slip differentials for both the front and rear axles.
For 2025, Toyota added an automatic transmission to the GR Corolla’s options list to broaden its appeal. The base Core trim is just under $40,000.
Pros and Cons of Owning a Tiny Car
As with any vehicle category, there are pros and cons that come with owning a tiny car. Let’s start with the good.
One of the biggest perks of owning a tiny car is size, or rather lack thereof. Thanks to their compact footprints, tiny cars are generally more maneuverable than larger vehicles. This makes them particularly well-suited to urban environments where the ability to dart through traffic or pull into a small parking spot can be extremely useful, and also add up to a surprisingly sporty driving experience.
Though not universally true, subcompact cars tend to have better fuel economy and EPA-rated mpg figures, because they have less mass to move than larger vehicles—even compact cars. Moreover, with less weight to move around, minicars can use smaller, and therefore more fuel-efficient powertrains without significantly impacting performance. The Jeep Wrangler, however, with its two-ton curb weight and powerful V6 engine, is a notable exception to this rule.
There is often a perception that tiny cars are devoid of equipment but, these days, that’s not true. They’re not dripping with Mercedes S-Class levels of luxury and tech, but you can certainly expect modern features such as a touchscreen infotainment system
Although there are clear benefits to small car ownership, there are also downsides, such as a lack of cabin space. A tiny car might not offer the same kind of head and legroom as you’d get from a vehicle in a class-up, particularly if you’re a backseat passenger or have to manage car seats. Likewise, cargo space can suffer when overall length is limited.
