New vs used small cars: Citroen C3 or Volkswagen T-Roc?
Small cars offer great value for money, but which is the best option for £18k?
The perennial question of whether to buy new or used often presents car buyers with the choice between a new car and something altogether larger, but second-hand. For a budget of only £18,000 you can pick up our current Supermini of the Year, the Citroen C3 and get sturdy build quality, funky looks and a decent amount of kit for the cash.
Alternatively, if you’re prepared to invest in a slightly older car, your budget will net you something a bit bigger on the used car market. The Volkswagen T-Roc is a fully-fledged SUV, and it offers more space inside than the Citroen. It’s rather good to drive, too, thanks to its Golf-based underpinnings.
So should you treat yourself to a brand-new supermini or are you better off by upsizing to a used mid-size SUV? Our expert road testers have the answer to this dilemma, so keep reading to find out more.
New: Citroen C3
- Our pick: Citroen C3 1.2 Turbo Plus
- Price: £17,195 (saving £1,420 on RRP)
- Standard kit: Air-con, LED headlights, electrically folding door mirrors, rear parking sensors
- Key stats: 52.0mpg, 128g/km CO2, 10.6secs 0-62mph
- VED: £220 in first year, then £190
- Insurance group: TBC
- Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles
Used - available now
2023 Tesla
Model 3
38,069 milesAutomaticElectric
Cash £18,700
2026 SEAT
Ateca
32,389 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £15,700
2021 Ford
Fiesta
23,393 milesManualPetrol1.0L
Cash £12,200
2024 Audi
A3 Saloon
58,321 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £18,300The Citroen e-C3 was our 2024 Car of the Year, but if you’re not yet ready to make the leap to an EV, you’ll be reassured to know that the petrol-powered C3 was our 2024 Supermini of the Year.
This funky-looking Citroen has come a long way from the curvy original C3 of 2002. Not only does it look much more modern and aggressive, but the build quality is light years ahead. In fact that’s one of the most appealing things about the C3: this is essentially a budget small car, but thanks to clever design inside and out, it feels anything but low-rent.
Years ago, one of the key selling points of Citroen’s cars was their comfort, thanks largely to clever fluid suspension. The brand hasn’t had that edge for quite some time, but recently it has started to focus on ride quality once more, which is why the C3 is a lot comfier than many of its rivals; it’s just a shame that it’s
not a bit more engaging to drive.
This is the fourth-generation C3 and it’s pretty much the same length and width as its predecessor. But it’s 10cm taller, and that’s how Citroen has really opened up the car’s cabin to provide plenty of space for four adults. Even better, this doesn’t come at the expense of boot capacity, because the 310-litre load bay is roomy for this segment.
The only engine offered in the C3 is a 99bhp turbocharged 1.2-litre unit, which is frugal, has a pleasant thrum and gives decent in-gear acceleration. The C3 comes only in entry-level Plus trim, but if you do decide that you want to go electric, there’s a posher Max edition. Even better, if you use our Find a Car service, you can find an e-C3 Plus from less than £20,000; the e-C3 Max starts at £20,900.
Used: Volkswagen T-Roc
- One we found: T-Roc 1.5 TSI SEL auto
- Price: £17,700
- Mileage/year: 27,606/2020
- Standard kit: Adaptive cruise control, voice activation, privacy glass, LED headlights
- KEY stats: 42.8mpg, 150g/km CO2, 8.6secs 0-62mph
- VED: £190
- Insurance group: 19
The beauty of buying used is you can get a lot more for your money. That’s the case here, because the cheapest new Volkswagen T-Roc now costs more than £29,000, but for much less than that you can have a high-spec, low-mileage example that’s barely run in. Even better, the T-Roc is not only a size up from the C3, but it’s also a lot more plush inside, especially in SEL trim, which sits near the top of the range.
The T-Roc is a much older design than the C3; VW launched its mid-sized SUV as long ago as autumn 2017, with a choice of 1.5 TSI and 2.0 TSI petrol engines; 1.6 TDI and 2.0 TDI diesels arrived later, along with a 1.0 TSI petrol unit.
The 148bhp 1.5 TSI unit is powerful enough, decently frugal and refined. It works well with VW’s DSG automatic transmission, although the six-speed manual is nice, too. But the T-Roc’s talents don’t end there, because this is a car that’s not only fun, but also comfortable.
VW facelifted the T-Roc in spring 2022, but our car pre-dates that. No worries though, because the original car has a well designed cabin with plenty of kit and an infotainment system that’s really easy to use.
And obviously, it doesn't matter how old the model you're buying is, because it will have a truly spacious cabin. There’s no shortage of head or legroom in the back seats, while the boot capacity is generous at 445 litres. That’s a lot more than the similarly sized Volkswagen Golf can carry.
Incidentally, the Citroen C3 hasn’t yet been crash tested by Euro NCAP, but the T-Roc has long since achieved a maximum five-star rating, thanks to a raft of hi-tech safety kit being fitted as standard.
Used - available now
2021 Volkswagen
T-Roc
21,025 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L
Cash £19,699
2025 Volkswagen
T-Roc
21,797 milesManualPetrol1.5L
Cash £21,399
2021 Volkswagen
T-Roc
17,400 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £19,950Small car buying advice
We love the sheer simplicity and honesty of the C3 – so much so that we gave it out highest possible accolade last year.
But we’re also fans of the T-Roc, and for the same money as a basic supermini, you can have a far more luxurious car from the segment above, which costs sensible money to run, offers more performance and is roomier. And that’s why this time round we’d opt to buy used and take the Volkswagen.
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