Choosing small cars for girls can be a challenge. While the price could be the first factor in buying, we cannot ignore the safety. Since the new drivers may not be able to react as swiftly to certain driving conditions as adept drivers, small cars with modern active safety features give them peace of mind.
Besides safety, the best small cars for girls should be fuel-efficient and reliable with lovely interiors, comfortable seating, innovative & user-friendly infotainment systems (with some form of mobile connectivity), and sporty handling. We have ruled out sports cars, luxury cars, and three-row utility vehicles. Similarly, expensive and large cars are not something you should choose for your girls.
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Small Cars for Girls
Inexpensive small cars for girls comprise compact and subcompact vehicles – naturally sedans, coupes, and hatchbacks. In other words, the small cars are lightweight with nimble handling and excellent fuel economy. Their compact nature makes them great city cars as parking and maneuvering them around corners is more manageable than large sedans and full-size SUVs.
The top small cars for girls also excel on the inside, offering reasonable cargo space and adequate room for adults at the back.
1. 2022 Mazda3
The 2022 Mazda3 is one of the safest cars you could buy for your girl. It received a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and five out of five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The compact car offers plenty of pep through its three available powerplants. The sedan delivers an EPA-estimated 28 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, while the hatchback model offers 26/34 mpg city/highway.
The interior is more upscale than what you expect from a car in its class. While you have to step up the trim ladder to benefit from blind-spot monitoring, the base Mazda3 offers a forward-collision warning, emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, driver attention alert, and high-beam assist.
An 8.8-inch display, an eight-speaker stereo, HD Radio, voice command, Bluetooth, and two USB ports are standard. To enjoy Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, navigation, and a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system, you either have to pay extra or move up to Mazda3 S trim level.
2. 2021 Chevrolet Bolt
The 2021 Bolt would impress your girl with its engaging handling, quick acceleration, and roomy cargo area. Powering the Bolt EV is a 66-kW lithium-ion battery pack and an electric motor, generating 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. It is adequate power to get a quick acceleration from a stop as well as cruise smoothly on the highways.
The EPA has rated the EV at 127 MPG-equivalent in the city and 108 MPGe on the highway, which is not bad in its segment. The EPA-estimated 259 miles is also one of the highest for a non-Tesla car.
While charging on a 240-volt charger takes 10 hours for a full charge, you can add 100 miles in just half an hour using the DC fast charger.
The standard infotainment facilities include a 10.2-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, two USB ports, a Wi-Fi hot spot, satellite radio, and a six-speaker stereo.
In the safety department, the Bolt shines through its highest IIHS rating of Good in five out of six collision examination categories. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded the overall safety rating of five out of five stars.
3. 2017 Smart Fortwo
While Smart discontinued Fortwo in the USA in 2018, you can still import new (but in EV guise only) or buy used. It is one of the best small cars for girls seeking a fuel-efficient ride that is easy to maneuver and park.
The little car is accessible in two body styles (coupe and Cabrio) and four variants – Pure, Passion, Prime, and Proxy. We suggest you choose Passion trim for your teen girl, as it comes with plenty of goodies like a height-adjustable driver’s seat, heated and power-adjustable side mirrors, a center console with an extra pullout compartment, and a retractable cargo cover.
If convenience and comfort are the priority, the Prime features leather upholstery, heated seats, a sunroof, fog lamps, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a tachometer, and a clock.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety honored this small city car the top ranking of Good in both the moderate overlap front and side crash examination. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration honored it with an overall safety rating of four out of five stars.
The 2017 Fortwo houses a 0.9-liter three-cylinder turbocharged engine yielding a scanty 89 horsepower, which your young girl shouldn’t mind when it returns 33 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway.
4. 2022 Toyota Corolla
If there is one car that should tick all boxes for your young girl, it is the Corolla. Both new and old models are equally fuel-efficient and pleasant to drive with lots of user-friendly and standard driver assistance features.
Accessible in sedan and hatchback body layouts, the standard infotainment amenities include a 7-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, Bluetooth, two USB ports, satellite radio, and a six-speaker stereo.
Your teen girl cannot only accommodate four of her friends comfortably but can also make use of 17.8 cubic feet of space for luggage (in the hatchback) or 13.1 cubic feet (in the sedan).
There are five trim levels and two engine choices, starting from a 139-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder. The 169-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder is accessible for the SE and XSE variants. The standard continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) with front-wheel-drive offers smooth acceleration and simulated gear shifts.
The 32 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway with the 2.0-liter engine and 30/38 mpg with the 1.8-liter also make it one of the most fuel-efficient small cars for girls.
While The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rewarded it with an inclusive safety rating of five out of five stars, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety honored it with the top ranking of Good in all six collision examinations.
These impressive safety ratings have been possible due to the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 suite. The standard for all trim levels, the suite consists of lane departure warning, lane keeps assisting, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, road sign recognition, and automatic high-beam headlights.
FAQs About Small Cars for Girls
What is a good girl car?
The Nonstop Mom’s 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
The Free Spirit’s 2016 Volkswagen Beetle.
The High Finance Girl’s 2017 BMW 3 Series.
What is the most popular car for teenage girls?
2020 Toyota Corolla.
2019 Mazda3.
2018 Mazda CX-5.
2017 Honda CR-V.
Which car is best for a 5ft person?
2020 Kia Soul.
2020 Honda CRV.
2020 Subaru Forester.
What is the Girliest car?
Volkswagen Beetle.
Nissan Juke.
Fiat 500.
Peugeot 308CC.
Citroën Picasso.