Types of car
From city cars to large SUVs - every type of car explained
If you're fresh from your first delve into the used car market, or even if you're a long-time trawler of classifieds, making sense of the minefield that is motoring terminolgy can be something of a challenge.
You probably know what you need that car to do, how many seats it needs and what have you, but does that mean you need a hatchback or a coupe? Well a coupe will traditionally offer seating or two, while a hatchback is more likely to cater for four or five incumbents.
Perhaps you need something with a bit more boot space? Well you should go for an estate car, but you could also have a shooting brake, or an avant. What you might not know is that these are all one and the same, but depending on which brand you are looking at, they will refer to an estate car with a different term. Less than helpful.
We feel your pain, so we've decided to bring all of that frustration to an end with a one-size-fits-all guide to all of the types of cars you can find and how you can put them to use. Read on for all the info on every type of car from hatchbacks to coupes to SUVs.
Small cars
City cars
Small, light and cheap, city cars are built for urban roads, where they can sneak into tight parking spaces and rarely need to go fast - so there’s no need for a big engine that uses a lot of fuel.
Thanks to their lightness, they can be extremely agile and respond sharply when you turn the steering wheel, making them fun to drive. They also tend to be affordable to, with some excellent value finance deals available.
Popular city cars
What is a 3-door car?
This is a hatchback, which means that the rear of the car, from the bumper to the roof, opens up as one bootlid. As this gives access to the car’s interior, it’s classed as a door. Three-door cars only have one door on each side of the car, so you have to lean the front seats forward to get into the back.
Ideal type of car for
✔ Easy parking
✔ Finance under £100/month
✔ Good fuel economy
Not so good for
✘ More than two people
✘ Luggage space
✘ Motorways
Superminis
Their name might hint at micro dimensions but, in fact, many superminis can carry four adults and a week’s worth of shopping in their boot. Many households won’t need anything more.
And because they can be the only car you'll need, manufacturers are increasingly packing them with all the equipment you's ever want. Touchscreens, the latest phone software such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto - even intelligent systems that allow the car to speed up and slow down automatically in response to traffic conditions (adaptive cruise control) are increasingly common.
More luxurious models, such as the Audi A1 and Ford Fiesta Vignale bring even more upmarket features.
Popular superminis
What is a 5 door car?
This is a hatchback with four side doors for front and rear passengers. The bootlid counts as the fifth door.
Ideal type of car for
✔ Nimble, fun cornering
✔ Second family car
✔ Value for money
Not so good for
✘ Interior space
✘ Quiet and smooth journeys
✘ Lots of luggage
Small Crossover/SUVs
Similar in length and width to superminis, these cars are easier to park because they are taller. This gives the driver a better view of the road, and usually means more interior space.
However, the extra height can cause the cars to lean in corners, so there's often a compromise to be made between soft suspensiomn for a comfortable ride and firm suspension to prevent leaning.
Popular small crossovers
Ideal type of car for
✔ Visibility
✔ Ease of getting in and out
✔ Driving on rough ground
Not so good for
✘ Boot space
✘ Tough off-road conditions
✘ Driving fun
Family cars
Family hatchbacks
With their practical hatchback boot, these are built to do everything: the school run, shopping trips and fast motorway journeys. There’s plenty of choice: the best are spacious, economical, comfortable and fun-to-drive. Larger models are best if you’ll have adults in the back.
Popular hatchbacks
What is a hatchback?
Lift the bootlid of a hatchback and you open up the entire back of the car from bumper to roof, including the rear screen. This makes it easy to load bulky luggage. You can access the interior of the car from the boot, it counts as an extra door, which is why hatchbacks are described as three- or five-door vehicles. Some manufacturers, primarily Audi, will refer to their hatchback models as 'sportbacks' but they are otherwise identical in premise.
Ideal type of car for
✔ Families
✔ Low-cost motoring
✔ Choice of cars
Not so good for
✘ Exciting design
✘ High seating positions
✘ Several suitcases
Family saloons
Their smaller boot is less easy to load than hatchbacks but saloon cars are often quieter and more fun to drive than hatchbacks. Many buyers think they look more stylish. Larger models are more comfortable in the back and typically come with the latest technology and options.
The term saloon will sometimes be styled as'executive saloon' - within the british market, this refers to mid-sized saloons positioned between the larger and smaller ends of the scale.
Popular saloons
What is a saloon?
The boot in saloon cars is separate to the rest of the interior. With a smaller opening and less luggage space, saloon cars are less practical than hatchbacks, but often quieter, and sturdier, which can make the car slightly more precise and fun to drive. Some have a slot in the seats so skis or flat-pack furniture can fit, partly poking out into the interior.
What is a 4 door car? These are saloon cars, which have boots that are entirely separate from the interior. This means that only the side doors - for front and rear passengers - are counted.
Ideal type of car for
✔ Driving enthusiasts.
✔ Long-distance journeys
✔ Comfort and passenger space
Not so good for
✘ Buyers on a budget
✘ Versatile luggage space
✘ Easy parking
Crossover/SUVs
Blending the comfort of a family car with the practicality and height of an off-roader, many crossovers come close to offering the best of both worlds. Several have four-wheel drive (these cars may be called SUVs). Crossovers are an an ideal height for installing child seats,; families are increasingly buying them over hatchbacks.
Popular large crossovers
What is a crossover?
This usually describes a vehicle with the mechanical parts from a traditional car (like a supermini or family car), which makes them economical and comfortable to drive, crossed with the high driving position and practicality of an off-roader.
What is an SUV?
The letters stand for sport-utility vehicle. The first SUVs had lots of space for extreme sports equipment and four-wheel drive, so adventurers could reach the best surfing beaches, or hill-tops for paragliding. More details
Ideal type of car for
✔ Practical interior
✔ Passenger visibility
✔ Towing
Not so good for
✘ Driving fun
✘ Bargain prices
✘ Performance
People carrier/MPVs
These family-sized minibuses, maximise interior space and practicality for a reasonable price. This does mean that they aren’t the most stylish cars on the road, or much fun to drive, but they will carry families and their luggage in comfort, with seven-seat versions available. These are commonly referred to as MPVs in the trade, standing for multi-purpose vehicle.
Popular MPVs
Ideal type of car for
✔ Large families
✔ Bulky luggage (with seats folded)
✔ Value
Not so good for
✘ Style
✘ Driving fun
✘ Performance
Large cars
Luxury cars
Among the most comfortable vehicles you can buy, with the latest technology and luxury fittings in the front and back for owners who like to be chauffeured. In the most upmarket cases, you might find cars of this style named as limousines.
Popular luxury cars
Ideal type of car for
✔ Smooth ride
✔ Being chauffeur driven
✔ Cutting-edge technology
Not so good for
✘ Anyone who has to ask the price
✘ Versatile luggage space
✘ Narrow roads
Large SUVs
With a barn-sized interior, soft, comfortable air suspension and the ability to tackle tough off-road routes, these are the ultimate in luxury, go-anywhere vehicles. In most cases, these will be equipped with four-wheel drive.
Popular large SUVs
Ideal type of car for
✔ All-weather and surfaces
✔ Vast interior space
✔ Comfort
Not so good for
✘ Parking
✘ Price
✘ Sporty driving
Cars with extra luggage space
Estates
Add a rear extension to a family hatchback and you get an estate car with a huge boot. Ideal for families who need to cram in buggies and bags, modern estates are more stylish than the boxy designs of the past. There's a number of naming variants here, manufacturers are known to brand these cars as fastback, shooting brake, touring, tourer or avant. They sounds exciting, but they all mean a hatchback with a big boot.
Popular estate cars
Ideal type of car for
✔ Families
✔ Carrying flat-pack furniture
✔ Versatile interior
Not so good for
✘ Tight parking spots
✘ Very cheapest running costs
✘ Nimble driving
Pick-ups
Typically fitted with four wheel drive and powerful diesel engines, pick-ups can carry the contents of your garden shed on their large loading area at the back. Their power and grip also makes them great tow cars. Double-cab models have four doors for more practicality.
Popular pick-ups
Ideal type of car for
✔ Large luggage capacity
✔ Off-road
✔ Towing
Not so good for
✘ Comfort
✘ Hi-tech parts
✘ Narrow streets
Best-selling examples Volkswagen Amarok, Nissan Navara
Fun cars
Coupes
Style, sportiness and comfort are meant to come together in coupes, which traditionally have big engines, two doors, and a swooping roof. But you can now buy four-door coupes and SUVs, with roofs that sweep down at the back.
Popular Coupes
Ideal type of car for
✔ Looking stylish
✔ Performance and comfort
✔ Couples
Not so good for
✘ Rear space
✘ Luggage
✘ Cost
Sportscars
Sportscars have flamboyant styling and are built with fast acceleration, speed and driving fun in mind, which usually means that they are less comfortable and practical (with only two seats) than a coupe. Their performance can only really be tested at a racing circuit on a track day.
Popular Sportscars
Ideal type of car for
✔ Speed
✔ Fun
✔ Noise
Not so good for
✘ More than two people
✘ Cheap motoring
✘ Shy and retiring drivers
Convertibles
Convertibles allow you to lower the roof and let the sun in: no-one knows why they are so popular in rainy Britain. You can choose from a hard-top folding metal roof or soft-top fabric one that’s lighter but less secure. Sportier convertibles tend to be called roadsters. These sunseeking models will also be branded as cabriolets, soft-tops, hardtops, spiders and roadsters, each offering you the chance to catch those rays.
Popular convertibles
Ideal type of car for
✔ Sunny summer days
✔ Country roads
✔ Second car
Not so good for
✘ Rain
✘ Cost-conscious buyers
✘ Practicality
Best-selling examples Mercedes SLC, Mazda MX-5
Supercars
Big on noise, speed and power, supercars are even bigger on price. With lightweight materials and sophisticated engine parts, they can accelerate from 0-62mph in around 3sec and reach 200mph. But many owners stick to posing as they cruise around slowly in expensive parts of town.
Popular supercars
Ideal type of car for
✔ Top speed
✔ Hi-tech parts
✔ Getting attention
Not so good for
✘ Fuel economy
✘ Speed bumps
✘ Insurance costs
Hot hatches
By boosting a hatchback’s engine until it screams under the bonnet, engineers created the hot hatch, which has all the practicality of a family car and performance to rival a Porsche. The best models have upgraded mechanical parts that make the car’s steering more fun and precise in corners.
Popular hot hatches
Ideal type of car for
✔ Driving enthusiasts with a family
✔ Affordable performance
✔ Easy servicing at main dealers
Not so good for
✘ Fuel economy
✘ Comfortable ride
✘ Distinctive interior
4x4s
Most crossovers and SUVs never stray off road, so they are designed to be best on tarmac. Proper 4x4 off-roaders are most at home when they are axle-deep in mud and are set up to tackle the toughest terrain. This can make them feel a bit bouncy and unsettled on the road.
Popular 4x4s
Ideal type of car for
✔ Farmers
✔ Off-road enthusiasts
✔ Treacherous weather
Not so good for
✘ Comfortable and quiet road use
✘ Fuel economy
✘ Luxury fittings
