ALT-3 Good Small Cars for the UK
Buying a smaller car doesn't mean that you have to compromise on what you want. Small cars can be stylish, spacious, practical, high performance - anything you want, in fact. It's just a case of doing the research.
"Research" is such a dull word, thrown around by the motoring journalists, for something that is actually quite good fun. Identifying what you need your car for, what you like, what you don't and nice-to-haves like specification, colour etc.
Ultimately, the choice is up to you and the really good news is that these days, it's almost impossible to buy a complete dud when it comes to small cars. Manufacturers tend to try out new technologies and gimmicks on bigger, more expensive cars and then incorporate them into smaller ones when a) the costs have come down and b) they've ironed out all the faults.
In terms of specific models, there are some stand-out small cars around at the moment. Vauxhall's new Corsa is terrific to drive and looks extremely stylish and sporty. There's a great range of economical, zippy engines - particularly the 1.3 turbodiesel which is also found in the Fiat Grande Punto. Speed enthusiasts will welcome the VXR model, with a 192bhp turbo-charged 1.6, on sale spring 2007.
Speaking of Fiat, the Grande Punto is also rather good news. Big (for a little car) and handsome, particularly in bright metallic colours, the Grande Punto is reassuringly well put together and has a great range of engines. The best news is the price - with discounts and haggling, you can pick a Grande Punto up for surprisingly little.
Ford's Fiesta is getting on a bit compared to the Corsa and Grande Punto, but is still definitely worth a look. Styling is understated and classy, it's terrific to drive and there are Ford dealerships everywhere.
Citroen are known for their innovation and price competitiveness, and true to form they offer three different models in the small car class. The tiny C1 is a city car with a 1.0 litre petrol or 1.4 HDi turbodiesel - fun, cute and cheap. The C2 is a squared-off 3 door wedge with a sporty stance - this is where you'll find the marvellous VTR and VTS performance models. And the 5 door C3 is spacious, easy to drive and an absolute bargain.
Also from the French, the latest Renault Clio and new Peugeot 207 work hard to appeal. Both are spacious, seem to be reliable and are attractively priced, if not outright cheap. The Renault probably has the edge in styling terms, in my opinion.
Of course, that isn't everything. Others worth a look are the Kia Picanto, VW Polo, Seat Ibiza, Ford Ka, Honda Jazz and Mazda2.
