HYUNDAI'S little i10 city car is much better than the Amica that went before and not far off the best in the mini car class.

Hyundai's reliability has been very good and an unlimited mileage five year warranty means you could take over any that remains.

The i10 is cheap to buy new, so second hand prices are very reasonable. They are easy to drive and every model gets aircon.

Good power steering, small size and an almost vertical rear make it very town friendly and it even copes reasonably well with longer trips.

As well as a five-speed manual there is a four-speed automatic but this runs out of oomph at anything above 60 miles an hour and is to be avoided.

There is some wind and road noise but it's not too intrusive and the engine is smooth and reasonably quiet until pressed.

Handling and road holding are pretty good giving a fair amount of fun through the corners.

The driving position is not perfect but I didn't find it really uncomfortable. There is room for four adults and comfort is up to other city cars, but the boot is tiny.

Equipment is very good for such a small car including electric windows and an MP3 compatible CD player as well as air con.

: Pay about £4,200 for an '08 08-reg Classic, or £6,400 for a '10 10-reg Style

: 76bhp, 1,248cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5-speed manual gearbox

: 90mph

: 17 seconds

: 55.5

: 4

: 119g/km        

: Chevrolet Matiz