By Peter Burgess, contributor
August 25 2006
Vauxhall’s all-new Corsa enters the supermini market with high hopes to keep up the market leadership of its predecessor, but this sector is ultra-competitive with some very good – and in many cases recently launched - cars competing for your pounds – here’s our round-up of the best, complete with links to full reviews and roadtests, full spec & pricing from our new VIP car database, and to Auto Trader – we’ve limited the cars to less than three years old.
Ford Fiesta
Traditionally vying with the Corsa for top spot in the supermini sales charts, and this year doing rather better, the Fiesta has just had its mid-life facelift. So it look more appealing and it remains a good car to drive with some decent engines. But it’s no longer a new design and it can be a bit noisy at speed.
Renault Clio
The latest Clio was launched in 2006. It’s a quality piece of kit, solid, spacious and comfortable with a great EuroNCAP score. All this comes at a price though, both to your pocket and to the performance. The Clio is no longer cheap and its extra weight means you need a reasonably powerful version to gain adequate performance.
Peugeot 207
Also new in 2006 is the 207. Its predecessor the 206 was Britain’s most popular private car purchase, which just shows how pretty styling could outweigh a mediocre car. The 207 is very much better. It has an improved driving position, it rides and handles well and seems well built. It’s not the roomiest of superminis though, and it’s no bargain either. Cheaper models lack performance and equipment.
Volkswagen Polo
The Polo is as much about the classy appeal of the VW badge as anything else. Its good looks aren’t carried through to the interior, which is dull compared with rivals. It isn’t particularly good to drive either, though there is a wide range of engines to choose from. Polo prices can’t really be justified in the light of the quality of the competition.
Nissan Micra
The Micra’s image is love it or hate it. But there is indeed plenty to like about this small Nissan. It’s well made, dead easy to drive and the high seating position makes parking a doddle. Rear seat space isn’t as good as some of the competition and neither is the boot space great. But it’s hard package to argue against.
Toyota Yaris
The new Yaris is still one of the smallest superminis, though this isn’t reflected in the price. It is a pleasing car in both town and country, though, an easy car to drive with a stylish and comfortable interior. You can balance boot and rear passenger space by sliding the rear seat, which is useful. The three-cylinder one-litre engine is a bit noisy.
Citroen C3
Funky styling is part of the C3’s appeal. So too the never ending discounts available at Citroen dealers. It didn’t get off to a terribly good start when it was launched but the quality has improved. Inside the slightly wacky theme continues in the nice airy cabin. The driving position is high for good visibility but it does little to help rear legroom that is below the class average. The same goes for the ride and handling.
Skoda Fabia
Much admired when it was launched for combining class leading space and refinement, Volkswagen levels of quality and sharp pricing, the Fabia remains a sensible buy. The game has moved on 2006, however, and the Fabia no longer looks the bargain it once was unless you pick one of the much less desirable budget models.
Fiat Grande Punto
Europe’s best selling car bar none! Fiat must be doing something right. The Grande Punto is good looking, with a comfortable interior and plenty of room for drivers of all shapes and sizes. There’s a massive boot too. The suspension is rather too firm and like many rivals, its newfound weight means performance with the small engines is mediocre.
Kia Rio
It may be a budget brand, but Kia’s Rio has lots to offer. It’s roomy, well made and very well equipped for the money – all cars get air conditioning, for example. Small cars will be used a lot in the city and the Rio scores highly here. The visibility is great, the gearchange as easy as it gets and the steering light. There’s a great 1.5 diesel for little more than the petrol 1.4.
Verdict
Which one would we choose? This should be a difficult decision but actually the first part isn’t at all. Four cars stand out from the rest, Corsa, Clio and 207, and from the budget end, the Rio. But which of these? The Clio, like the Corsa, has grown up, and some will prefer the 207 because it still feels and drives like a supermini always used to. But the 207 isn’t quite as roomy and there doesn’t seem to be any financial advantage to compensate for this. Of the Clio and Corsa, the Vauxhall has a slight edge here and would ultimately be our choice. But if you want real value, you’d be mad to ignore the Kia Rio.