Citroen C3

It's not a driver's car, but if you're looking for something that covers bases and has a bit of character, the new C3 will put a satisfied little smile on your face.

• Comfort

  Manages a goodly amount of big-car poise over bumps with compliant suspension, and room up front is fine thanks to a high roofline. But it can be noisy in here and the rear seats are cramp-inducing on long journeys. Lucky you won't be doing any.

  

• Performance

  Take your pick on the engine front, from a 54kW 1.4L, a 88kW 1.6L or the 66kW 1.6L turbo diesel. The diesel performs well - you might be pleasantly surprised.

  

• Cool

  It's not a Yaris, so that must mean something.

  

• Quality

  The interior isn't quite as playful as the outside, but at least the C3 feels as though it was put together by sober people who care. We get a T-shaped dash, with an unfussy centre console and lots of detail. Gone are the tacky digital bits, instead we see analogue instruments that look far more classy. Even better, everything flows happily from one place to another - from the matte dash top, to the graphite plastic of the dash itself to the door cards, nothing feels like an afterthought. Colours are muted, with brief flashes of chrome to liven things up.

  

• Handling

  A safe little car with no major handling vices, but not exactly a bundle of unrestrained fun either. The grip is there, and the car is predictable but don't get one thinking you'll be cocking a wheel on a track day.

  

• Practicality

  It's not so huge in the back seats, even though the rear legroomis supposed to be 30mm greater than before. However, the huge windscreen means the back seats don't feel as oppressive as most superminis.

  

• Running costs

  All engines are cheap to run, but this is not a cheap car to buy. For the same price as a boggo C3 you could have a range-topping Fiesta.