Mazda 2

This is one of the best handling superminis around, and an ace all-rounder to boot. We like Mazda's baby a lot.

• Comfort

  Surprisingly comfortable given the short wheelbase and compact dimensions - you'll even be able to manage the odd motorway trundle without any bother at all. Trans-continental might be a bit frustrating.

  

• Performance

  Pick the 1.5-litre Sport model with 102bhp and you get sufficient grunt in what is a small and light enough package to feel genuinely brisk. 10.7 to 62mph. There's also a diesel too, a 1.6-litre with 95bhp, and a 0-62mph time of 11.5 seconds.

  

• Cool

  Rational and stylish and not a Fiat 500. So bonus points all round, but not very cool.

  

• Quality

  Nicely fixed up, playfully-designed dash that feels like it might at least last as long as you will. Mazda knows how to do this sort of thing, and the 2 feels like it's been designed with humans in mind. The fact that the car is platform-shared with the new Ford Fiesta should assuage any latent reliability worries.

  

• Handling

  Not quite as agile as the Fiesta is has borrowed from, the Mazda2 is nevertheless still an entertaining little hatch to hurtle about in. There's enough feel and feedback through the wheel and responsiveness from the chassis to make this one of the better superminis to peddle in anger. Steering is sharp, throttle response sharper still. 

  

• Practicality

  Five doors and a hatch, with room for four adults, but this isn't a huge car so don't expect too much. Still, for the size, a 250-litre boot with the seats up isn't too bad, and there's a more useful 787litres with the seats folded.

  

• Running costs

  Low emissions and good fuel economy hovering around 55mpg means the 2 should be cheap to run.