Vauxhall Agila

It may be the baby of Vauxhall's range but that doesn't mean the Agila isn't practical – think of it as a Meriva-lite. And with a starting price tag of £7,925, you can't buy much more space for the money.

The driving experience isn't bad either, and although the 64bhp 1.0-litre engine isn't as good as the more powerful 1.2-litre, it comes in EcoFLEX trim which means 56mpg and CO2 emissions of 120g/km for a £35 yearly road tax burden.

The downside is a complete absence of standard equipment – you don't even get central locking in  Expression trim. Still, as a cheap, good looking and flexible urban runaround, the Agila performs pretty well.