Top 5 Superminis

We were sceptical that Mini could convincingly update a decade-old design to remain competitive with this new-gen car, but partly because of the Mini’s inherent quality and partly due to the lack of convincing new rivals in this sorely underrepresented class, it’s still an easy car to recommend.

Aimed at: young urban professionals/estate agents

Read the full Mini Cooper Review

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The Renault Clio gets a lot right: the interior is good, the ride is forgiving, fuel economy is excellent and it even handles pretty keenly. And given that the base model gives you most of what you need, it’s competitively priced too.

Aimed at: Nicole, papa, toute le famille

Read the full Renault Clio Review

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The Fabia offers a mature drive with no real surprises, which admittedly sounds mean but is actually a solid plus – you’ll get exactly what you’re expecting from this car and it’ll slot into your life without any fuss. If you looked up ‘easy to live with’ in the dictionary it would just be a picture of the Fabia.

Aimed at: sensible folks

Read the full Skoda Fabia Review

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It’s been a worthwhile update for the 208, honing its smartest-in-class looks while usefully broadening an engine line-up that wasn’t anything to write home about before. It’s still an idiosyncratic thing to punt along a road, because of the acquired taste cabin architecture and driving position, but we like living in a world where the French still attempt brave, wilfully different design choices even in workaday superminis.

Aimed at: the style conscious

Read the full Peugeot 208 Review

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It won’t bring a smile to your face in the same way a Ford Fiesta does, but that’s fine. It’s not a car for drivers and doesn’t claim to be. Comfy enough, and gets you where you need to go without fuss or fanfare. It’s boring, and that’s a compliment. If you don’t in the least bit care about cars, this is probably what you should buy. And if you do care about cars and choose to buy something else, just be happy cheap, simple cars like the Sandero still exist.

Aimed at: the cash conscious

Read the full Dacia Sandero Review

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