28: Ford Fiesta – The best small car on the market right now

The best small car around right now? It's a staggeringly tight contest, with the likes of this Fiesta, the Citroen C3, the Seat Ibiza and VW Polo, and the Honda Jazz all right at the top of their games.

The Fiesta just edges it over these rivals, in part because it’s really, really good to drive, but also because it’s decent value for money, and well-made too. Not perfectly made, mind - that cabin is a touch on the too-plastic side of things (and much of that plastic is rather hard and shiny) but it gets the basics of good driving position and decent rear seat space right.

Even a basic 1.1-litre version is staggeringly good fun on a twisty road, and so the 190hp ST hot hatch is just mind-bogglingly good (albeit not quite as much fun as its predecessor). Active version wants to look and feel like a 4x4, and just about manages to, but it’s not really worth the extra outlay.

Best model: Fiesta ST 1.5 for €28,001