On the motorway, thick tyres and a stiff suspension create a marked rumble and outside noise intrudes enough to grate over long distances.Still, it’s a serious contender that’s keenly priced enough to match the best in its class (all of them Japanese) with more than enough style and character to appeal to anyone who wants to avoid the blandness of so many modern super minis.Adrian Lindfield, 46, sourcing agent, from Bury St Edmonds Usual car: Toyota Avensis”The seats were comfortable and supportive and everything feels very well made The gear ratios are well spaced and the engine revs well. Outside, Mitsubishi seems to have borrowed liberally from the outline of a Mercedes A-Class, which is no bad thing, while inside someone has clearly been given free reign to come up with something truly original – making the Colts one of the most pleasing interiors of any of the cars we’ve tested so far this year.It is bold, fun and contemporary. It is the grey man of Japanese car manufacturing.But if Mitsubishi has an identity problem, it does not seem to bother the designers and engineers who are getting on and producing decent cars, such as the new, comfortable, generously-equipped and competitively-priced Grandis people carrier and now the Colt, its all-new five-door super mini (which shares much of its innards with the new Smart FourFour).There’s a pleasing crispness to the Colt’s design. I challenge you to find a few that encapsulate Mitsubishi, though.Asking our reader panel to describe Mitsubishi’s brand values elicited merely pursed lips or slight frowns as they struggled to describe what the company stands for. Pauline should be pleased about the safety aspect because ABS brakes that stop the car skidding under braking, EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution) which helps out under emergency braking and twin airbags all come as standard.The SL model also has side airbags as standard too. Daihatsu build very robust cars and there should not be any reliability issues and in pure economy terms the small three-cylinder engine returns an impressive 58.9mpg. The Charade has a very spacious interior and Pauline will sit comfortably high.The boot is a little on the small side but Pauline will have to see for herself whether she will be able to fit all of her bags of shopping or suitcases.Car Choice: Please write to Car Choice, Features, Independent House, 191 Marsh Wall, London E14 9RS, or e-mail James Ruppert at carchoice independent.co.uk, giving your age, address and contact number, and details of the type of vehicle you are interested in..

SPECIFICATIONS Price: £11,499 Engine: 1.5-litre sport Performance: 0-60mph in 10 seconds, 45.6mpg CO2 148g/km Worth considering: Honda Jazz, Nissan Micra, Toyota Yaris

SPECIFICATIONS Price: £11,499 Engine: 1.5-litre sport Performance: 0-60mph in 10 seconds, 45.6mpg CO2 148g/km Worth considering: Honda Jazz, Nissan Micra, Toyota Yaris
Try To describe almost any car brand and the chances are several adjectives, good or bad, will slip off the tongue. It is possible to get about £800 through UK car brokers and we think Pauline should investigate the Panda because it is spacious and nice to drive.We also like the Daihatsu Charade, which is a small car but it is well-equipped and great value.The 1.0SL five-door is £8,020 with an automatic gearbox and air conditioning. One word of caution though, the Micra looks very different and if Pauline does not like attention-seeking looks then she should go for something more conventional. Roll forward the Ford Fiesta.The cheapest option is the 1.25LX five door with optional automatic and air conditioning at £11,245. It is a very spacious car with a well-built interior, which is several notches up from the previous Fiesta in terms of quality. ABS brakes are standard and it has Ford’s Intelligent Protection System, which means there are dual-stage front airbags, which can assess the severity of any impact.A car for the heartIt would be easy to recommend the Fiat Panda, yet again.

The 1.2 Dynamic model with air conditioning and an optional automatic gearbox at £650, comes to £8,145. Air conditioning and central locking are the minimum requirements. As this is a car for retirement, I presume she wants to hold on to it for a good few years, so durability and low running costs have to be a priority. There are some great small cars around at the moment.A car for the headThe Nissan Micra is a great little car and the 1.2SE is the first five door with air conditioning at £9,195 but an automatic gearbox costs £900 extra, which means it will cost £10,095. Most UK Car brokers can save about £600 on this price.The interior is very well finished and distinctive and Pauline may find that the keyless entry on the SE model (the doors open when you are in the proximity) is useful when loaded with shopping It is a very solid car with a high quality feel.