10 Jun 09
Smart CDi Passion Cabrio
Price: £10,566;
0-62mph: 19.8;
Top speed: 85mph;
Engine capacity: 799cc;
Power: 45bhp at 3,800rpm;
Emissions: 88g/km;
Average fuel consumption: 85.6mpg;
Boot capacity (min/max): 220/340 litres
This is the only open-top in our list and although it has the power output of a food mixer, the Smart CDi sips fuel, won't kill the planet (much) and it still offers wind-in-the-hair motoring.
There's a small area in which to put small-sized luggage and there's also the hard-top in the range. That has the same vital stats, but it's not as cool as the Passion rag-top.
Our choice: Volkswagen Fox 1.2 3dr
Price: £6,845-£,8335;
0-62mph: 17.5s;
Top speed: 92mph;
Engine capacity: 1,198cc;
Power: 55bhp at 4,750rpm;
Emissions: 144g/km;
Average fuel consumption: 46.3mpg;
Boot capacity (min/max): 260/1,016 litres
The Volkswagen Fox is a pretty good find: it may have the pace of a souped-up lawnmower, but in this company 0-60mph in 17.5 seconds is still quite acceptable.
It's also fantastically cheap - a starting price of less than £7k is decent and you get Volkswagen quality to boot. And talking of boots, a 1,016-litre maximum capacity is not to be sniffed at.
If we absolutely had to buy a car from this feature, the Fox would be it.
