Peace For Parents

The Age

Saturday April 14, 2007

Bruce Newton

Need to buy wheels for your novice driver on a $20,000 budget? Bruce Newton considers four mini-car choices.

FORD FIESTA LX

The three-door Fiesta LX doesn't have the most crash safety stars, equipment or cheapest price, but it is widely regarded as having the best driving dynamics in its class.

That means it steers with responsiveness and accuracy, has plenty of grip in corners and a zesty 1.6-litre, four-cylinder engine. Fuel economy for the manual is 6.6 L/100 km.

All this is from a front-wheel-drive technical specification that offers nothing out of the ordinary. It is simply a case of Ford's European arm doing a great refining job.

Its quality makes it a good, safe first car. Euro NCAP's independent testing shows the Fiesta to be quite strong, delivering a four-star rating. But Ford blots its safety copybook by making ABS optional on the manual LX. Equipment includes dual airbags, 15-inch tyres, air-conditioning, remote central locking, power front windows and single-CD stereo.

Price: From $15,990

For: Best drive in class, strong engine, well built.

Against: Value equation a little strained, engine prefers premium fuel, a little noisy.

HONDA JAZZ GLi

The Jazz plays a great tune when it comes to versatility. It is probably the most spacious and clever car in its class. If your loved one has a double bass or tall friends, then Jazz fits the bill.

Extra space is due to flat and compact rear suspension, the fuel tank's location underneath the front of the cabin and the transverse front-wheel-drive engine layout. This creates a long, flat floor that yields some luggage space with all five seats upright - and even more when they are folded away.

The Jazz is not so outstanding to drive. The base-model GLi's 1.3-litre engine is a trier rather than strong, while both steering and ride could be better.

At 5.7 L/100 km, the official fuel economy figure is pretty thrifty.

Now built in Thailand, the Jazz is excellent value. For $15,990 it gets dual airbags, ABS with EBD, air-conditioning, remote central locking, power windows, single-CD audio and power windows as standard. It has a four-star Euro NCAP crash rating.

Price: From $15,990

For: Brilliantly versatile, well built, good value, above-average resale value.

Against: Engine could use more poke, steering needs more feel, ride less intrusion.

HYUNDAI GETZ 1.4

If the budget for a new car is really tight, you may find yourself mulling over options from Korea, Malaysia and the like.

Among them, the Getz 1.4 three-door puts forward a strong case, not only for its $13,990 price tag, but also ongoing support courtesy of Hyundai's industry-leading, five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

For a small car like the Getz, that's great reassurance because it is built to a strict budget. If something fails, the warranty is there to back you up.

The Getz also offers outstanding economy with its 1.4-litre, 16-valve engine returning a claimed 6.1 L/100 km fuel use average. The engine performs enthusiastically.

Another boost for the Getz is its standard equipment list: dual airbags, anti-whiplash front head restraints, air-conditioning, remote central locking, front power windows, single-CD audio and even an alarm. There are downsides. The standard manual gearbox is sloppy, the steering vague and on rougher roads it's less surefooted than rivals such as the Fiesta.

There's also a downgrade in safety expectations, the Getz gaining an average three-star rating from Australian NCAP testers.

Price: From $13,990

For: Attractive price, great warranty, equipment level, modern engine.

Against: Dynamics average, safety rating lower than rivals.

TOYOTA YARIS YR

There is a very good reason to spend an extra $750 on your loved one's five-door YR Yaris above and beyond the $16,390 starting price: safety.

The extra dollars buy dual front-side, driver's knee and curtain airbags. This comes on top of the standard dual airbags. A similarly equipped left-hand-drive Yaris scored five stars in Euro NCAP crash testing. The Yaris also includes ABS with BAS and EBD, fundamentally solid build quality and reliable dynamic ability to further strengthen its safety claims.

The Yaris has got a pretty funky exterior look, and inside it's the same deal, with a digital speedo that sits in the centre stack.

But the broad expanse of blank plastic in front of the driver also emphasises just how much hard, cheap surfacing there is in this car.

The budget limitations are also obvious in how much noise the earnest 1.3-litre engine, which uses 6.0 L/100 km, transfers into the cabin under acceleration.

YR is the entry-level Yaris, but it still includes air-conditioning, remote central locking, power windows and a CD player.

Price: From $16,390

For: Safety, build quality, honest dynamics and engine.

Against: Noisy, lots of plastic.

Ford Fiesta LX 4/5

Honda Jazz GLi 3/5

Hyundai Getz 3/5

Toyota Yaris YR Drive's Small Car of The Year (under $20,000) for 2006 4/5

© 2007 The Age

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