Second Hand Sense:THERE WERE few surprises in the Which? survey of UK owners, published last week. The Honda Accord has the highest satisfaction rating; Toyota has a strong profile with the Avensis; and the Ford Fiesta proved worthy of its place as one of Europe's best small cars.
The study, involving some 84,000 owners, threw up some noteworthy facts. Two cars in the top 10 have lower than average profiles, but have obviously made a very strong impression on buyers - the Daihatsu Sirion and the Hyundai i30.
There is a very easy explanation for the Sirion's success. Toyota has been investing in this small company since the 1960s and took a controlling interest just over 10 years ago.
So what you get with the Sirion is a version of Toyota's Yaris, at a lower price. What you don't get is the Yaris's name profile or styling - however bland that may recently have become.
The Sirion is quirky and clever both in design and excecution. Primarily, it is a small town car and comes with a choice of 1- or 1.3-litre petrol engines with outputs of 60 and 87 horse power respectively. The 1-litre is the better option and the smallish customer profile reflects this. Nipping around town and the odd longer journey are really all that are required from the car.
It takes four in comfort. Rear seats fold and slide but the boot is small. The interior is basic and there are few frills. It does, however, have ABS, and some even have front and side airbags and a side impact protection system. Ride is fine but handling limited - it doesn't like to be pushed too hard. It is a budget Yaris, but impressive all the same.
You can get over 50 miles to the gallon with the smaller engine and still enjoy a car that is not cramped and can be parked on a sixpence. Like the Yaris, it is an ideal bet for a first-time second-hand buyer.
The Sirion has a four-star rating (of a maxium five) in the EuroNCAP crash programme and has not had a recall since 2001 - quite a record of reliability.
A basic 2005 model with the 1.3-litre engine and 57,000km is on offer for €7,950. A 2006 model with 1-litre engine and 37,000km is €6,500. An excellent alternative would be a 1.3 2007 automatic, with air conditioning and 40,000km, for €9,900 if you could negotiate an appropriate cash price.
STAR RATING:7/10