Small and clever, these compact superminis should prove frugal and practical, but never boring. Some are more spacious, some are more fun to drive, but you should find your ideal compact car here whether you're starting out or trading down.

1 - Ford Fiesta

The Ford Fiesta can seemingly do no wrong. Even just before it was replaced by a new model in the middle of 2017, Ford's 40-year-old nameplate maintained its position near the top of the sales charts and our list of best superminis. The new one is much better inside, distinctly more refined and yet just…

As another Frankfurt Motor Show winds down we’re left with two clear themes from it; electrification is developing at a fast rate, and the prospect of Chinese brands soon offering desirable cars to the European market.

From a concept perspective, there was one clear winner of the show for me, and that wasn’t the mind-bendingly fast Mercedes-AMG Project One concept. Instead, that accolade goes to the wonderfully resolved Honda Urban EV Concept.

If ever there was a concept that looked just right in every single aspect it’s this one. Many instantly…

These are the cars we, apparently, all want – small enough to be frugal and cheap to run, big enough to be useful for family duties, rugged enough (just about) to let us live out our MacGyver fantasies.

1 - Audi Q2

Small and very stylish, the Q2 is possibly the most fashionable urban runabout on sale this year. Looks great and has a terrific cabin, but it's tight in the back. The 1.0 TFSI turbo petrol is the pick of the engines.

Read the full Audi Q2 review here

2 - Peugeot 2008

“Get in, get in... Oh, you f*****!”, I shouted at the €2 coin as it teetered teasingly on the edge of the receiving bowl at the toll booth, finally dropping to the ground and scurrying somewhere under the car. Couldn’t have done that in a thousand attempts. No time. Grab wallet, fish for another. This one goes in. Come on barrier, come on... GO! Motorway challenges can turn you into a demon.

Why have I just spent €4 to go through a €1.90 toll? And why am I shouting? Average speed, that’s why. You see, motorways can be a bit…

What was the last really good film that you watched? Whatever it was, I’d wager that it featured big-name stars, highly polished production values, a sonorous score and a gripping story that twisted and turned like a mountain road. Maybe it garnered an Oscar or two along the way, maybe it was something a little more alternative.

I’d also hazard a guess and say that cars didn’t feature as its predominant theme. However, this is a car website (the clue is in the name!), so there’s a better-than-even chance that if you’ve taken the time to read this, you have…

“Don’t put it in first gear when moving, or else you’ll explode the gearbox...”. So came Matteo’s warning, as he explained the vagaries of the Cinquecento’s non-synchromesh transmission. It’s day two of a ten-day trip around Northern Italy, and after a brief visit to Pisa (leaning tower, not much else), we’re in one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Florence (Firenze in the national dialect), is full of psychopaths on scooters, the narrow streets not best suited to four-wheeled transport. Tomorrow, we’ll see il Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio and all the rest of the sights. This morning, we’re taking an…