But we’re certainly not short on choice, so here's Auto Trader's round-up of six of the best small cars on sale now.

Ford Fiesta

Ford's latest incarnation of its popular Fiesta model is currently the UK's top-selling car of 2009.

Ford has included everything you'd want from a small, affordable car - space, reliability, safety and comfort.

There's lots of grip going through corners, clutch control is easy and the five-speed manual gearbox is a joy to use. The Fiesta holds one of Auto Trader's highest ten-point test scores at 91%.

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Volkswagen Polo

Hot on the heels of the Fiesta is VW's new Polo, which has undergone a vast redesign making it look like a smaller version of the popular Golf hatchback.

Volkswagen's engineers have made its new diesel motors 20 per cent more efficient than their predecessors, while the petrol's are as much as 15 per cent better - no small feat. It's also the safest Polo so far with a maximum five-star EuroNCAP crash test rating, thanks to four airbags, ABS and ESP fitted as standard.

Prices for the Polo start from £10,035 - that's currently £560 less than the Fiesta.

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Mini Cooper

The Mini has been a huge success, and not just because of its cool retro image – the driving experience is fantastic too.

Green car buyers should opt for the Mini Cooper 1.6D. Its efficient engine emits 104g/km, and it's no slouch, accelerating from 0-62mph in 10.4 seconds.

You can also expect the current Mini Cooper to hold its value the most, as it's still one of the most popular cars in the UK.

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Mazda 2

The latest Mazda 2 is a big leap on from its predecessor and its fun to drive, practical, good looking and economical.

Engineers responsible for its development kept its weight to an absolute minimum, saving 100kg compared with its predecessor. This makes the Mazda 2 very light and pretty swift off the mark.

We recommend the silky-smooth 1.3-litre petrol as it’s quick, refined and has a respectable average fuel economy at 52.3mpg. The Mazda 2 beats the Fiesta on price and it’s a rarer sight on British roads, making it a more individual purchase.

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Fiat 500

Unashamedly harking back to the original car from the 1950s, the new Fiat 500 is a chic fashion accessory as much as it is an excellent city car.

Considering its size, the Fiat 500 is remarkably spacious. Its 185-litre boot is just big enough for the weekly shop, and far bigger than that of the larger Mini.

Fiat offers the 500 with a choice of two petrol and one diesel engine. All are well suited to an urban crawl and capable enough for hours on the motorway. The 1.3 MultiJet diesel is the choice for frugal buyers and the 1.4 petrol offers performance, with 100bhp dispatching to 62mph in 10.5 seconds before reaching 113mph.

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Toyota iQ

The Toyota iQ has a style all of its own. At less than three metres long, special components had to be designed to make the iQ as spacious and safe as possible.

It includes an ultra-slim fuel tank and the world’s first rear-window airbag – which helped it to a five-star EuroNCAP crash test result.

Its 1-litre engine is fairly frugal too - it can achieve more than 65mpg while emitting 99g/km of CO2, making it tax-free. Prices for the stylish city car start from £9,615.

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And don’t forget…

• Vauxhall Corsa
• Suzuki Swift
• Nissan Micra
• Renault Clio
• Alfa Romeo Mito
• Citroen C2
• Honda Jazz
• Seat Ibiza
• Skoda Fabia
• Toyota Yaris