Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 76%

Perodua might not be very familiar among new car buyers; but it's been around on these shores for since 1997.

The Myvi is certainly its best effort to date. Built with input from Toyota and Daihatsu, it’s a bargain basement supermini with plenty of frills.

But can it compete with the best in its class? We took to the road in the manual Myvi SXi to find out.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor | Rivals

1. Looks
The Myvi looks different enough from its rivals, while retaining the cutesy charm which many supermini buyers are looking for. The front end looks strangely like the Toyota Prius with a surroundless single bar grille and headlamps which sweep along the front wings. It’s a far boxier affair at the back, with a vertical tailgate, framed by long, thin rear lights. Its flared wheel arches make the sides look ready for a big set of wheels, but the teeny 14-inch alloys could do with being slightly larger

7/10

2. Looks inside
The cabin has a budget feel, but is screwed together well and seems to be very solid. The grey dashboard is dominated by a silver-coloured centre console, which houses three huge dials controlling the heating and an integrated radio/CD player (a pleasant change from the aftermarket units slotted into many other budget cars). Even after a 200 mile motorway journey, the occupants were left with minimal aches and pains thanks to supportive seats.

7/10

3. Practicality
The Myvi has plenty of space for the occupants, especially when it comes to headroom. There's also a surprising amount of room in the back, where two adults can sit in reasonable comfort, and the Myvi even has the option of reclining the rear seat backs. The seats split and fold and the seat bases slide forward so the backs fold flat allowing bulky items to be carried with ease. There's a reasonable amount of storage space in reach of the driver too, including a slot under the heater controls and a decent sized glovebox.

8/10

4. Ride and Handling
The Myvi's tiny stance and wheel-on-each-corner layout means it’s a cinch to drive around town. Its soft suspension soaks up bumps, and at urban speeds, body roll is fairly minimal. On faster A and B roads, the suspension means body roll is more pronounced, but the ride remains composed. The steering is slightly vague, communicating very little through the steering wheel.

7/10

5. Performance
Perodua only offers one engine choice in the Myvi: an 85bhp, 1.3-litre petrol engine. Given the car's size, the manual gearboxed SXi is a surprising performer; reaching 62mph from rest in 11.3 seconds, and on to a top speed of 106mph. There's a whine coming from the Myvi's drivetrain at low speeds – a lot like the original Mini – but this becomes less apparent at speed. At a motorway-speed cruise, there's a lot of engine noise, but it is more than capable of accomplishing a long journey on the country's M-ways.

7/10

6. Running Costs
Low running costs are one of the Perodua's biggest selling points, and the Myvi doesn't disappoint. Perodua UK seems to continually offer cashback deals, so you can expect to receive at least £1,000 off the £7,699 list price. The Myvi officially covers 58.8mpg on average. Perodua also claims its servicing costs are low, and with the Myvi devoid of high-tech, computer-controlled features, this would seem to be the case. All new Myvis come with a three year/36,000 mile warranty, two years worth of breakdown cover and a six year anti-perforation warranty. It needs servicing every 10,000 miles, and falls into tax Band C with its 137g/km of CO2 emissions. Depreciation is likely to the be the biggest cost of ownership.

8/10

7. Reliability
The Myvi has been built with a little help from Toyota, so its talent for building cars which rarely break down should have rubbed off. The Myvi feels solid, although there were a few squeaks and rattles from the interior trim. There's no evidence of any common problems with the Myvi yet.

8/10

8. Safety
Although the Myvi hasn't been rated by the EuroNCAP crash test programme, its close relation, the Daihatsu Sirion has. That scored four stars for adult occupant protection; so we'd expect the Myvi to provide a similar defence. Driver and passenger airbags are standard, as are seatbelt pretensioners to reduce the risk of whiplash. Standard ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution is impressive is impressive on a car of this price.

7/10

9. Equipment
Considering the Myvi is available for less than £7,000 (courtesy of frequent deals), the Myvi has an excellent level of kit. All models have ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution, remote central locking, air conditioning, front and rear electric windows and electric mirrors, while our range-topping SXi came with 14-inch alloy wheels.

9/10

10. X-Factor
Bargain basement cars used to mean sacrificing quality and equipment levels. Not any more. For the price of a used premium supermini, the Myvi offers a genuine alternative.

8/10

Rivals
You might also want to consider:
Kia Rio
Proton Savvy
Citroen C1