List prices may not be reflective of the way most people buy cars these days but at least give a baseline comparison with the many and varied cars the ASX competes with in this popular sector of the market. With only two trims to choose from and generous standard equipment it’s certainly a lot easier to navigate the ASX’s pricing structure compared with rivals and, on the face of it, you get plenty for your money.

Monthly costs in finance, fuel and tax are likely a bigger concern to most buyers, though, and here the ASX’s large petrol engine struggles on CO2 and fuel economy compared with the ‘downsized’ turbocharged engines and mild, full and plug-in hybrid options in more up-to-date rivals. With no clever efficiency boosting and tax-optimised technology of this sort the ASX is going to be more expensive to run than its rivals, off-setting any upfront savings in purchase cost.

If you do take the plunge Mitsubishi’s fixed price servicing package is worth considering and covers you for the first three years of ownership, which will help you budget for annual running costs.