Light Car mega-test: Verdict

If you’ve read the story so far, you already know the answer. But if you’ve cheated your exams and skipped to the end you need to read all about the Volkswagen Polo.

There are ample reasons the Polo has won more trophies than the athletics champion at the school sports carnival. It’s earned almost straight As in a category dominated by B and C-grade students.

You might argue it’s not fair that one of the richest kids in school gets all the kudos, but in this instance the $22,350 Polo is worth every cent and earned each of its accolades.

That leaves the rest to mark – and it's a difficult task.

If your heart is set on any one of these particular cars, we would not dissuade you from any of them. However, for what it’s worth, this is how we ranked them.

Would you welcome to the stage someone we haven’t seen in a long time, the Honda Jazz VTi. The extra equipment, its clever, roomy interior and the slashed price (now $19,790 with auto) have put the Honda back in the game.

The next surprise was the new kid on the block, the Kia Rio. At $20,990 it’s $1200 dearer than the Honda and a bit steep in our opinion even though it’s an excellent car. If Kia really wants to succeed in this market, it needs to move towards transaction pricing instead of advertising a high (ish) price and relying on customers to haggle.

However, if price is the key deciding factory (as it is in this category more so than others) then the four cheapest cars in this test – the $16,990 Nissan Micra ST-L, $17,990 Holden Barina, $18,390 Suzuki Swift GL and $18,990 Toyota Yaris YRS – are the best buys at their respective prices, and in their ascending order.

In our opinion, the $22,990 Ford Fiesta Zetec, $22,145 Mazda2 Genki, $20,490 Hyundai Accent Elite and $18,990 Skoda Fabia TSI (add $2000 or so for auto when it arrives) are either too dear or ill-equipped – or both – when compared to their nearest rivals. They’re sound cars, but their prices need some serious repositioning.

>> Ford Fiesta

>> Holden Barina