Top Gear Ultimate Starter Car test

Picture you need a standard lease car to offer to your employees. Cars that need to be presentable and attractive, yet functional and reasonable enough to afford. Eventually your choices eventually run down to this:

- Fiat Punto
- Opel Corsa
- Peugeot 206
- Renault Clio
- Skoda Fabia
- VW Polo

So which do you pick? Now that's where the Ultimate Starter Car test comes in. Here's some quick impressions:

The new Fiat Punto is a nice car actually. It has a strange appeal to it, if you are so inclined and are willing to see past the marque. The ride is strictly middle-of-the-pack, but you are sure to get some heads turned driving it. The left armrest is a tad too high for my liking though, so it's no good for long drives.

By far the Renault Clio is the best looking of the bunch. Unfortunately it is also the bitchiest to drive. It takes a while to take the Clio in the direction you want it to go. It's not unlike some dates I've had in the past. The steering could be a lot stiffer.

The Skoda Fabia still looks like a souped-up shopping cart. The Fabia handles okay, and is quite light

Because I am a long-time 206 driver, driving the new Peugeot 206 is more like meeting an old friend. You know exactly which buttons to push and how far it takes you. I actually found the ride to be extremely boring, because nothing has changed from the old 206, apart from the steering which seems to be heavier.
The grip and the handling's quite alright, the acceleration is still mediocre, and I take it the mileage in the HDi is still excellent.

I was expecting the Opel Corsa to be very barren, but actually it comes full featured, which may end up to be the best value features-wise for money. A nice dashboard console in the center gives you access to all the important info in the car. Pity the speedometer looks very poor. The handling is average.

The best ride I've experienced of the six is with the Volkswagen Polo. It is the only car of the six that actually goes fast if you tell it to. Nice finish to the interior and exterior, and it doesn't seem to be as top-heavy as the old Polo, which was in real danger of tipping over in corners.

Just to be stereotypical the German cars (Corsa, Fabia, Polo) are very loudmouthed. It makes you wonder if carkits inside the car will do any good at all. And all that noise doesn't seem to make good on the speed, power or acceleration of the cars. Only the Polo kind of backs its roar up with some kind of power.

For some reason only VW and Peugeot know that people can be left- or righthanded. Try to close the boot with your left hand on the Punto, Clio or Fabia. Or with your right on the Corsa. Can't be done. Of course you could just close the lid from the top, but 1) often I can't reach that high and 2) if you haven't washed your car in a while, you wind up with mud on your hands.

The glove compartment on the Fabia is so small, it ONLY fits a pair of gloves. There's no space of any kind for maps, directions and that kind of stuff. That might be okay if you've got a GPS system, but if you've got a GPS system anyway you might as well get a bigger car.

So what's the Top Gear verdict?

Take the Peugeot. Boring as hell, and slow to boot, but affordable, durable and you get good mileage on it. If money is no option, the Polo is the best drive though. It's fast, feels powerful and significant.

Damn taxes.