Make driving fun again...shrink the motor

There's something about having to really work a car that makes driving fun. Effortless cars are boring, cars that need to be wrangled are exciting. That's what's great about the latest generation of small engine city run-abouts, with low power but short and revvy motors. They're perfect in their natural environment - tight and twisty city streets.

Take the new Volkswagen Up for example. In its most basic spec it's got a 60bhp 1 litre engine that needs almost 14 seconds to hit 60mph. Not ideal when trying to muscle onto a motorway between 10 ton lorries, but more than capable on tight city back roads. And let's face it, you'd be lucky to hit 25mph on most inner city streets, with suicidal pedestrians and Chelsea tractors lining the road side. Having to work through the gears to ensure you have enough puff makes driving fun, almost like a scaled down sports car. Add this nippy fun to £20 tax and over 60mpg, and you get a ridiculously cheap run about representing some of the best value for money motoring.

In fact I think it represents such good value, that these run abouts are the answer to todays urban petrol head problems. Leave the sports car at home, keep it for a spirited country drive. Take the hatch to town. You'll love them both more for it.