The Volkswagen Polo. It’s not a Golf. It’s smaller, lighter, cheaper – but still feels like it’s been screwed together by people in white lab coats somewhere in Wolfsburg. This is the 1.2 petrol version, which means it’s not going to win any traffic light drag races. But that’s not the point. It’s quiet, smooth, easy to drive, and it’ll return over 50 mpg if you’re sensible. In other words, it does exactly what you want a small hatchback to do – get you from A to B without any drama. Being the S spec with air conditioning, you don’t get all the bells and whistles of the higher trims, but you do get the essentials. Comfortable seats, a decent driving position, and the sort of simplicity that means there’s less to go wrong. It’s a Euro 5 engine, so while it doesn’t get free passage into ULEZ zones like newer Euro 6 models, it’s still cheap to run, easy to maintain, and perfect if you’re not living inside the M25. So if you want a sensible, dependable little hatchback that’s cheap to insure, cheap to fuel, and built with that Volkswagen solidity, this Polo is the one. Ready to drive away and get on with life.