Driven: new Ford Fiesta - Ownership

The new Fiesta will give you better fuel economy, cost you less to insure in many cases and have far stronger secondhand values according to used-car trade forecasts.

The Econetic is the cleanest car on sale in Britain, with CO2 emissions of 98g/km – better than any hybrid – so you'll pay no road tax and a lower rate of benefit-in-kind tax if it's a company car.

Once you get past the mobile phone-inspired layout of the new Fiesta you'll discover it's a more substantial car than any previous version, too.

There's a wider choice of trim colours (at least two with every version), while the upper dash plastics are softer and the switches nicer to use.

Lower down, durability takes precedence over tactility, but it's still impressive at the price.

However, side curtain airbags are a £250 option across the range, while stability control will set you back another £300. An alarm is either standard or optional on all but Studio models.