One for the Road: A little workhorse for commuting

Stylish option: The Fiat 500 is easy to fall in love with

Keith Noakes wants a smallish car for a short commute and general shopping and errands. Has up to £6,000...

A car for the head

The practical and sensible recommendation is the Suzuki Splash. No Suzuki will let you down and that's why they make great used buys; the Splash, though, has real character and practicality. You can buy it with a Vauxhall badge, but the Agila has less standard kit. So Keith should stick to the cooler Splash, and yes, it does have air-con. It is usefully spacious, too, with five doors that may well come in handy. Our pick would be a 2009 1.2 GLS with 30,000 miles for £5,000.

A car for the heart

If Keith wants to go for the truly stylish option, it would be worth taking a look at the Fiat 500. It is always easy to fall in love with small Fiats and the 500 is particularly delectable. Even better, it has proved to be brilliantly reliable with very few issues. Never that cheap and there is no such thing as a standard model, but a Sport in any bright colour would be just about perfect. For that reason, I would pick a 2008 1.2 Sport with 60,000 miles for £5,489.

Looking to buy?

Email James Ruppert at onefortheroad@independent. co.uk, giving your age, address and phone number, details of the type of vehicle in which you are interested, and your budget