MITSUBISHI IS A GREAT I-DEA In the days of the ipod and iphone, it’s only sensible that we should also have an i car that maybe could become an icon of what city cars should be like. Personal cars are very much like personal music players. They need to deliver what you want, whether it’s transport or music, in a package that’s stylish yet does what it says on the tin. The car version of this idyll comes from Mitsubishi in the form of the i, a delightful little five door hatch that is now what the Smart should always have been. It has been going down a storm in Japan, where they know a lot about creating small cars thanks to their laws that spawned the K cars. These are small models that have to fit within certain size parameters and cannot have an engine bigger than 660 cc or that produces more than 64 bhp. It’s the car you are allowed to own if you don’t also possess your own parking space. But, as the Japanese are an inventive lot, the K car law is not a recipe for motoring boredom. We have had other K cars in the UK before, such as the bright orange Hondas from the 70s, but these days a lot more thought has gone into K car design so that they are not only diminutive but also very sensible. While Ken Livingstone may have imposed his own car size regulations on Londoners in a round about way through the bias of the congestion charge towards low polluting cars which are invariably small, no UK politician would ever have the courage to impose the Japanese system here – and anyway it’s too late as the car is so much ingrained in our society. But there’s nothing to stop right thinking people taking the decision for themselves. The only drawback is that the supply of Mitsubishi i cars is very limited. The company brought in an initial batch of 300 last year and then a second batch as the first sold so well. Around a quarter of that second 300 remain in the dealer network and I see my local Mitsubishi dealer has a used i on the forecourt at £7,995, which is a great saving on the £9,084 list price new. This is a car you could live with every day with great ease. It may be larger than a Smart Fortwo coupe but it’s smaller than Smart’s now defunct ForFour or the Mitsubishi Colt that’s based on the larger Smart. Slide into the seats and you’ll be amazed at just how much space it offers. True, the narrow width that may suit smaller Asian bodies is not quite there for oft-bloated Westerners so we end up rubbing shoulders – whose fault is that? I tried the rear seat, too, and found I could sit there quite happily as both head and leg room are good. This car even gets a decent boot when you bear in mind its overall dimensions and the fact the engine lives under the boot floor. One of the snags of driving a Smart has always been that they are very jerky thanks to the auto gearbox, although the latest cars are better. The i does away with this unpleasant side effect and despite having only a four speed automatic it makes great progress without causing any head bobbing among passengers. Look at the economy figures and you’ll also be surprised. I have never seen a set spanning such a narrow gap. The car will achieve 50 mpg easily even if you work it hard to extract all you can from the 84 mph top speed and 0-62 mph time of 14.9 seconds. That may sound pedestrian but the whole point of this car is that a pedestrian is one thing you don’t need to be. Maurice Hardy Quirky little cars are, of necessity, something we will see more of, especially as the new car taxation regulations will make lower emissions models desirable for those who always scrimp on their motoring costs. Alistair Darling may have decided to hit buyers of big cars hard but as many of them are bought by companies, meaning ultimately that the rest of us get the bill, or those who can afford them the penalty of up to £950 he has promised in showroom tax is meaningless as a deterrent. However, as a nice little earner for the government it’s priceless. If costs are going to dominate your motoring life, then the Mitsubishi i is the type of car for a family with two children who mainly undertake urban travel. There’s a lot to be said for owning a small car and hiring a big one for special trips and if you look into it carefully it’s probably very cost effective. The i proves that minimal motoring is not miserable motoring. It has great styling, reasonably generous space, and low running costs. Even though it’s a limited import, I’m also sure that Mitsubishi will support it in future where spares are concerned – but they may be pricey. However, Japanese engineering seems to be durable so the real costs will still be low. Annette Hardy Car: Mitsubishi i Does it fit your ego?... 0-62 mph: 14.9 secs Top speed: 84 mph Bhp: 57 @ 6000 rpm Torque: 62 lb ft @ 3000 rpm ...and your wallet?... Price: £9,084 Urban: 52.3 mpg Extra urban: 56 mpg Combined: 54.6 mpg CO2 emissions: 114 g/km,br> Insurance Group: 4 Best bits: small; sassy; sensible.