Mitsubishi i Hatchback 2007 - Present

As you stroll to the Mitsubishi i with the sun glaring down the morning street you can be forgiven for thinking that you're going to test drive the Smart Fortwo, so similar are the cars. The reminder of what youre driving comes when you look in the car and spot two rows of seats. On the outside the two cars look alike but when you delve within there are a lot of differences.

The first and most obvious difference is the extra seating but as you sit in the i you can't escape a sense of wonder at how there is so much space inside the car. The extra row of seats doesn't feel like something that's been shoehorned in there so that they can boast an occasional four seater but has good leg and head room and being a fiver door car means that getting in and out is easy for adults and children alike. The clever design of the i is responsible for this Tardis like feel. The cars wheels are on the corners of the vehicle and the engine in the rear. This has enabled the i to have a relatively long wheelbase without having a long body. The price is at the higher end of it's market but the i only comes in one level of trim and it's very nicely finished. The materials are all good quality and the attention to detail is strong. The seats are a little limp for longer journeys but for a city run around they are perfectly comfortable on short journeys.

When driving the i one is immediately struck at how well it gets out of the blocks on the way to 40 mph. This makes it's ideal for popping out on short journeys to friends or the shops. However the rest of the way to 60 mph is something of a letdown with an overall 0-60 of 15 seconds. The top speed is listed as being 88 mph but that speed is likely to be a once in a lifetime figure. The i is really quite exposed on the motorway and feels badly out of it's depth. Overtaking has to be carefully planned as to not finding yourself stranded in the wrong lane. The height of the car coupled with a narrow chassis make the i susceptible to crosswind and leaves the driver with a lack of confidence and sensation of feeling stranded in any but the inside lane of the motorway. As long as you remain in town and keep journeys on dual carriageways both brief and infrequent the i will be a good performer but if you take it out of this comfort zone you can soon feel out of your depth behind the wheel.

The Mitsubishi i will offer a congestion charge beating run around that will take you and 3 others around the city till the cows come home. It offers more seating than the Smart Fortwo but isn't as competant on the motorway. It's cheap to run and well put together and will give you lots of hassle free miles but if you want to use it for a lost weekend in the country take the time to plan the longer, more scenic route or you may find yourself wishing you'd got a different car.

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