THE Seat Arosa 1.0-litre comes highly recommended by What Car? magazine for those on a budget. Prices start at £6,695.

It has also been praised as the number one cheapest car to run. This is based on a pence-per-mile figure of 19.07, calculated by fleet management experts Emmox Carcost.

Moving up the range, the higher specified Arosa S gains remote central locking, alloy wheels and electric windows and has the option of the 1.0, 1.4 60bhp automatic petrol or 1.4 75 bhp TDI engine.

The TDi has a fuel consumption figure of 64mpg which is sure to appeal to the economically minded.

The 1.4-litre 16V 100 bhp Arosa Seat boasts a whole host of goodies including sports suspension, ABS and EDS, passenger and side airbags, fog lamps, alarm, alloy wheels, chrome exhaust tailpipe and a top speed of 117 mph.

The Ibiza is Seat’s long-time best seller. The three and five-door hatchbacks in Chill, Sporty or racy Cupra specification start at £7,995 on the roads and all have air conditioning, alloy wheels, remote central locking, electric front windows and fog lamps.

In addition, sporty versions are fitted with a trip computer, front sports seats, twin and side airbags, ABS and an alarm. Chill versions are powered by either the 60bhp, 1.4 petrol or 90 bhp 1.9 TDi engine.

Seat says the real head-turner is the Ibiza Cupra. It is propelled by the 1.8 20V T engine which takes it from 0-60mph in 7.9 seconds and delivers a top speed of 135mph.

Prices start at £9,960 for the What Car? highly recommended 1.4-litre 16V Leon S which features 15 inch alloys, remote central locking, electric front windows, ABS and front and side airbags.