Mitsubishi i (07-12) - Review

The i is reasonably nippy up until 30-40mph, which is perfect for town driving. It's much slower getting to 62mph (it takes around 15 seconds) and has a top speed of just 88mph. Out of town, its buzzy engine copes well on faster stretches of road and its low power only really becomes apparent when tackling steep hills. It's available with a four-speed automatic gearbox only. It's well suited to driving around town, fairly responsive and generally gives smooth gearchanges. An average fuel economy of 55mpg means it's cheap to run too.

The i is great to drive around town, where it's nippy, agile and exceptionally easy to park. Being narrow, it fits easily into even the tightest parking spots. On the motorway it feels out of its depth, where it's easily blown around by crosswinds and is almost out of puff by 70mph. As long as the trips are short, it's OK on dual carriageways. The i is peculiar in that the engine is in the back, rather than the front. It's also rear-wheel drive, when almost every other city car on sale today is front-wheel drive. Both factors point to it being a bit of a handful in the wet. It's not and is, in fact, very stable whether it's wet or dry.