Vauxhall Corsa, Grand little Griffin

The Vauxhall Corsa has never been viewed with the same affection as the Fiesta - even back when it was the Nova - and if we're being honest it's garnered a reputation as the chariot of choice for those who enjoy frequenting McDonalds car parks late at night. And while it is the case that the first generation Corsa was, well, blander than a boiled potato (perhaps why so many of them are tearing around with visual, ahem, modifications these days), the little Vauxhall has consistently flown out of showrooms.

It's telling that despite being three years old now, the Corsa is still a mainstay in the top five. In fact, it's held rigidly to third place all year in 2009, consistently staying close the Ford Focus. Like every car here, scrappage has played its part, but the Corsa is very keenly priced, very comfortable, built of materials about three leagues ahead of the previous model and, we think, pretty stylish with it.

Mark Nichol