Car choice: Ford Fiesta or a Volkswagen Polo for more power

Shelia Roberts loves her Volkswagen Polo, but now wants a change, possibly for something more exciting and a bit quicker

The Ford Fiesta is both fast and economical

A car for the head

It is hard to think of a better small fast car than a Ford Fiesta. Even in standard trim it is lively, however, as an ST it takes on a whole new personality. Not only does it have the big aggressive grille, it has sports suspension, uprated brakes and a 1.6 EcoBoost engine that is 20 per cent more powerful than the previous model. The fuel consumption is not half bad either at more than 45mpg. A 2014 ST-2 model with 44,000 miles is £8,995 and it has special ST alloy wheels.

The VW Polo is a classic, but not all colours suit the shape of the car

A car for the heart

A sensible option would be a Volkswagen Polo 1.6 TDI diesel which should return 60mpg, but that is not its most compelling asset. What Shelia wants more than anything else is a GTI and the Polo is a huge amount of fun. It is a similar size to the popular Golf GTIs of the Eighties and Nineties. With £7000 to spend there are a lot of 2011-2012 examples with DSG automatic gearboxes and 60,000 miles. Shelia will have to shop carefully, many are finished in white and red, which suits the shape perfectly.

If you would like James Ruppert to help with your car choice, email james@freecarmag.com. For more motoring views visit freecarmag.com