Renault 5

SOME OF MY colleagues were shocked when I said I was going to drive to Belgium in my Renault 5.

- CLAIRE EVANS

Mileage 4656 List price £26,995

Best Price £24,985

Price as tested £27,395

Test range 204 miles

After all, it's not exactly a luxury car that feels designed to eat up motorway miles.

However, the R5 proved extremely comfortable, thanks to its supportive front seats. What's more, it has good acceleration and can cruise without straining at 80mph on European motorways.

A 200-mile range at motorway speeds did mean I had to stop twice to charge up on my 230-mile journey to Belgium - once in Calais and then just outside Antwerp.