Mitsubishi Colt 1.3 Juro ClearTec AMT 3dr Car Review - February 2012

The ride in the Colt is quite firm, and doesn't really do enough to make it comfortable for the passengers, allowing many of the bumps to be felt in the cabin. The handling is efficient rather than fun, and although it has plenty of grip and deals with the corners well enough, it never really delivers enough feedback for the driving experience to be fun. The driving position is comfortable, but the steering wheel isn't adjustable for reach, which means some people may have to adjust height in order to get comfortable.

The 1.3 litre engine is not bad for a small hatchback, and is able to deliver a competent acceleration from 0-62mph in 10.4 seconds, and a top speed of 112mph which does mean it can handle motorway driving. However, the 1.3 litre engine is quite noisy, and the cabin also suffers from wind noise at speed, so the Colt is not as refined as many of its competitors.

The Mitsubishi Colt may not be the most exciting or attractive car on the market, but this small hatchback does have a few things going for it. The front end is quite low, with the headlights and grille attractive enough, but the bonnet does rise more steeply than other cars. The rear end is quite flat, and the small cluster of lights is spread over the boot door, meaning that accessibility hasn't had to be reduced. The interior is also efficient, and the chunky controls do make it easy to adjust things while driving.

One of the benefits of the Juro special edition is that it does come with plenty of extras, and having satellite navigation, leather seats and alloy wheels as standard are all welcome additions to the car. Air conditioning and cruise control are also features which aren't always included in a small car such as this, and on the whole the level of equipment is very impressive.

There is no doubt that the Colt is a car that has been designed for practicality, and despite its small stature it can carry four adults comfortably, but getting five in might be a bit of a squeeze. The boot is fairly small, so there isn't much room for luggage, but considering that this is really a supermini then it is a practical car. Mitsubishi also has a reputation for making reliable cars, which it has done successfully with the Colt.

One concern for the Mitsubishi Colt is the safety aspect, and because it has been on the market for a few years there are some safety advancements which aren't present in the car. The car did receive four stars in the Euro NCAP safety tests, but the omission of traction control is a concern.

This version of the Mitsubishi Colt has a list price of £11,054, and for this there are a few luxuries that aren't to be found in the more basic models. The difficulty for the Colt is that it is in a competitive market, and with the VW Up so well priced, it is hard to recommend the Colt.

In terms of the efficiency of the Colt, the Auto Stop & Go system does improve the fuel performance, allowing the car to achieve an average 56.5mpg. It can also boast a relatively low insurance group, and the package is completed with the three year unlimited mileage warranty and a three year breakdown cover policy.