Times Five

New cars under $30,000 don’t have to be soulless econoboxes. Damien O’Carroll looks at five that are fun.

Suzuki Swift

While every single Swift model is under $30k, it is the Sport that only just slips under that is the clear highlight here.

At just $28,500 for the manual, the Swift Sport packs a massive amount of driving fun into a small, cheap package.

But even going further down in price doesn’t see the fun drop off too drastically, with even the cheapest GL manual (that lands at just $19,990) still being a barrel of laughs to chuck around a winding road.

Suzuki just gets small cars. It knows they have to be cheap, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have to be well-sorted and fun as well.

Suzuki Jimny

At the risk of sounding like a Suzuki ad, the company gets small SUVs as well, which is why the Jimny remains a blast to drive off-road.

OK, so the on-road ride is grim (and this goes for the new one as well), but its thoroughly incredible off-road abilities and charming boxy styling carry it past this shortcoming.

And, of course, the newest version takes that charming boxiness even further, making the Jimny something that is not only fun to pound through the mud in, but also be seen in and – most importantly – will always raise a smile when you see it in the morning.

VW Polo Beats (or a Seat Ibiza with the Beats pack)

Like the Suzuki Swift, the VW Polo is a blast to drive, but it also offers the massive, pounding noise of the Beats by Dre audio package that is available exclusively on the Beats Edition model.

The Beats audio system is an impressive and amusing package in a small car that comes in under $30k.

And if you want something a bit more unique, then the Seat Ibiza can also be had with the Beats audio system (just not the dedicated Beats Edition model and stickers) which raises a smile in terms of handling and ear-splitting audio power.

Citroen C3

While the C3 is capable of being a relatively fun thing on a winding road, the real fun comes from that ridiculously funky and cute styling, and the customisation available.

You can be boring and sensible with your colour choices and end up with a restrained, yet still interesting car, or you can go overthe-top and end up with something that makes you smile every time you open the garage door.

And it won’t just be you smiling – people seem to either love or hate the C3’s looks. If they love it, they will smile, wave and talk to you. If they hate it, they won’t, but you wouldn’t want to talk to them anyway.

Jeep Renegade

The cutsey little Renegade falls somewhere between the Suzuki Jimny’s tough puppy looks and the C3’s style-conscious extremes.

Although it shares the Jimny’s butch baby 4x4 looks, the entry level Longitude (the only one to slip under $30k) is only FWD, but has a nicer ride on the road and, despite being the entry model, comes with the Renegade’s best powertrain – the 1.4-litre MultiAir engine hooked up to a six-speed auto.

And if you even think you might be getting bored with the Renegade, then you can just start trying to find all the adorable styling Easter Eggs hidden all over and inside it!