We say The Suzuki Alto is very cheap and will last; it’s also butt ugly and limited in most respects.Performance The 61bhp 1.1-litre petrol engine is weak and needs to be revved hard almost all the time. It crawls to 60mph in 14.3 seconds and has a top speed of 96mph. It’s not suited for the open road but is ok around town.Emissions In terms of emissions, the alto is decent, returning 57mpg and emitting 119g/km in CO2 emissions. Unfortunately, when you consider the Alto’s trade-off in power, the emissions probably aren’t as good as you’d imagine and there are better alternatives on the market.Driving The Alto is best described agile. It’s steering is light but vague which means that while it may be easy to park, it’s not going to be any fun to drive.Feel Extended periods of motorway driving could be wearying, but the ride is fundamentally OK and it absorbs bumps and potholes quite well. Unfortunately it can get noisy on the open road when you rev it hard, which you’ll have to do to get it up to speed.Space Being a five-door helps the little Alto in terms of access but once you’re inside adults will feel cramped in the back. At 177-litres, the alto’s boot is not the biggest boot, though the rear shelf will fold down.Equipment Well-equipped at SZ2 base spec, though you have to move up to SZ3 for air con. SZ4 has all the bells and whistles you could want in a cheap small car like the Alto.Price Very cheap to buy with prices starting from less than £6,000. It’s also cheap to run, even at higher specs. Residuals on little cars are holding up best at the moment, though whether that's the case in three year's time is another matter.Quality The Alto doesn't exactly look a million bucks but its quirky styling works. Inside it’s solidly put together and there shouldn't be any problems with reliability but you’re unlikely to find many mod cons or gadgets, no matter how far up the specification ladder you climb.Safety Not rated by NCAP but there's reasonable safety kit even at base spec.Pros The main, probably only, selling point for the Alto is its supremely low list price which you’ll find hard to beat. It will also be extremely reliable.Cons The engine is a letdown and is underpowered for anything other than a quick pootle about town. The interior is cheap as well and running costs aren’t as impressive as you’d imagine given the sacrifices the Alto makes in other areas.Alternatives Hyundai i10, Volkswagen Fox, Ford Ka, Vauxhall Agila, Peugeot 107, Citroen C1, Renault Twingo, Fiat 500, Toyota Aygo
