You may never have heard of the Perodua Myvi, but this Malaysian supermini is one of the great unsung heroes of the small-car scene. When it first appeared in September 2006 it cost a shade under £7,000 new, and today a 20,000-mile 1.3 SX will set you back just £4,000.

Cheap doesn’t mean miserly or miserable, however, for with any Myvi you get antilock braking with electronic brakeforce distribution, remote central locking, two front airbags, a CD player, four electric windows and air-conditioning as standard.

It’s not all Perodua’s own handiwork, though, as this hatchback is based on the Daihatsu Sirion, and nestling beneath its bonnet is a 1.3-litre petrol engine from the Toyota Yaris. It’s the only Myvi engine, and a good one at that. Producing 87bhp, this 16-valve unit is quite lively, with a 0-60mph time of 11sec, though the figure that really counts is the near-50mpg for overall fuel economy.

Drivers who prefer doing without a clutch pedal are catered for, incidentally, as the Myvi was offered with a four-speed automatic gearbox as well as the standard five-speed manual.

While some buyers may be disappointed by the lack of alloy wheels, the standard wheel trims are smart, and the Myvi includes upmarket features such as LED brake lights and external mirrors with built-in indicators .

On the road the Myvi’s softly sprung suspension gives a smooth, comfortable ride, and providing you don’t mind a fair amount of body roll and laughably low grip, you can make a case for the car being “amusing” to drive in a spirited fashion. The engine is sweet, only getting noisy when pushed hard, but wind noise can be tiring at speed.

The smart grey-and-silver dashboard feels decidedly more upmarket than the car’s price tag suggests, and the standard stereo unit has large, clear buttons and provides pretty reasonable sound quality. In terms of practicality, there are two useful cupholders and two bottle holders, boot volume is a reasonable 255 litres, and the uneven-split rear seat folds to make a flat 630-litre load area.

The Myvi, which comes with a three-year/36,000-mile warranty and requires servicing every year or 10,000 miles, manages to embarrass more mainstream competition, not just by being such excellent value, but because it’s good to drive and cheap to own too.

Could this be the best-value used supermini you can buy? Well, it certainly presents a strong case for itself.

NEED TO KNOW

Air-Conditioning

Standard on all models, but check its operation, because if it doesn’t blow icy-cold, it may well need recharging

Bumpers

The body-coloured bumpers scuff a little bit too readily

Dealers

As there are only 70 Perodua dealers in the UK, you might have to travel some distance for a service, which is required every 12 months or every 10,000 miles, whichever occurs first

Reversing sensors

Standard on automatic versions, these were a £95 option on manual cars

Seats

Cloth upholstery trim in light colours is all too easily stained

Steering Wheel

The lack of adjustment for either reach or rake is quite an omission

VITAL STATISTICS

Model Perodua Myvi 1.3SXi
Engine 1298cc, four cylinders
Power 87bhp
Transmission Five-speed manual
Fuel 48.7mpg (combined)
Acceleration 0-62mph: 11.3sec
Top Speed 106mph
CO2 137g/km
Road tax BAND E (£120 a year)

THE ONE TO BUY

A 2007 57 Perodua Myvi 1.3SXi with 20,000 miles on the clock. Pay £4,825 at a dealer or £4,300 privately

OR FOR SIMILAR MONEY

2003 03 Toyota Yaris 1.3 VVTi CDX 2005 05 Vauxhall Corsa 1.4 Design

2005 55 Peugeot 107 1.0 Urban

2006 55 Daihatsu Sirion 1.3 SE

2006 55 Renault Clio 1.4 Expression

OWNER’S VIEW

“My friends thought I was mad to buy a Myvi, but I’m having the last laugh.”

Claire Blake, Plymouth