THE Citroen C3 is one of those new cars that is a victim of circumstance, the company driving it upmarket just as the Government’s scrappage scheme, revitalised interest in cheap cars. As such, it’ll probably never recover from the bad start if suffered and looks set to remain a slow new seller. All of which means that it’s a very interesting used buy.

A lack of momentum from new tends to spell bargains when shopping used and the C3 looks strong value second time round.

Opt for the 1.4-litre diesel engine and you’ll have a workable number of cars to choose from, but patience, a willingness to travel and chutzpah when negotiating are the keys to landing a genuine deal.

Here’s a supermini recommendation you might want to keep under your hat.