Daihatzu Mira 2016

A small car makes the everyday part of a Sri Lankan holiday easier. The Mira is narrow, easy to place on the road and simple to park near a café or your guesthouse. You can take a detour to the beach without looking for somewhere to leave a large car.

Choose it for a trip for two, with air conditioning and enough independence to change your plans along the way. This is a compact, straightforward car: its appeal is how little space it needs.

The Mira suits a couple travelling between the coast, towns and inland stops. Its small engine calls for an unhurried approach on climbs, particularly with luggage and the air conditioning running. Leave time for the drive as well as the destination.

Our recommendation is for drivers up to about 175 cm. If you are taller, try the seating position before choosing; a Spacia or Fit may feel less cramped. Plan your bags around the photographed boot, including any space you need to keep on the rear seat.

The white car has a light-coloured dashboard, a central audio screen and separate air-conditioning controls. The photographs show the rear bench and the boot with the seatbacks upright, so you can see the space you will actually be working with.

The cabin is narrow. For two people it is an easy little holiday car; if you want room to spread out on long drives, consider a larger hatchback.

The photographs show the car as photographed. Review its current exterior and cabin with us at handover, and record any existing marks before the trip.

Before leaving, adjust the seat and mirrors, find the air-conditioning and windscreen-demisting controls, and check how your phone connects to the audio unit. If you plan to fold the rear seat for luggage, ask us to show you the release and how it locks back into place.