Family friendly Space Star

12:42, Feb 8 2010 Peter Hayward

A VERY good family holdall which is not as well-known as some others is the Mitsubishi Space Star. It's a smaller five door people carrier/estate that, while not as accomplished as the Renault Scenic, comes with the Japanese company's legendary reliability. There are 1.3, 1.6 and 1.8-litre petrol engines to choose from, with 84, 97 and 121bhp respectively. Then latterly, the 1.8's power was decreased to 112bhp, which did not make it much slower, but improved economy by an average of three miles per gallon. There is also a 1.9DiD turbo diesel, which is probably the best choice for its combination of performance and economy. It has 101bhp, and will better 50mpg with care, but it is more sought after and much more expensive. The 1.3 petrol is fairly slow but it is the most economical of the petrol models. The 1.6 is obviously quicker, but also uses more petrol and the last series 1.8 is quicker again but still manages 34mpg. Interior The gearchange is a delight and the clutch as light as a feather and excellent power steering makes it a very easy car to manoeuvre in tight spaces. It's family friendly, with rear seats which can recline and slide for more or less legroom, good storage and a comfortable ride. FAST FACTS Mitsubishi Space Star Price: Pay about £2,200 for an '02 02-reg Equippe, £2,700 for the same model on '03 53-reg, or £3,300 for an '05 05-reg. Mechanical: 97bhp, 1,584cc, 4 cylinder petrol engine driving the front wheels via a 5-speed manual gearbox Max speed: 112mph 0-62mph: 11.6 seconds Combined mpg: 43 Insurance group: 7 CO2 emissions: 171g/km Marks: 8/10 Main rival: Citroen Picasso