Nissan's design department didn't do the Almera any favours. It's a thoroughly capable small car but the weird styling of the five-door hatchback has led to dealerships falling over themselves to discount unsold examples and secondhand values dropping like a stone.

The good news is that you don't have to choose the five-door. In addition, there's a three-door hatch and a four-door saloon which look more inspiring. And there four trim levels and three engine options to choose from: Equation, GX, SLX, GTi trim and 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0-litre engines.

The oddball looks pay dividends in some ways as the five-door is more spacious than many of its peers. That said, all body styles offer generous accommodation both in the front and rear, the only pay-off being a boot that is slightly smaller than average. Rear seat passengers are unlikely to complain, however, because the compact boot means extra legroom in the back.

The interior is standard Nissan fare; faultlessly built but short on imagination and big on swathes of black and grey plastic. It's hard to criticise the layout of the major controls, mind you, with the most-often used controls being operated by big chunky buttons. Some of the detailing isn't quite up to scratch though and the Almera could do with more stowage space around the driver.

Getting comfortable behind the wheel isn't difficult. The driver's seat is well shaped

and easy to adjust. This, and the wide range of up and down steering wheel

adjustment, gives a sound driving position; spending long stints at the helm

isn't a problem in the Nissan.

We've moved on a long way from the time when Japanese manufacturers led the way for cramming their small cars full of equipment. So we can only report that the Almera's pecification is merely adequate in this class.

The base level Equation models, for instance, don't even get a standard driver's airbag - its a £275 option - and there is no central locking or electric windows either. Even when you've moved up a notch or two the equipment roster remains sparce.

The trim in mainstream Almeras is biased towards comfort with sober seat cloth and

a conventional radio cassette system. The only genuinely sporty model is the GTi.

It's the only Almera to get the 2.0-litre petrol engine and superb 124mph performance, handling and steering make it one of the most exhilarating hot hatchbacks on the market, not to mention one of the best value.

The lesser models in the range aren't bad to pilot either. Roadholding is an Almera virtue and they can be fun to drive along twisty B-roads. But the penalty for this agility is a jarring, unsettled ride at times.

Because of the talents of more recent designs such as the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf the only Almeras we would consider buying are the 1.6 GX 5dr and the 2.0 GTi. But if you can wrestle a good discount (and that shouldn't be too difficult) the other models are also worth a look. The 1.4-litre has economy on its side, but the 1.6-litre is more refined and effortless on longer journeys.