THIS car looks good, drives well, it's a comfortable car, and this 1.3 model has a fair selection of equipment.

That's fair and honest, and maybe no more needs to be said.

When I reviewed a Daihatsu previously, the report pointed out fairly, I thought that this maker specialises in 'budget' cars so you shouldn't expect to get a top-range Golf. A buyer must simply decide what he expects for his/her money.

I was then assailed by a protest that it was all very well for me to spend my time driving about in posh cars (I don't) but a Daihatsu was all that some people could afford, and so on.

Anyone who takes that view is doing Daihatsu a great dis-service. Its cars are very good. Not so long ago, its Applause was one of the most pleasing of small saloons, and the Charade was, for a time, my favourite mini.

The range has changed, but there's no reason to regard the Sirion as a cheapie, because it doesn't feel that way.

And, frankly, it's not so cheap: the Sirion starts at £7,495 and my 1.3-litre test car was priced at £8,940. You can buy a 1.3 Fiesta (though not as well-equipped) from £6,995, and a Citroen Saxo for £5,995.

In any case, the Sirion is a very competent and well-equipped mini. Toyota now controls the company, and that is reflected in the car's overall sophistication.

This 1.3-litre Sirion is perfectly adequate and if I had to drive one for the rest of my life, I couldn't really complain. It's capable, pleasant to drive, and there's not much to annoy you. Who needs more?

The Sirion arrived in 1998, roughly the size of the Vauxhall Corsa, with a 1.0-litre engine.

Daihatsu says it has now been 'heavily revised' with 'a whole raft of improvements,' including this 'outstandingly efficient' 100bhp 1.3-litre petrol engine.

"This makes it both the fastest and most economical 1.3-litre car on sale in the UK," says Daihatsu.

The more frugal 1.0 litre has its own qualities: it makes the Sirion "the most economical and lowest-polluting supermini on sale in the UK."

You get the picture: Daihatsu is proud of the Sirion.

The 1.3 in manual form gives a 0-62mph time of only 9.6 seconds and a top speed of 111mph. Daihatsu is happy to compare this with supermini rivals, particularly the outgoing Fiesta which "needs the 1.6-litre unit to more closely match the new Sirion for performance".

The Sirion boasts 'an astonishing' 61mpg on the extra urban cycle. But no one really drives permanently on the extra urban cycle, so the overall figure is more valid 49.6 for the manual, and 44.8 for the new auto model, the F-speed, which I have been driving. Why F-speed? Because it has the addition of Formula One-style buttons on the steering wheel to select your ratio, though I relied on the regular selector.

It has a four-speed box (the fascia dials tell you which gear you're in) and you can also hold it in second or third, but otherwise the automatic switching from one ratio to another can become irritating.

The noise that results from the kick-down can seem intrusive, even when you're not demanding much extra performance.

Outside, the Sirion's appearance isn't harmed by the generous use of chrome around the nose and rear end the bumpers, for example which is a simple way to give any car a sense of quality.

The end result is a smart-looking car which looks good on anyone's drive.

My test car had a familiar collection of push-button controls to adjust the wing mirrors, electric windows all round, other 'normal' fittings like headlamp angle adjustment and cupholders.

Silver dials on an otherwise black fascia give a good impression, and there's a lot of shiny metal around the gearchange.

The heater is not wonderful; the four blowers across the fascia make a lot of noise but don't achieve a great deal. The car began to feel stuffy. In winter you're glad to keep your feet warm, but you don't want a lot of hot air around your head.

The air-con was no great advantage. It's main benefit is to bring you cool surroundings in the summer sun, and on chilly autumn days it proved of little benefit.

The rear-view mirror is too small, so you don't get a decent view, however much you adjust it, and have to wriggle to see the full picture.

All this sums up the dilemma of the Sirion. However capable, competent and pleasing it may be, in comparison with many another car it is simply not quite so good.

On the other hand, it's only when you drive something with a more upmarket image that you begin to realise that other cars may be better.

Daihatsu Sirion 1.3 F-speed

Body: 12ft 1in by 5ft 3in, five-door four-seat hatchback.

Power train: 1298cc 4-cylinder 16-valve 100bhp engine driving front wheels through auto gearbox.

Performance (F-Speed): 0-62mph in 11.1 seconds, top speed 102 mph.

MPG: urban 33, extra urban 56, combined 45. Tank: 8.8 gallons

Price: £9,940.

Insurance: Group 5.

Servicing: 12,000 miles.

Warranty: 3 years unlimited mileage, with 3 years roadside assistance, and 6 years anti-rust

l Your local dealer: Vincents Daihatsu, Duke Street, Trowbridge. (01225) 777222