Never go for the low down. You'll be tied to hellishly high monthly payments for too long for a car that's not really worth that much.

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I like the Picanto, but I don't really see any reason to buy one over the Rio, even if the base Rio has pawis rear windows and no alarm. You can get better economy in the city with the Picanto MT, but you have to drive conscientiously, and put up with the weedy power from the 1.0.

If you want the most space for your money, get the Rio 1.2. The Mirage GLS has much more in terms of toys, but the Rio has a crapload of space. The trunk and backseat are bigger than in the Vios, and the Rio's ride and noise isolation are much better than the Toyota's to boot. Fuel economy is okay in the city as long as you don't drive with a heavy foot.

But... the Mirage is much more economical, and the rear seat is decent. If it's only two of you in the family, it's more than big enough. And with the GLS, you get ABS+EBD, which neither the Rio nor the Vios have. In the olden days, I would have said you don't really need ABS, but thanks to electronic brake force distribution, ABS+EBD can shorten your braking distances from 100 km/h by around ten meters. In the dry. That's over two car-lengths. The Mirage also has better crash safety than the Vios, and dual airbags.

The high point of the Mirage is the excellent economy, both on the highway and in the city. And while it has less power than the Vios and the Rio, performance is the same because it weighs so much less.

The 1.0 competition can probably beat the Mirage in traffic economy, but only through very conscientious driving, and the Mirage is superior at high speed cruising.

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Still, look around. It's nice shopping at the low end of the market nowadays because you have so many excellent choices with good economy, the Spark 1.0 MT, Eon 800cc MT, Celerio 1.0 MT and Mirage 1.2 MT are all capable of over 25 km/l on the highway if driven properly.

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Just don't buy an automatic. Not even the astonishingly economical Suzuki 1.0 gives you good economy when mated to that sluggish 4-speed auto in the Celerio.