What small family cars would you recommend?

My son wants a car the size of a Ford Focus or Mercedes-Benz B-Class. Which would be your first and second choice and is there a car in that group he should not buy? I would very much appreciate your guidance.

What five-door hatchback should we buy?

We are looking for a five-door hatchback. Petrol, manual or automatic, medium size with higher profile tyres. Mechanical/electronic reliability and rust resistance are important. Probably two to four years...