After the auto box failure on my wife's 2008 1.8 auto Astra, we are going to get it fixed and just get rid of it. We want to buy a replacement 1.4 / 1.6 auto, upto 5 years old and upto £5,000.

Would like it to be insurance friendly as she is 24 without any no claims, OK on fuel and road tax. Considered the Polo or Ibiza but after reading the many reviews and problems with the VAG cars, I thought Japanese or Korean. The SX4 seems good - my mother bought one 2 years ago and has had no problems with it.

We don't like Nissan's range, and we would look at Korean as long as it looked good? Any options, advice to keep the bills down, yet street cred up?