FORD is to be credited with raising the standard of our most popular cars, thanks to the remarkably high quality of both the Focus and Mondeo models.
They are justifiably the best sellers in the compact and family markets and are both safe bets on the second-hand market too, providing you check them out carefully and ensure that you get a genuine one.
The only problem is that they are, well, common. Not common in a downmarket way but simply that there are so many around they hardly boast what you would call exclusivity.
The same applies to Vauxhall's Astra and Vectra models, with some pundits believing that BMWs are now heading in a similar direction too.
Thankfully for those who want something different there is no shortage of choice.
Alternatives to the Focus include the Volkswagen Golf, Citroen C4, Kia cee'd, Volvo C30 and Honda's head-turning new Civic.
The Civic is arguably the most distinctive in its class although the designers are adamant that, with one exception, they have not put style over practicality.
The exception is the rounded rump that results in poor rearward visibility.
Otherwise the latest Civic is undeniably a class act in every respect.
Build quality is sky high, reliability is legendary and in terms of performance any Civic is hard to beat.
The Civic 1.8i V-TEC Type S three door model costs £15,480 in comparison to £15,195 for the Focus 1.8 Zetec three-door, which is remarkably similar in terms of power and economy.
Top speeds are in the region of 125mph, there is frisky acceleration to 60mph in about nine seconds and economy of about 40mpg.
The Civic boasts a lowly CO2 figure of 156g/km to give it a company car tax liability of 18 per cent whilst the Ford's output is 167g/km, which saddles it with a 20 per cent grouping.
The retained value after three years is significantly higher in the case of the Honda, although Glass's Guide is predicting an improvement for the latest Focus.
Nonetheless, for those in search of something that is a less familiar sight on our roads than the Focus, the Civic really does tick all the boxes.
It drives well and is a reasonably roomy hatchback with a four-star safety rating, plenty of equipment and loads of kerb appeal.
However, it is fighting in a class in which competition is now at fever pitch and some of its rivals are discounting like mad to tempt buyers.
In the case of Citroen, for example, buyers can expect to pay anything up to £2,000 below the sticker price although ultimately this is reflected in the residual values.
The fact remains that dealers are prepared to haggle in the case of each of the aforementioned cars and there is not a bad one among them.
Choose the compact car that most suits your needs and play one dealer against another in order to secure more metal for your money than you ever thought possible.
FAST FACTS
Honda Civic 1.8i V-TEC Type S 3dr
Price: £15,480
Mechanical: 140ps, 1,799cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 6spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 127mph
0-62mph: 8.9 secs
Combined mpg: 42.8
Insurance group: 9
CO2 emissions: 156g/km
BiK rating: 18%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 90,000 miles, 3yrs paint, 12yrs anti-rust