A Golf, a Polo or a Fabia. They're nippy, quite economical, reliable, and are all VW Group cars so the parts are relatively cheap and readily available.
I had several Fabias on 6 month loans and they are *very* nice cars. Every time I replaced the car the features got better and better. The last one I had had air con, electric everything, CD player, the works. And the interior and exterior are really smart too.
Golfs, Polos and Fabias also regularly feature in "Best Of" awards, so you know you're getting good value for money and reliability.
Edit - Oh yeah, and congrats :-) All the best drivers pass on their second attempt.
