Thanks Paul. They don't have the Swift diesel over here and regardless, it is too small for me anyway. I still have to be able to drive!
Yes I do have pretty lofty aspirations for my modest budget. There is no guarantee that I'll end up with a sharp handler (then are a few avenues that we can take) but I tend to think that if I am going to sacrifice size, I want some zing to replace it.
There really isn't anything too bad about the Astra, I just can't wring its neck like I want to. The Viva is a definite no for me, when they have 17k on the window anyway, but certainly can satisfy someone with different priorities. The Lancer was the most balanced package as far as being reasonable in all respects, but it just had no soul, no character.
Victoria would probably be laughed at by many people because she doesn't do anything besides have better torque to weight ratio than just about anything under 20K(doesn't mind a rev either) and she just keeps holding on. But that is accompanied by road noise, and quite a bit of body roll. But that (the holding on) is the characteristic I value most. That's why it is going to be very hard to replace her.