Not the hottest in the range, but I was looking at a Mazda 3 Tamura when my car looked like it had given up the fight. A lad I went to college with had one and it was a nippy little thing. The one I was looking at was £4000 for a 58 plate 1.6. Insurance wise, it wasn't going to cost me much more than I'm paying on my old Punto and was the same road tax I believe, £135 a year. Like I say it's not the top model, but probably worth looking at since the faster 3 mps, is probably considerably more expensive.
If your after mpg get a Citroen c1 (which I also have)...... a V6 MG ZS 180 is not designed for much mpg - I get 27mpg all urban- it will give 35/40 on a motorway run (at a steady 70 mph) ... however it is not possible to drive a V6 MG ZS 180 steady There is a dieasel MG ZS - most have been tuned to 150/160 bhp .... they do give 50 mpg .... Diesel suck .... My other car is a 240 BHP Ford SmAx Titanium XSport...... the MG is the better "hot hatch" drive
After only 2 years I'd suggest sticking to a puddle jumper for another year or so, then you won't have to worry as much about having to pay extortionate insurance for a more powerful car. Crazy how many jump in to a car far too powerful for them and end up wrapping it around a tree or a lamppost.