I think the Mazda 3 is a very good shout. But possibly too a Toyota Auris, Honda Civic, Mk5 Golf.

Have you looked at https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/

This has reviews for pretty much every model of Used car made and shows the good and bad points for each as well as alternative models worthy of consideration. It's a great resource and my 'go to' place for research.

good luck