If you need root access but don’t want to any more than a shared hosting account price then check out burst.net. I have found them to be reliable and fast with reasonable support.
UPDATE: Now till end of Augest get %10 off any Linux or Windows VPS in any location. Use promotion code “summer10”. Check their twitter feed for more promotions. So instead of $5.95/Month you can get a 512MB VPS for $5.36/Month and this rate is not limited to the first 3 months or 6 months it is used as long as you keep the product.
Continue reading Cheap VPS ~ 512mb for $5.36/month