8/10SkodaOctavia£19,480 – £28,500Skoda might just have turned things on its head. You’d now recommend an Octavia over a VW Golf or Seat Leon
8/10AudiA3 Sportback£22,500 – £37,925Fussy design inside and out doesn’t spoil a really rather good family hatchback
7/10SkodaOctavia (2012-2020)£19,480 – £28,500Solid, gimmick-free all-rounder that’s slightly less good at everything than a Golf, but cheaper for it.
7/10AudiA3£22,500 – £37,925The definitive example of rock-solid, sensible, impeccable German engineering