8/10VolkswagenGolf (Mk7)£18,325 – £31,020It defines this sector and should be its default buy. You simply can’t go wrong.
8/10VolkswagenGolf (Mk8)£18,325 – £31,020New eighth-gen Golf remains the lingua-franca of the hatch world. A finely polished machine
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
7/10BMW1 Series£22,835 – £23,365BMW's switch from RWD to FWD for the new hatch is no bad thing. This new 1 Series is a good car from the bottom up.
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
7/10KiaCeed£18,625 – £27,665Kia improves things yet again. Refinement, styling and interior quality are nearly as good as anything out there. Nearly…
6/10VauxhallAstra£18,700 – £29,085Not as far behind the Ford Focus as you might think. Vauxhall's facelifted hatch is a very competent thing... but an all-new one lurks around the corner.
6/10Mercedes-BenzA-Class£23,485 – £55,235Connectivity and interior layout takes priority over how it drives. For some, that'll be perfect
6/10CitroenC4 Cactus£21,535 – £23,880While still a comfy, useful hatchback, the C4 Cactus's move mainstream has taken away its class hero status
