8/10VolkswagenGolf R£18,325 – £31,020One of the best all-round performance cars ever made. Fast, forgiving, and everyday-friendly
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
8/10VolkswagenGolf GTI (Mk7)£18,325 – £31,020Overlook the fact it’s so good that it’s almost joyless: the latest Golf GTI is very desirable indeed
8/10VolkswagenGolf Cabriolet£18,325 – £31,020After a classy cabrio but don't have Audi-like cash? Try this. GTI expensive but worth it; R perhaps not
8/10CitroenC4 Cactus£21,535 – £23,880Citroen's Fiat Panda - character over driving thrills, but none the worse for that.
8/10Volkswagene-Golf£18,325 – £31,020The e-Golf is an EV that works for most of us, most of the time. A truly convincing electric car.
7/10Peugeot308 GTI£20,920 – £30,480Peugeot's hot hatch renaissance continues. The 308 GTI has a joyously wild streak
7/10FordMondeo Estate£25,675 – £33,825More grown up and all the better for it. Priced very keenly too - it's a smart shout.
7/10MiniElectric£15,970 – £36,420A surprisingly rounded EV. Still fun to drive, and uncompromised inside, but it’s likely to be your second car
7/10Peugeot308 SW£21,870 – £29,890This is among the best compact estates on sale (partly because it isn’t really compact at all).
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.
6/10CitroenC4 Cactus£21,535 – £23,880While still a comfy, useful hatchback, the C4 Cactus's move mainstream has taken away its class hero status
