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
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.
7/10VolkswagenT-Roc£20,265 – £37,540Just what the market ordered. Stylish crossover for people who don't need family space. But don't dig too deep beyond that
8/10SkodaOctavia Estate£20,680 – £29,700Not as much fun as a Focus Estate, but more comfortable, practical and very well thought out. Looks the part, too.
7/10MitsubishiEclipse Cross£21,950 – £29,190The Eclipse Cross is a striking and mostly successful Qashqai rival
7/10AudiA3 E-Tron£22,500 – £37,925Not the perfect solution to all your motoring needs, but a great first effort at a useable everyday hybrid.
8/10AudiA3 Sportback£22,500 – £37,925Fussy design inside and out doesn’t spoil a really rather good family hatchback
7/10AudiA3£22,500 – £37,925The definitive example of rock-solid, sensible, impeccable German engineering
7/10MazdaCX-5£26,135 – £37,725A good-looking small SUV that drives rather well. Worth considering if you're in the market
6/10Peugeot508 SW£27,425 – £42,175Not the most rounded family estate, but the big Pug oozes desirability. Much cooler than a 3 Series
6/10Peugeot508 SW£27,425 – £42,175The Peugeot 508 SW is a better car than the Citroen C5 Tourer it shares its chassis with.
7/10VolkswagenSharan£29,910 – £40,290It’s big, expensive and not especially clever, but it is really, really good at ferrying lots of people about. Really, really quietly.
7/10SeatAlhambra£30,415 – £38,270Seat’s most complete car. It has no real weaknesses – but we just know you’d rather have the VW…
8/10SubaruOutback£32,410 – £35,410A likeable Swiss Army knife. A bit bland but will shrug off anything thrown at it.
