8/10VolkswagenGolf R£18,325 – £31,020One of the best all-round performance cars ever made. Fast, forgiving, and everyday-friendly
8/10Mercedes-BenzB-Class£27,385 – £37,585The B-Class is now a genuine contender – if an expensive one – in the family hatch sector.
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 Estate£22,100 – £29,565It's taken Volkswagen a surprising amount of time to get here, but finally we have a Golf Estate that's up with the best.
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
8/10SubaruOutback£32,410 – £35,410A likeable Swiss Army knife. A bit bland but will shrug off anything thrown at it.
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
8/10JaguarE-Pace£28,815 – £48,060Jaguar’s little crossover aims to storm a competitive set with F-Type-inspired looks inside and out, and an engaging drive
8/10SkodaKodiaq£25,875 – £43,155A Top Gear award winner in 2016, and rightly so – Skoda’s big crossover is all things to all families.
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.
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
8/10VolkswagenTiguan£24,785 – £41,350The latest Tiguan feels solid, sensible and laser-guided at its target market
8/10AudiA3 Sportback£22,500 – £37,925Fussy design inside and out doesn’t spoil a really rather good family hatchback
8/10MazdaCX-5£26,135 – £37,725The CX-5 is a cracking SUV that really will exceed your expectations. Well worth a look.
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.
8/10VolvoXC40£24,700 – £38,050Volvo has made something nicely distinctive here. It'd be impressive even if they'd been practicing for years
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
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.
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…
7/10FordMondeo Estate£25,675 – £33,825More grown up and all the better for it. Priced very keenly too - it's a smart shout.