9/10SkodaSuperb Estate£25,420 – £40,280Skoda’s kept all of what we loved about the old Superb (size, space, value) and added updated interior tech and a genuinely stylish body. Verging on genius
8/10VolkswagenGolf (Mk 7)£18,325 – £33,925It defines this sector and should be its default buy. You simply can’t go wrong.
8/10VolkswagenGolf (Mk8)£18,325 – £33,925New eighth-gen Golf remains the lingua-franca of the hatch world. A finely polished machine
8/10Land RoverRange Rover Evoque£31,130 – £50,165Land Rover plays with a winning formula just enough. The Evoque remains a stylish, accomplished choice
8/10VolkswagenGolf GTI/R£18,325 – £33,925Overlook the fact it’s so good that it’s almost joyless: the latest Golf GTI is very desirable indeed.
8/10VolkswagenGolf Cabriolet£18,325 – £33,925After a classy cabrio but don't have Audi-like cash? Try this. GTI expensive but worth it; R perhaps not
8/10Land RoverRange Rover Evoque£31,130 – £50,165The Evoque is pretty much all we hoped it’d be, a crossover to fall for.
8/10Volkswagene-Golf£18,325 – £33,925The e-Golf is an EV that works for most of us, most of the time. A truly convincing electric car.
Editor’s choice8/10SkodaSuperb£24,140 – £39,000Bigger and better than ever, the Superb offers a whole lot of car for the cash.
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.
7/10SkodaOctavia Estate£20,680 – £29,700Well thought out, versatile and thoroughly decent family estate. The weeniest bit boring
7/10SkodaOctavia£19,480 – £28,500Solid, gimmick-free all-rounder that’s slightly less good at everything than a Golf, but cheaper for it.
7/10AudiQ2£22,495 – £43,185Not revolutionary, but Q2 is different enough to make you stand out in a crowd.
7/10AudiS3/RS3£22,500 – £37,925Incredibly competent, deceptively fast, but needs to be at warp speed before it gets interesting.
7/10AudiA3£22,500 – £37,925The definitive example of rock-solid, sensible, impeccable German engineering
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.
