3/10NissanPulsar£16,340 – £18,110A perfectly able family hatchback that brings absolutely nothing new to the sector. Why, Nissan?
7/10SkodaKamiq£17,475 – £25,730Another worthy crossover. Comfy, roomy, but not especially interesting
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
8/10Volkswagene-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.
6/10Alfa RomeoGiulietta Cloverleaf/QV£19,390 – £26,130A capable machine, but more GT than hot hatch. Think mature rather than arm-wangly Italian
7/10RenaultKadjar£20,870 – £30,810Renault’s Qashqai rival is conveniently a rebodied… Qashqai. A fine appliance for family transport
7/10Peugeot308 SW£21,870 – £29,890This is among the best compact estates on sale (partly because it isn’t really compact at all).
8/10SkodaKaroq£22,305 – £34,880The Karoq might have lost its predecessor’s personality, but on every other front it’s a better car than the one it replaces
8/10SeatAteca£22,770 – £36,075Been around for a few years. Still among the best of its ilk, but look at the new Leon Estate before you buy
7/10FordMondeo Estate£25,675 – £33,825More grown up and all the better for it. Priced very keenly too - it's a smart shout.
6/10BMW2 Series Active/Gran Tourer£27,205 – £37,165Cosier and more expensive than rivals, but appealing badge and quality
7/10Peugeot5008£27,690 – £39,720Peugeot ditches MPVs, does crossovers instead. Seven-seat 5008 is the biggest yet
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…
8/10BMWX2£31,935 – £42,550Manages to serve up a zingy new style that hardly compromises its space or usefulness
