6/10RenaultCaptur£17,370 – £24,920Jumped-up Clio is miles less tinny than the old one. Breaks no rules, but it's good-looking, refined and comfy
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.
6/10JeepRenegade£19,480 – £30,660Buy it for the looks and lifestyle, then put up with the flaws. Likeable, but irrational
7/10FordMondeo Estate£25,675 – £33,825More grown up and all the better for it. Priced very keenly too - it's a smart shout.
7/10MazdaCX-5£26,135 – £37,725A good-looking small SUV that drives rather well. Worth considering if you're in the market
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…
