8/10VolvoS90£38,200 – £47,900Goes in a different direction to the German alternatives, with convincing success.
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
8/10AudiS1£18,230 – £31,030Well done Audi, this one's a proper little stonker: fast, small, fun, a 4wd hot hatch done properly.
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
8/10SkodaKodiaq£25,875 – £43,155A Top Gear award winner in 2016, and rightly so – Skoda’s big crossover is all things to all families.
8/10VolkswagenTiguan£24,785 – £41,350The latest Tiguan feels solid, sensible and laser-guided at its target market
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.
7/10AudiA5 Sportback£34,525 – £56,240Beautifully built and beautiful to look at. But the A4 is 98 per cent as good, cheaper and less pretentious.
7/10RenaultClio 200 Renaultsport£13,870 – £21,595Softer and a little disappointing: the new RS isn’t what it was. Still fun, but we hoped for more…
7/10VolkswagenPolo£15,185 – £23,255It's a sizeable leap, and enough to shove the Polo up to the upper reaches of the supermini order.
7/10SkodaOctavia Estate£20,680 – £29,700Well thought out, versatile and thoroughly decent family estate. The weeniest bit boring
7/10RenaultClio£13,870 – £21,595Cheery and characterful, the new Clio is a genuinely appealing supermini.
7/10SkodaOctavia£19,480 – £28,500Solid, gimmick-free all-rounder that’s slightly less good at everything than a Golf, but cheaper for it.
7/10VauxhallInsignia Grand Sport£20,220 – £41,185New Insignia ticks every cost-effective box, and is much more refined than before. Still tricky to be enthusiastic about, though
7/10HyundaiKona£17,280 – £40,895Go ahead if you like the look of it. If you don't, endless rivals are about as good.
6/10VauxhallInsignia£20,220 – £41,185Not the best car in this uninspiring, fleet-orientated end of the segment but a very worthy effort.
6/10Peugeot508 SW£27,425 – £42,175Not the most rounded family estate, but the big Pug oozes desirability. Much cooler than a 3 Series
6/10RenaultClio£13,870 – £21,595Neither revolutionary in style nor the most exciting to drive, but a very mature car
6/10Peugeot508 SW£27,425 – £42,175The Peugeot 508 SW is a better car than the Citroen C5 Tourer it shares its chassis with.
