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
7/10SkodaOctavia (2012-2020)£19,480 – £28,500Solid, gimmick-free all-rounder that’s slightly less good at everything than a Golf, but cheaper for it.
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.
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.
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.
7/10AudiA5£34,525 – £56,240Superb design and refinement cloak a nondescript driving experience. Again
7/10AudiA5 Cabriolet£37,330 – £57,050It’s a seductive car, the new A5 Cabriolet, and while more dynamically accomplished than its predecessor, still more of a grand touring boulevardier rather than a B-road hustler. But what an ownership proposition.