3/10NissanPulsar£16,340 – £18,110A perfectly able family hatchback that brings absolutely nothing new to the sector. Why, Nissan?
6/10VauxhallInsignia£20,220 – £41,185Not the best car in this uninspiring, fleet-orientated end of the segment but a very worthy effort.
6/10ToyotaYaris£13,315 – £18,355A far-reaching facelift has improved it, but it's still not a match for the class best. At least you can now justify it.
6/10RenaultClio£13,870 – £21,595Neither revolutionary in style nor the most exciting to drive, but a very mature car
6/10LexusES£34,980 – £45,460A saloon car for people who don’t really care about/enjoy driving, but quite like big mpg and a nice stereo
6/10LexusIS£33,005 – £44,305Every Lexus trait wrapped up in a tight 3 Series sized package. Superb design, forgettable to drive, probably quite nice to own.
7/10Hyundaii30£17,130 – £25,290A very rational car in standard form, which will make your life easy, but not exciting. The i30 N hot hatch manages to make it easy AND exciting. It's ace
7/10FordFocus ST£20,460 – £31,585A fantastic everyday proposition, a hot hatch that's easy to live with. Mostly for good
7/10NissanJuke£14,935 – £25,170The looks might be polarising but it's not actually ugly and certainly not – bigger crime – bland
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.
7/10VauxhallCrossland X£18,230 – £24,235It presents enough rational arguments that it'll insinuate itself deep into many families' lives.
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.
7/10FordFocus ST£20,460 – £31,585A fun car with a practical side, but no longer one of the sharpest hot hatches on sale
7/10SkodaOctavia£19,480 – £28,500Solid, gimmick-free all-rounder that’s slightly less good at everything than a Golf, but cheaper for it.
7/10FordMondeo Estate£25,675 – £33,825More grown up and all the better for it. Priced very keenly too - it's a smart shout.
7/10NissanQashqai£26,250 – £31,935One of Britain’s best-selling cars, the Qashqai is quiety, comfy and homemade, too
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.
