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
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
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.
7/10Mercedes-BenzCLA Shooting Brake£32,055 – £58,135Much better to drive than the A-Class it’s based on, plus it’s more useful than the saloon. Buy one of these, not a crossover
7/10VolkswagenTouran£27,965 – £34,950Better than the car it replaces, but not interesting, exciting or memorable.
8/10Mercedes-BenzB-Class£27,385 – £37,585The B-Class is now a genuine contender – if an expensive one – in the family hatch sector.
7/10AudiA3 Saloon£26,470 – £35,510Everything good about the A3 Sportback, just a little less practical. A complete car that won't get on your nerves
7/10NissanQashqai£26,250 – £31,935One of Britain’s best-selling cars, the Qashqai is quiety, comfy and homemade, too
8/10VolkswagenTiguan£24,785 – £41,350The latest Tiguan feels solid, sensible and laser-guided at its target market
7/10Mazda6£24,130 – £33,810Another good Mazda from one of the very few car companies – any company, come to that – which simply doesn’t make a bad product
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
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
8/10VolkswagenGolf Estate£22,100 – £29,565It's taken Volkswagen a surprising amount of time to get here, but finally we have a Golf Estate that's up with the best.
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.
7/10VolkswagenT-Roc£20,265 – £37,540Just what the market ordered. Stylish crossover for people who don't need family space. But don't dig too deep beyond that
6/10VauxhallInsignia£20,220 – £41,185Ticks every cost-effective box, and quite refined. Still tricky to be enthusiastic about, though
7/10KiaSportage£20,085 – £34,765Facelifted Sportage gains mild hybrid diesel tech, but it’s not enough to radically alter the class landscape
