3/10MitsubishiMirage£10,345 – £14,650Expensive, slow, horrid to drive. A mass of metal without sense or relish or ability or anything, really.
6/10FordEcoSport£18,425 – £22,840Ford has gone to work on the updated EcoSport, dragging it from a blot on its record to a class contender
6/10FiatTipo£14,915 – £20,910Probably Fiat’s least interesting car, but that doesn’t mean it’s worth ignoring if you love a bargain.
6/10NissanMicra£13,875 – £22,385It's engine range isn't class leading, but overlook that and the Micra is a massively improved contender
6/10SeatLeon£18,645 – £32,250Seat’s strongest car in a long time, the Leon is now a Golf-baiting player.
6/10RenaultMegane£17,515 – £23,930Not the most compelling hatch, but as a car for real family life, it could be brilliant
6/10HondaJazzn/aUnbelievably roomy, versatile, and easy to recommend. But would you want one yourself? That's a harder question...
Editor’s choice6/10DS3£17,090 – £23,260Not as fresh as it was, but ageing gracefully, and still the best DS of the bunch.
6/10BMW2 Series Active/Gran Tourer£27,205 – £37,165Cosier and more expensive than rivals, but appealing badge and quality
6/10KiaProceed£24,065 – £28,825A refreshing niche that ain’t a crossover, but not as sporty as billed
7/10RenaultKadjar£20,870 – £30,810Renault’s Qashqai rival is conveniently a rebodied… Qashqai. A fine appliance for family transport
7/10Hyundaii10£9,800 – £16,270City cars aren’t quite dead yet - new i10 is grown-up, comfy and loaded with kit
7/10Hyundaii30£17,090 – £25,250A very rational car in standard form, which will make your life easy, but not exciting
7/10NissanJuke£14,935 – £25,170The looks might be polarising but it's not actually ugly and certainly not – bigger crime – bland
7/10KiaPicanto£9,990 – £15,150Another string to Kia’s ever more impressive bow, the Picanto is a fun and interesting city car.
7/10SkodaKamiq£17,475 – £25,730Another worthy crossover. Comfy, roomy, but not especially interesting
7/10NissanQashqai£26,250 – £31,935One of Britain’s best-selling cars, the Qashqai is quiety, comfy and homemade, too
7/10SkodaFabia£12,415 – £18,005Great option for someone who doesn’t really care about cars or driving.
7/10KiaSportage£20,085 – £34,765Facelifted Sportage gains mild hybrid diesel tech, but it’s not enough to radically alter the class landscape
7/10VolkswagenUp GTI£9,955 – £16,090You can tell it’s not had squillions spent developing it, but if you like hot hatches simple and scrappy, the Up GTI is a little tonic
