8/10Mercedes-BenzB-Class£27,385 – £37,585The B-Class is now a genuine contender – if an expensive one – in the family hatch sector.
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.
8/10AudiS1£18,230 – £31,030Well done Audi, this one's a proper little stonker: fast, small, fun, a 4wd hot hatch done properly.
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.
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
8/10VolkswagenUp£9,955 – £16,090Will shake up the city car segment and could become a game-changer for the whole class.
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
7/10SkodaKamiq£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
7/10SkodaOctavia (2012-2020)£19,480 – £28,500Solid, gimmick-free all-rounder that’s slightly less good at everything than a Golf, but cheaper for it.
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
6/10RenaultCaptur£17,370 – £24,920Jumped-up Clio is miles less tinny than the old one. Breaks no rules, but it's good-looking, refined and comfy
6/10ToyotaYaris£13,315 – £18,355Efficient, interesting looking and updated inside, but the Yaris remains forgettable to drive
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.
6/10VauxhallInsignia£20,220 – £41,185Ticks every cost-effective box, and quite refined. Still tricky to be enthusiastic about, though
