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
8/10VolkswagenGolf R£18,325 – £31,020One of the best all-round performance cars ever made. Fast, forgiving, and everyday-friendly
8/10VolkswagenGolf (Mk7)£18,325 – £31,020It defines this sector and should be its default buy. You simply can’t go wrong.
8/10VolkswagenGolf (Mk8)£18,325 – £31,020New eighth-gen Golf remains the lingua-franca of the hatch world. A finely polished machine
8/10VolkswagenGolf GTI (Mk7)£18,325 – £31,020Overlook the fact it’s so good that it’s almost joyless: the latest Golf GTI is very desirable indeed
8/10VolkswagenGolf Cabriolet£18,325 – £31,020After a classy cabrio but don't have Audi-like cash? Try this. GTI expensive but worth it; R perhaps not
8/10Volkswagene-Golf£18,325 – £31,020The e-Golf is an EV that works for most of us, most of the time. A truly convincing electric car.
7/10RenaultScenic£19,015 – £27,655MPV sales are down, but the stylish Scenic has every chance of reversing the trend.
6/10JeepRenegade£19,480 – £30,660Buy it for the looks and lifestyle, then put up with the flaws. Likeable, but irrational
5/10InfinitiQ30£20,730 – £37,375Suffers from exactly the same flaw as every other Infiniti – the only reason you’d buy one is because it’s rare-groove different. Not necessarily better.
7/10FordKuga£22,790 – £37,730The new Kuga is safer and roomier than before. Less fun, but a better family car
8/10VolvoXC40£24,700 – £38,050Volvo has made something nicely distinctive here. It'd be impressive even if they'd been practicing for years
8/10VolkswagenTiguan£24,785 – £41,350The latest Tiguan feels solid, sensible and laser-guided at its target market
7/10FordMondeo Estate£25,675 – £33,825More grown up and all the better for it. Priced very keenly too - it's a smart shout.
7/10MazdaCX-5£26,135 – £37,725A good-looking small SUV that drives rather well. Worth considering if you're in the market
8/10JaguarE-Pace£28,815 – £48,060Jaguar’s little crossover aims to storm a competitive set with F-Type-inspired looks inside and out, and an engaging drive
8/10Land RoverRange Rover Evoque£31,130 – £50,165Land Rover plays with a winning formula just enough. The Evoque remains a stylish, accomplished choice
8/10Land RoverRange Rover Evoque£31,130 – £50,165The Evoque is pretty much all we hoped it’d be, a crossover to fall for.
8/10Alfa RomeoStelvio£37,160 – £88,165With so much Giulia DNA, the Stelvio was bound to be good. At last an Alfa to buy with your heart *and* head
7/10AudiQ5£40,835 – £66,700Quiet, comfortable, spacious and well-built, the Q5 hits the bases it needs to on the bullseye
