Best in Class
This is where you can find the cars that rate most highly in all the major sectors of the market. As well as telling you which models we think are best overall, we'll tell you which are best for particular attributes. For example, it is not much use knowing that, overall, the Ford Focus is the best Lower Medium car if you need a car to carry six people. We'll tell you which cars are best for interior room, safety, comfort and other important attributes.
City Cars
The neighbours won't be drooling with envy, but if you're looking for a bargain the Picanto makes a compelling case for itself thanks to comprehensive equipment and a very attractive pricetag. It's spacious, practical, well-constructed and even moderately good fun to drive.
Superminis
Don't let its diminutive looks fool you - from inside its cabin the Jazz feels like a far bigger car. The mini-MPV-like styling makes for an exceptionally spacious interior, with plenty of room for five and - with the rear seats folded flat into the floor - a vast luggage area. It's well-built and refined to drive, too - although the ride could be a little softer on rougher roads.
Small Family
The second generation Focus keeps much of the distinctive styling that made the original so popular, while adding a welcome injection of quality to the ownership experience. As before, it's great to drive, but now it's also far more refined and comfortable to spend serious time in.
Large Family
Forget Honda's old reputation for making brilliantly engineers but boring cars. The new Accord combines the traditional Honda virtues of solid construction and extreme reliability with strong design and brilliant driving dynamics.
Compact Executive
You have to dig deep to get yourself into a new 3-series. Even the most basic version currently on sale will set you backa steep £21,095 before options. Even so, the ultra-desirable image and well-contained depreciation can actually make buying one a surprisingly sensible decision. While mainstream rivals struggle to return a third of their value after three years of average use a 3-series should still be worth close to 60 percent of its original cost.
