Audi A1

  Classy Audi A1 supermini packs good looks, a great-quality finish and top-notch refinement into a compact body.   Critics have accused the Audi A1 of being little more than a Volkswagen Polo in a posh party frock, but an engaging chassis and classy interior help to lift this small car above that. It can become very expensive once you start adding optional extras, and the A1 can’t match its arch rival, the MINI, for fun behind...

Toyota Aygo

The Toyota Aygo isn’t all that mechanically different from its predecessor, but its looks are refreshingly contemporary with a youthful slant. There’s not much power or dynamic capability, and while improvements to the sound-deadening make the interior more refined at speed, it’s still some way short of the city car class leaders for motorway driving. Practicality also suffers thanks to the Aygo’s super-compact dimensions. Yet the latest...

Citroen C3

In essence, the Citroen C3 is designed to do most of what you'd want a modern supermini to do. It looks decent enough, has a varied and economical engine range, and offers plenty of space. But it's getting on in years now and feels it, lagging behind the class best in terms of handling, tech and cabin quality. It isn't particularly cheap either, which would have gone some way to making up for the shortcomings. Those needing more space...

Vauxhall Adam

MINI, Audi and DS have all had great success in the supermini market in recent years, introducing premium-feeling, fun-to-drive models that have all majored heavily on style. Vauxhall entered this market with the Adam back in 2013, and so far the car has proven a big hit – it has clocked up more than 22,000 sales in the UK. This small Vauxhall offers classy, distinctive looks backed up by a large range of customisation options, which...

New Audi R8 V10 Plus

The new Audi R8 represents a big improvement in most areas over a car that was already very good indeed. It’s lighter, faster, stiffer and more powerful than ever before. Yet at the same time it’s also more efficient and more economical, featuring one of the best cabins of any sports car, at any price. Shame it isn’t a touch more analogue in its responses, especially in the way it steers with the new Dynamic steering system fitted. Lighter,...

Mazda 3

The Mazda 3 has continued the rich vein of form Mazda is in right now, producing a range of cars that are good-looking, great fun to drive and well-priced. The 3 hatchback is one of the best of the bunch; it’s more fun to drive than a Ford Focus or a Volkswagen Golf and more than a match for other family favourites such as the Vauxhall Astra and Kia Cee'd. There’s even a four-door saloon version called the Fastback, which...

Range Rover SV-Autobiography LWB

With so many customers demanding the biggest and best Range Rover on sale, company bosses have pulled out the stops for this no-holds-barred luxury SUV. You can’t argue with its extravagant opulence, and very little this side of a Rolls Royce can offer quite so much undisputed luxury. If money is no object, this new Range Rover SV-Autobiography is – for now – the most luxurious SUV on sale. Range Rover customers aren’t strangers to personalisation....

BMW X6

The BMW X6 is a bit of a Marmite car. Some love it and others hate it. But one thing you can’t argue is the unprecedented success it has been for the German car maker since its introduction in 2008. That car continued production until 2012, when it was replaced by a bigger, better second-generation car arrived with all the running gear from the updated X5. Still recognisable as an X6, it’s squarer and even more brash. Inside, even entry-level...