Audi A3 Saloon

The latest Audi A3 has a lot to recommend it and, to our eyes at least, the saloon version brings a dose of extra style to the line-up.

With its traditional 'four doors and a boot' design, the Audi may lack the extrovert looks of the Mercedes CLA, but it makes up for that with a genuinely upmarket feel - especially if you can afford the LED headlamps and the S Line trim.

It's not a cheap car when compared with VW Group stablemates such as the VW Golf or Skoda Octavia but the well-equipped, comfortable and beautifully built interior adds to a sense of premium motoring, so you shouldn't feel shortchanged.

There's a great range of petrol and diesel options, plus the addede attraction of quattro four-wheel-drive and Audi's S tronic dual-clutch gearbox. The downsides are limited headroom in the back, and a boot that's well-proportioned but not as versatile as the A3 Sportback.

Our Choice: 

Audi A3 Saloon 1.4 TFSI Sport Navigation.

The Audi A3 Saloon is part of the increasingly extended A3 family – its sister-models are the three-door hatch and five-door Sportback. This four-door version also forms the basis for the more recent A3 cabriolet.

This model was launched in 2013, the first time a saloon has been offered as part of the A3 range. It owes its existence to the fact that markets such as China and the US prefer the four-door format over hatchbacks. Of course, Audi reckons it can sell a few here in the UK too.

The Audi A3 Saloon uses the same platform as the Sportback, so it has slightly more rear legroom than the three-door hatch. It also offers 45 litres more boot space than the Sportback.

It’s definitely not a ‘taxi special’ - Audi is pitching the A3 Saloon as a premium model in the line-up, so it’s available only in high-spec Sport Navigation and S line Navigation trims. It also carries a hefty price premium of around £1,500 over the three-door.

As you would expect, the A3 Saloon borrows its engines from the rest of the line-up, kicking off with a 1.4-litre petrol TFSI engine, which features cylinder deactivation technology (CoD). Also available is a 1.8 TFSI petrol engine, plus 1.6 and 2.0 TDI diesels.

In addition to the previously available Audi S3 hot hatch, there is also a 296bhp Audi S3 saloon.

You have to look quite hard for direct rivals to the A3 saloon. Mercedes makes a saloon version of the A-Class called the CLA but that has swoopy coupe-inspired styling whereas the A3 – while sleek – looks more like a traditional four-door. The Skoda Octavia shares the Audi’s platform but not its premium/executive badge, leaving buyers looking up to rivals such as the larger and more expensive BMW 3 Series saloon for alternative choices.

The A3 Saloon is based on the same accomplished platform as the regular A3 hatch, as well as the Volkswagen Golf, SEAT Leon and Skoda Octavia. Therefore, it drives in the fuss-free manner you’d expect. With a good driving position and well-weighted controls, you feel immediately at home.

The front and rear tyre tracks are 20mm wider than on the A3 Sportback, and Audi offers a choice of three suspension settings. The softer standard set-up is available on all versions as a no-cost option.

We recommend all buyers choose the softer suspension because, without it, your Sport model will be delivered sitting on 15mm lower suspension as standard, while the S line is dropped a further 10mm. Like all other Audi S line models, this gives the A3 Saloon an unnecessarily firm ride on British roads.

Buyers can also opt for £995 Magnetic Ride dampers, which provide Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual settings. However, we still prefer the standard suspension as it improves the ride and barely affects the handling.

On twisty roads, the A3 Saloon feels agile and responsive, and its neat dimensions mean it is at home on narrow roads. It comes with an electronic diff as standard, so understeer is controlled. A four wheel drive quattro powertrain is available with all but the 1.4-litre petrol engine.

Audi’s smooth-shifting S tronic dual-clutch automatic is available with all engine choices, but lower-powered models come with a six-speed manual as standard.

Unusually, at least as far as an Audi saloon is concerned, we’re not recommending one of the diesel engine options.

In fact all the engines are fantastic, but we’d mark out the 1.4 TFSI Cylinder on Demand-equipped petrol as the one to go for. CoD means a pair of cylinders is switched off seamlessly when the engine isn’t under load – for example coasting on the motorway – which greatly increases efficiency.

The latest 148bhp 1.4-litre TFSI CoD is 21kg lighter than the engine it has replaced, and with 250Nm of torque from just 1,500rpm, it delivers lively performance and rapid in-gear response. The 0-62mph time is 8.2 seconds with a 139mph top speed.

The bigger 1.8 litre TFSI petrol doesn’t feature CoD, but its 178bhp brings greater performance and as a result it’s only available in S line quattro guise with S tronic gears. It will do 0-62mph in a snappy 6.8 seconds and has a 146mph maximum.

There are three diesel options, the first being a 1.6 litre 109bhp that does 0-62mph in 10.7 seconds, or 11.2 seconds in quattro-equipped cars.

The 2.0 TDI is available with either 148bhp or 182bhp. The lower-powered version is slower to 62mph with a time of 8.6 seconds with manual gears, whereas the 182bhp model with quattro and S tronic knocks the sprint off in 6.9 seconds and goes on to a 147mph maximum.

The most efficient engine in the Audi A3 Saloon range is the 1.6-litre TDI diesel, which in its most basic trim has a six-speed manual gearbox and returns 72.4mpg as well as CO2 emissions of 104g/km. When fitted with Audi's quattro drivetrain, emissions increase markedly to 127g/km while economy drops to 60.1mpg.

The other diesel engines in the line-up are the 2.0-litre TDIs. When fitted with the S tronic system in 148bhp guise, the 2.0 manages 62.8mpg and emits 118g/km of CO2. If you stick with the regular six-speed 'box, then efficiency increases thanks to 68.9mpg and 107g/km of CO2.

Opt for the more powerful 182bhp 2.0 TDI, and the best you’ll manage is 67.3mpg and 112g/km from the manual version. The S tronic quattro version returns up to 58.9mpg and 127g/km.

The petrol engines are also efficient. The 1.4-litre TFSI unit with Cylinder on Demand technology and S tronic gearbox will return punchy performance, plus 60.1mpg and 109g/km of CO2. Without the S tronic 'box, it'll still manage a credible 110g/km of CO2, as well as 58.9mpg.

The other petrol engine in the Audi A3 Saloon range is the 1.8-litre TFSI. In quattro spec with the S tronic unit bolted on, it does 42.8mpg with emissions of 153g/km of CO2.

The Audi S3 quattro Saloon is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, which produces 296bhp, 40.9mpg and 159g/km. Unsurprisingly, thanks to its performance, it's the least efficient car in the line-up.

Audi’s design philosophy tends to run along the lines of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, so the A3 Saloon is barely distinguishable from other cars in its compact car range.

From head-on, the saloon looks identical to the A3 hatch, while moving to the side reveals the standard three-box shape that marks out all of the Audi saloons. Indeed, when viewed from a distance, and with no scale of reference, the A3 Saloon could be confused with an A4, A6, or even the flagship A8.

For some people Audi’s uniform look isn’t a bad thing, as the sharp, no-nonsense lines, tight panel gaps and distinctive light clusters give the car a simple, yet classy appearance. In fact, the optional LED daytime running lights even make the A3 appear quite stylish, although as part of a £2,000 LED headlamp upgrade package they certainly don’t come cheap.

Step inside the Audi A3 Saloon, and again it's immediately evident that the cabin shares its layout with the A3 hatch. That means you get a pop-up display screen on top of the dash, round air vents, a bank of switches and a rotary control wheel just behind the gear lever to operate the infotainment system. You also benefit from Audi’s excellent build quality, but again there are no surprises.

The standard-fit infotainment package on all A3 Saloons includes sat-nav with mapping on the 5.8 inch colour display screen that pops out of the dash. The stereo comes with an 8-speaker installation, a single CD player and Bluetooth or USB/cabled connectivity for streamed music.

If you want to upgrade, £1,145 gets you the Technology Package that brings HDD-based sat-nav with a high-res seven-inch display and 3-D mapping. You also get a DVD player and additional MMI Touch (touch sensitive) functionality with handwriting recognition for when you want to enter postcodes or phone numbers.

A couple of hundred pounds more gives you Audi Connect, which turns your car into a Wi-Fi hotspot. The optional Audi sound system is £255 and gives you a 10-speaker system with 180 Watts of output. For £750 you can specify a Bang & Olufsen surround sound system with 705 Watts and 14 speakers.

The driver and front-seat passenger are very well looked after in the A3 Saloon, as the front row accommodation mirrors that in the rest of the range. That means a very good range of adjustment for driving seat and steering wheel, and comfortable seating with a good view of the important controls and the road ahead.

The interior quality is excellent, which adds to the comfortable ambience, and if you’re feeling lavish you can splash out on luxuries such as quilted leather seats that add to the premium feel.

On a more practical level, while visibility out of the back isn’t brilliant, it’s noticeably better than the Mercedes CLA saloon with its coupe-like hind-quarters.

Cabin storage is decent too, with a good-sized glovebox, cupholders and storage under the flip-up armrest.

At 4,460mm the A3 Saloon is noticeably longer than its five-door A3 Sportback stablemate, which is only 4,310mm. However, the Audi saloon is also noticeably shorter than the 4,630mm Mercedes CLA and the 4,624mm BMW 3 Series saloon.

The 1,796mm Audi and the Merc are equally wide between the mirrors, but the BMW is a little wider at 1,811mm. Surprisingly perhaps, the 1,416mm tall A3 Saloon is a couple of cms lower than the CLA, while the 3 Series splits the difference.

It’s easy to forget the A3 Saloon is not a big family car, but that said its small-ish back doors aren’t really an issue. However, a low roofline does mean that you might bang your head when getting in and out.

Although it’s a full five-seater, passenger space in the back is tight. There’s only just enough legroom for adults – but certainly more than in the three-door hatch. You’ll squeeze three abreast on the back seat too if necessary, but three adults won’t want to stay there for long journeys.

The Audi does offer two air vents and a 12V socket in the back to help passengers feel looked after, though. The latter will be particularly useful if you have kids who want to power their Wi-Fi-enabled gadgets.

The Audi A3 Saloon gets an ample 425-litre boot and its flat sides create a square load area that’s extremely useable. In comparison, the A3 Sportback's boot offers a less generous 380 litres, while the more expensive BMW 3-Series saloon offers a giant 480 litres.

The back seats fold flat to accommodate larger items, but they leave a distinct step in the floor and can only be dropped from inside the passenger compartment, which makes using them a bit more hassle than it might otherwise be.

There’s also an optional Through-Load set-up, which comprises a drop-down centre armrest with cupholders and a storage compartment.

A well-thought-out towing hitch is a £625 option. The ball is removable, while the 12-pin socket swivels out of sight behind the bumper skirt.

The A3 range is still fairly new, and our Driver Power 2015 satisfaction survey shows owners are impressed with the build quality and in-car tech. Decent performance and running costs, plus a great driving experience, helped the car finish 27th in our Top 200 cars, although it wasn’t the highest-placed Audi in the survey – the Q3 came 14th and the A5 Sportback was 26th.

For reliability, the A3 came in 36th overall, which isn’t a result to be sniffed at, and on that score only the Q3 did better – ranking 18th.

In the Manufacturer rankings, Audi could only manage 13th place out of 30, although it just pipped BMW by one place and was only a couple of places behind Mercedes.

On the safety front, the tech that impresses owners includes some smart safety features which ensured the hatchback version of the A3 earned a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating. As well as seven airbags and a host of electronic driver aids, the Audi gets a pedestrian-friendly active bonnet and driver-tiredness monitor as standard. Kit such as blind spot warning and a lane keeping aid is on the options list.

Although the A3 Saloon hasn’t been tested, you can be pretty confident that the EuroNCAP ratings for the hatchback model would translate into similar results for the saloon. The A3 hatchback’s 95 per cent safety rating for adults was particularly impressive – the Mercedes CLA scored 91 per cent – as was its 87 per cent rating for child safety.

The Audi’s three-year/60,000-mile warranty used to be par for the course, but it looks increasingly ungenerous in an era when budget brands such as Hyundai and Kia are offering five- and seven-year warranties. Audi’s premium rivals BMW and Mercedes both offer three years too, but at least they don’t put a mileage cap on cover.

The fixed cost is £159 for an interim service, or £309 for a full service - but you can opt for a variable service schedule based on the car's on-board monitors, instead of an annual routine.

Audi also offers a three-year maintainence plan for £16 per month, which private buyers can include with any finance deal.

Skoda fabia

The Skoda Fabia has been produced since 1999, and has always been well know for being comfortable, spacious and great value for money. This third generation doesn't disappoint, with plenty of interior space and handy practical storage solutions. Prices have taken a hike, but they’re offset slightly by the better standard equipment.

The new Fabia is powered by a good range of engines, including two three-cylinder 1.0-litre MPI units with 60ps and 75ps – as seen in the Skoda Citigo. But if you want more power, opt for the 1.2 four-cylinder TSI engine with its 90ps and 110ps outputs.

There’s also a 1.4 TDI CR diesel option with 90ps and 105ps available, but the diesel engines are noisy, unrefined and certainly need a lot of input to keep momentum going. The Fabia gets a standard five-speed manual gearbox, with the higher-output 1.2 TSI getting a six-speed version. Plus, there’s a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox option available on the 1.2 TSI 110ps and the lower output 1.4 TDI.

If you need even more space then an updated Fabia Estate is just around the corner - and there’s a super-frugal Fabia Greenline on the way too. And with the addition of a Fabia Monte Carlo, which adds a dash of sporting style (but not the pace to match) the line up is complete. Skoda says it has to maintain the distinction between it and VW and that’s apparent in the hard plastics inside – it looks smart enough, but there isn’t a soft-touch finish to be found anywhere.

Our choice: Skoda Fabia 1.2 TSI 90PS SE

Under the skin, the new Fabia uses a heavily reworked version of the old car’s underpinnings, plus one or two features from the new MQB architecture that has already appeared on the larger Octavia. As a result, it’s slightly wider and lower than before, while its wheelbase is fractionally longer.

More importantly, the third-generation model is around 65kg lighter than its predecessor – and this weight saving can be felt immediately, as the Fabia responds eagerly, turning into corners sharply and benefiting from plenty of grip.

The steering is also positive and well weighted, while body roll is reasonably well controlled. For maximum mpg and sub-100g/km emissions, you should go for one of the 1.4-litre diesels, however the ride suffers from the extra weight and the Skoda fidgets over bumps that some rivals take in their stride. The suspension also transmits more noise into the cabin.

Petrol is likely to be a more popular choice, and we’d go for the 1.2 89bhp version – it’s smoother and rides really nicely.

The more powerful of the 1.0-litre three-cylinder engines from the Citigo is happy to cruise at motorway speeds, and even on twisy roads the car has plenty of grip and is fun to drive. It has the familiar thrumy note of the three-cylinder engine, but it's only apparent when pulling away. The Fabia is easy to get about in with nicely weighted controls and good visibility.

Every Fabia claims economy of over 50mpg, with the most popular 1.0 and 1.2 models claiming 51 and 54mpg respectively. If fuel economy is the most important thing for you, the Fabia Greenline claims an exceptional 91mpg and CO2 emissions of just 82g/km – that’s as low as it gets for a car without any form of hybrid system.

But while economy and emissions are impressive, the Fabia’s price has risen to sit alongside mainstream rivals. That is balanced with excellent spec levels, though. And Skoda’s reliability reputation and available service packs, should keep ongoing costs down, too.

n an attempt to shake off the Fabia’s staid and sensible image, Skoda has given the latest car a more distinctive look. At the front, the newcomer shares its large grille and headlamp design with the Octavia and Rapid, while sharp creases cut into the flanks give it a more squat and sporty stance than its upright predecessor.

SE models and above feature alloys, plus can be specified with the £250 Colour Concept option,which adds a contrasting black, silver or white finish for the roof, windscreen pillars and wheels. But while the new look is more dynamic than before, it’s still a little conservative, plus it lacks the classy, upmarket appeal of the Polo.

It’s a similar story inside, where the Fabia has a modern and straightforward design. The fitting of a metallic grey or white trim insert that runs across the dash adds interest, but the rest of the cabin is rather workmanlike. The dials, climate control and standard touchscreen have a simple, easy to use layout, while the rest of the switchgear is shared with the latest VW Polo, so it features a solid and precise action.

The interior feels robustly built and should be more than up to the rough and tumble of family life. Yet while it’s solidly put together, it’s full of hard plastics.

The old Fabia always had the edge in the supermini space race, and the new car continues the tradition, with a roomy 330-litre boot growing to 1,150 litres with the 60:40 split rear bench folded flat. However, the £100 space saver spare wheel cuts these figures to 305 and 1,125 litres.

Rear legroom is good enough for a six-foot tall passenger to just about sit behind a six foot driver, there’s more than enough headroom and plenty of shoulder room, too – you might even squeeze three people in the back.

Elsewhere, the cabin is full of useful storage. While the old car’s double-decker glovebox isn’t carried over, there are hidden drawers under the front seats, large door bins and two cup-holders ahead of the gearlever. Plus, a £65 optional Simply Clever storage pack adds a boot net, smartphone holder and waste bin for the front door pocket.

 

Over the past few years, Skoda has dominated our Driver Power satisfaction survey, and in 2014 the brand’s cars took the first three places. And while the outgoing Fabia was less successful – finishing in a lowly 94th – this latest model shares many of its components with newer, more successful Skodas, which bodes well for its fortunes in future surveys.

At least there won’t be many complaints about the Fabia’s safety credentials, as the new car has already been awarded a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating. All versions get six airbags, stability control, seatbelt reminders and low-speed collision avoidance kit, while the flagship SE L adds automatic lights and wipers.

You can also order a driver fatigue sensor as an option on SE and SE L models. However, it’s disappointing that the Skoda isn’t available with big car kit such as adaptive cruise control or blind spot monitoring.

BMW 3 Series Touring

BMW’s brilliant 3 Series is our reigning compact executive champ, thanks to its blend of fun driving dynamics, strong performance, low running costs and rock-solid build quality.

In Touring form, the desirable German machine adds family-friendly practicality - it's BMW's response to the Audi A4 Avant and Mercedes C-Class estate.

As with the 3 Series saloon, the Touring is the sharpest handling compact executive estate you can buy, but it doesn’t sacrifice economy in the process. Most versions are rear wheel drive, which is the enthusiast's choice for best handling, but the impressively smooth BMW xDrive four-wheel drive system is a £1,500 optional extra on some models. We reckon xDrive turns the 3 Series Touring into a serious rival for the Porsche Macan and Range Rover Evoque. 

The Touring version of the iconic BMW 3 Series looks the same as the saloon at the front, but features an extended roof line at the rear that’s very similar in appearance to the larger 5 Series Touring.

The result is a handsome estate car with the best boot space by volume in the compact executive class, with up to 1,500 litres available when the rear seats are folded. This is a marked improvement on previous generation Tourings, which were often criticised for not being practical enough. There are a number of large family cars from less premium brands that can beat the Touring’s boot space, of course, but none share its rear-drive chassis or the BMW’s upmarket aspirations.

The Touring is part of BMW’s sixth generation of the 3 Series, and while the saloon version went on sale in 2012 we had to wait a year for the estate version to arrive.

It duly arrived with a choice of powerful but efficient four- and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. Petrols range from the entry-level 318i to the 330i M Sport, while the diesel line-up kicks off with the 316d and runs through to the 335d unit in the xDrive M Sport Touring. Most cars are rear-wheel drive, but the BMW xDrive system adds a 4x4 option for drivers who need more all-weather traction. The plug-in hybrid 3 Series 330E PHEV, meanwhile, is only available as a saloon.

The Touring is available in SE, Sport, M Sport, and Luxury trims, and there are also a couple of ED (Efficient Dynamics) models designed to maximise fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.

SE trim is justifiably popular, as the car comes equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, air-con, electric windows, Bluetooth phone connectivity and a 6.5-inch colour infotainment screen with DAB radio and sat-nav.

The Sport trim adds various cosmetic embellishments inside and out, including gloss-black grille and air intakes, special wheels, plus sporty seats and red stitching on the leather steering wheel.
Luxury models also get their own alloys plus chrome exterior detailing and leather interiors, while the M Sport features improved aerodynamics, up to 19-inch alloys and uprated suspension settings – as well as an M Sport multi-function steering wheel.

This is where the BMW 3 Series Touring excels. The front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout is designed to entertain drivers, while BMW’s Drive Performance Control system allows you to set up the steering, throttle response and stability control settings as desired.

The six-cylinder 330d diesel engine delivers huge performance, but the 2.0-litre diesel is still a decent performer and returns better fuel economy. It'll manage over 60mpg yet do everything a 3 Series should, and is our pick of the range.

No matter which engine you choose, you can be assured that you're driving one of the finest-handling family cars on sale.

If you ski, or regularly drive in inclement weather, the xDrive four-wheel drive system is worth looking at. It's a £1,500 option that primarily sends drive to the rear wheels.

However, if a slip is detected, it can send almost 100 per cent of power to the front axle very smoothly. The only downsides are an increase in weight and slight loss of steering feel.

As you’d expect, the BMW backs up its punchy performance with class-leading handling. In fact, thanks to its combination of small wheels and softer SE suspension, the Efficient Dynamics versions deliver the best ride and handling balance of the entire 3 Series line-up. The steering is sharp and well weighted, while the rear-wheel-drive layout provides balanced and progressive handling.

The entry-level 318i petrol has a 135bhp and a 0-62mph time of 9.2 secs. Step up to the 320i and you get 182bhp and a 7.5 second sprint to 62mph – or 7.7 seconds with optional xDrive. The 330i petrol has 249bhp and cracks the sprint in 6.0 seconds dead, while the 322bhp engine in the cracking 340i M Sport does it in 5.1 seconds.

The 115bhp entry-level 316d is the slowest of the 2 Series Touring models, with a 0-62 time of 11.2 seconds. Things improve on the diesel front with the 148bhp 318d, which can manage the sprint on 8.9 seconds, but the 188bhp 320d does it in 7.6 seconds.

The 255bhp 330d with xDrive uses its extra traction to shave two tenths off the two-wheel-drive 330d’s 5.6 second 0-62mph time, while the 309bhp xDrive M Sport does it in 4.9 seconds.

Every engine in the BMW 3 Series Touring range comes with stop-start, which boosts fuel economy.
The cheapest car in the line-up is the 318i petrol, and while it’s not the most efficient it still returns an impressive 47.9mpg on the combined cycle with CO2 emissions of as little as 133 g/km.

The 320i offers economy of 44.8mpg and 147 g/km CO2, but these figures worsen to 38.7mpg and 169 g/km if you opt for xDrive.

The 316d is the cheapest diesel, offering up to 64.2mpg and 116 g/km. The 320d diesel is once again the engine to go for though, as it delivers stronger performance, yet still manages to keep emissions down to as little as 118 g/km of CO2, and economy up to a potential 62.8mpg. If you select the optional eight-speed automatic gearbox, the fuel consumption increases to 60.1mpg.

Pick the 320d ED Plus – which has almost 30bhp less than the regular 320d – and you can eke economy out to 68.9mpg with CO2 of 107 g/km which will be of considerable benefit to company car tax payers, if less relevant to private buyers as the performance trade-off is not really worth it.

Even the 335d xDrive M Sport can manage 49.6mpg on the combined cycle, but it’s less efficient on the tax front thanks to a CO2 output of 151 g/km.

We reckon the 3 Series fails to attract as much attention as its sleeker rivals such as the Mercedes C-Class Estate or even the Volvo V60. Even so, the well-proportioned and neatly finished Touring is still a handsome, classy-looking machine that is, to our eyes, more attractive than the standard four-door saloon.

While it’s noticeably more practical than earlier generations of the 3 Series Touring, the larger luggage area hasn’t affected the car’s ‘lifestyle’ image.  That said, the kerbside appeal of some models is lost thanks to small 16-inch alloy wheels, although ironically the smaller wheels give the 3 Series chassis the most agile and engaging handling.

Buyers looking for more visual aggression will migrate towards the M Sport model, which gets a subtle bodykit, 18-inch alloy wheels and chrome-tipped tailpipes.

Inside, the Touring looks and feels identical to the saloon model. That means you get a logically laid-out dashboard which is angled towards the driver, plus plenty of high-grade materials and impeccable fit and finish. Further highlights include the intuitive iDrive infotainment controller and the comfortable, low-set driving position.

And while the BMW’s interior can’t match the latest Mercedes C-Class for style, it is beautifully built and thoughtfully designed. The 3 Series also comes with a decent amount of standard kit. Climate control, a DAB radio and parking sensors are all included, as is a sat-nav.

All 3 Series Touring models come with BMW Business navigation, working from the excellent iDrive controller between the seats and with mapping presented on a 6.5 inch colour display on top of the dashboard. There’s a DAB tuner too, while the online entertainment function gives you access to millions of streamed tracks via Napster. Other apps will connect you to your emails and social media accounts.

For audiophiles, a Harman Kardon installation is available featuring a 600W amplifier and 16 loudspeakers.

The driving position and front passenger space in the Touring is naturally identical to other 3 Series models, so that means it’s easy to get comfortable. The seats and steering wheel have masses of adjustment, and although the driving position is low-ish that only adds to the sporty feel.

The layout of the controls is intuitive as BMWs always are, and there are plenty of storage spaces dotted around for the family’s bit and pieces – it’s an ideal recipe for long-distance family holidays if you don’t want to drive an MPV or SUV.

The 3 Series Touring has two very obvious rivals in the Audi A4 Avant and the Mercedes C-Class Estate. As the BMW has the most luggage space, it’s perhaps a little surprising that it’s the shortest of the three at 4,624mm – the A4 is 4,717mm and the C-Class 4,702mm. The trio are almost identical for width, and only a few cms apart for roof height. 

The picture isn’t quite as rosy for rear-seat passengers as it is for the two up front. Space is quite tight, although you should be able to get a couple of adults in with minimal complaint . Young family members will have no problems at all.

There are ISOFIX mounting points for a pair of child seats, which you can access quite easily as the doors are reasonably sized.

Compact executive estates aren’t designed for maximum carrying capacity, but the BMW 3 Series Touring performs well. The 495-litre boot is five litres bigger than the Audi A4 Avant’s and 10 litres bigger than the Mercedes C-Class’s.

Unlike the 3 Series saloon, the Touring has a folding rear seat that splits 40:20:40, so the boot is very versatile. With everything folded down, the load space grows to a very decent 1,500 litres.

Other useful items include lashing hooks in the floor, bag hooks, a folding floor divider, cargo net, plus extra hooks so you can divide the boot from the interior whether in five-seat or two-seat modes.

All cars come with a powered boot lid as standard. Another neat feature is the opening glass tailgate – useful for loading small items. And as the BMW comes with run-flat tyres, the space that would be taken up by the spare can be liberated to create a deep hidden compartment beneath the hinged boot floor.

Finishing an impressive 14th, the 3 Series topped the compact executive car rankings in our Driver Power 2014 satisfaction survey, but things took a turn for the worse in the 2015 survey.

The 2015 results put the 3 Series range in 51st place out of 200 cars, while the reliability ranking dropped to 54th. Build quality was rated 75th, so we’ll be watching the direction of travel closely in 2016. The Lexus IS scored first place overall, with a 3rd placing for reliability and build quality.

As a manufacturer, BMW only scored a middling result in the 2015 satisfaction survey – its 14th placing out of 30 rivals puts the ownership experience behind rivals such as Lexus (1st place), Jaguar (2nd), Mercedes (10th) and Audi (13th).

The safety picture is much more positive, as although the Touring model hasn’t been independently tested, the 3 Series saloon on which it is based has been awarded a five-star Euro NCAP rating. Like the saloon, the Touring has a full suite of airbags, plus stability control and tyre pressure warnings as standard. The useful rear parking sensors are standard, too.

A full range of safety-related extras is on offer via the comprehensive options list. However while lane-keeping assistance and blind spot warnings are not to be sniffed at, it’s worth asking yourself if you really need them as they can quickly bump up the price.

In contrast, the optional head-up display, which projects key driver info into the windscreen, is very useful and means you never need to take your eyes off the road.

While the standard BMW warranty cover is only three years, the company offers it with the major benefit of unlimited mileage. Audis are limited to 60,000 miles over the same three year period, but Mercedes offers three years/unlimited mileage cover on its cars, just like BMW.

With a range of fixed-price servicing plans, the 3 Series Touring should be relatively affordable to maintain. However the jury is out on the variable service intervals, which mean you can go up to two years without an oil change. While ideal for fleet managers who only keep cars for two or three years, we’d understand private owners wanting more frequent changes.

Ford Galaxy AWD

Four-wheel drive gives seven-seat Ford Galaxy extra grip for winter weather. As with the S-MAX AWD, the Ford Galaxy AWD is difficult to justify in the UK market due to its higher running costs and purchase price. It’s still good to drive, practical and has plenty of equipment on board, so don’t be put off the seven-seater as a whole. We’d just save some money and go for the front-wheel-drive version instead.

Ford’s all-wheel-drive range continues to expand, with this new Galaxy AWD being added to the line-up just in time for the cold snap to hit most of the UK.

When we drove the S-MAX AWD, we decided it wasn’t worth the extra money over a regular front-wheel-drive model unless you expect to be spending a lot of time in challenging conditions. And unsurprisingly, it’s the same story with the new four-wheel-drive Galaxy, which costs around £1,500 more than the otherwise identical 2WD car.

The extra 58kg added by the AWD system means efficiency takes a hit: the car claims 52.3mpg fuel economy compared to 56.5mpg and 139g/km emissions instead of 129g/km, so it will be more expensive to run. It’s slower, too, getting from 0-62mph in 12.2 seconds compared to 10.9 seconds for the equivalent front-driven version.

Around Ford’s proving ground in Lommel, Belgium, the four-wheel-drive Galaxy served up plenty of grip, even over the slippery cobblestone section. There’s quite a bit of body roll in corners, but that’s to be expected from a large MPV like this – and it’s partially the result of a more comfort-biased suspension set-up. The steering is well weighted, too, and while wind noise at motorway speeds is noticeable, it’s not overly intrusive.

All of this is true of the standard front-wheel-drive car as well, though. The boot capacity is unchanged at 300 litres with all seven seats in place and 1,301 litres with the third row of seats folded flat, which is good news. However, you really don’t get much for your £1,500 extra if most of your driving takes place on normal British roads.

Very few cars in this class have four-wheel drive, so the Galaxy fills a niche where Ford clearly sees potential customers – but for most people we’d recommend the standard front-wheel-drive model, and we’d push those who do want to head off-road in the direction of a Land Rover Discovery Sport.

Key specs

• Model: Ford Galaxy AWD
• Price: £31,945
• Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl diesel
• Power: 148bhp
• Transmission: Six-speed manual, four-wheel drive 
• 0-62mph: 12.2 seconds
• Top speed: 122mph
• Economy/CO2: 52.3mpg/139g/km

BBR Mazda MX-5

Tuning firm BBR makes Mazda MX-5 roadster more powerful and even more fun. Hand over your MX-5 to BBR, and you’ll drive away a car that handles, sounds and performs better than the already brilliant standard model. BBR has managed to keep the Mazda’s famous character intact, but inject the pace and precision customers have been craving. At £1,995, the upgrade comes at a reasonable price, while performance fans will also be pleased to hear that the tuner is working on a 200bhp-plus version. 

The first question on everyone’s lips at the launch of the new Mazda MX-5 was when a faster version would follow. Tuner BBR is usually first to provide the answer, and here it is: the MX-5 BBR Super 190.

BBR has been heating up MX-5s for 25 years, and the Super 190 is the brand’s first go-faster version of the all-new model. As a base, BBR takes the more powerful 158bhp 2.0-litre model (kits are also available for the 1.5-litre) and adds a cold air intake and a stainless steel exhaust. Plus, it tweaks the ECU to produce an additional 32bhp and 32Nm of torque – up to 190bhp and 239Nm. The upgrade costs just £1,995.

It sounds promising, and that’s before you discover that the ride height has been dropped by 30mm, the springs stiffened and wider OZ wheels have been added for extra zip in corners. That shift towards the tarmac gives the car a far meaner look than the standard MX-5 – something that’s also amplified by the alloy wheels’ black finish.

Fire the Mazda up, and the new exhaust system gives a raspier note, but what’s less evident is the impact the shorter and stiffer springs have on ride quality. The car is firmer yet compliant and comfortable, with the excellent damping smoothing out rutted surfaces. It’s rare for such a small trade-off in terms of comfort to bring such huge handling and agility improvements.

Thread the BBR Super 190 through a series of bends, and there’s precious little lean, unlike in the standard car. So, you can use that extra performance to greater effect – delivering more power, more of the time.

The engine is also far keener to rev, and as peak torque now comes in around 1,000rpm sooner (at 3,550rpm), the extra urgency can really be felt – slashing around half a second off the 0-62mph sprint time. Crucially, BBR hasn’t overpowered the MX-5, meaning the roadster holds on to its fine balance and accessible performance.

The only downside is that the upgrade invalidates Mazda’s warranty. BBR will sell you its own for £150 per year, though.

Key specs

• Model: Mazda MX-5 BBR Super 190
• Price: £23,295 + £1,995
• Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl petrol
• Transmission: Six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive 
• 0-62mph: 6.8 seconds (est)
• Top speed: 138mph (est)
• Economy/CO2: 40.9mpg/161g/km

Lexus RX 450h 2016

The new RX has improved over the outgoing model in near enough every way. It’s faster, more efficient and more luxurious, but somehow still manages to miss the spot. This top-spec car is eye-wateringly expensive, and it’s still not as good as rivals from behind the wheel. Still, it’s supremely comfortable, and being able to waft around town in complete silence is a boon. To some, this will be the perfect SUV; but for most, it’s not quite right.

With such a vast range of large premium SUVs now on the market, it’s easy to forget about the hybrid-powered Lexus RX. But late last year, the Japanese brand revealed an all-new version of its 4x4, complete with more aggressive styling, a revised interior and more efficient engines.

At first glance, the new origami design strikes an imposing stance, and the gaping grille stunned crowds when it was revealed at the New York Motor Show last year. But back in Britain – with a number plate fastened to the front – it’s lost some of its impact

Inside, the RX has taken a leap upmarket. The old car wasn’t exactly shabby, but this 2016 model raises the game. There’s leather everywhere you look, and the intersecting dash is an improvement on the comparatively mundane set-up you’ll find in the smaller NX. The widescreen nav looks great, too; it’s just a shame you have to operate it using the fiddly mouse-style controller. The interior isn’t as resolved as the new Volvo XC90’s, but it’s not far off.

Even the steering wheel feels plusher than than in the NX. You can see the creases in the high-quality leather, and the big buttons feel logically laid out. The analogue clock is another recognisable Lexus touch, and it adds yet more class.

The seats are supremely comfortable, too. They offer plenty of support and are adjustable in countless different directions. The wheel is also electrically adjustable, making finding the perfect driving position very easy. Granted, there’s not as much room in the back or in the boot due to that slightly sloping roofline, but knee and legroom are up to class standard.

Given the strong first impressions, we were expecting a transformation in the way the RX drives. The car is available with a choice of turbocharged petrol or V6 hybrid powerplants, and we tried the latter here in the UK for the first time.

Fire it up, and you’ll hear, well, nothing. The powerful electric motor allows you to pull away in silence, plus it will continue for a couple of miles on electric power alone. This makes the car impressively efficient around town, and despite its bulbous dimensions, the Lexus doesn’t feel too cumbersome.

On the open road, however, the RX’s comfort-orientated drive makes its presence known. It feels soft at high speeds, and while that’s great on the motorway, it’s less welcome on twisty roads. The steering is sharp enough, enabling you to place the SUV with a pleasing amount of precision.

The CVT box has improved, too. The more powerful V6 petrol engine makes it feel less strained than before, and the superior shove means you spend less time with your foot on the floor trying to haul around its two-tonne kerb weight. It’s very quiet at 70mph, with little wind or road noise – even on our Premier model’s 20-inch wheels.

However, the impressive urban fuel economy takes a serious hit on longer trips. While Lexus claims you’ll return upwards of 50mpg, we managed a poor 29mpg over a mixture of motorways and A-roads. A conventional diesel-powered BMW X5 xDrive30d will regularly deliver 35-40mpg. 

It’s a different story when it comes to CO2 emissions, though. Company car drivers favouring the Lexus will be subject to a 20 per cent Benefit in Kind charge; those choosing the BMW would be looking at the comparatively high 29 per cent tax bracket.

Yet it’s hard to ignore the near-£60,000 list price of this 450h Premier. Sure, it comes loaded with kit – including a heated steering wheel, LED headlamps and a 15-speaker Mark Levinson stereo – but so does an Audi Q7 S line, and that costs £4,000 less.

 

Key specs

• Model: Lexus RX 450h Premier
• Price: £57,995
• Engine: 3.5-litre V6 hybrid
• Power: 308bhp
• Transmission: Electric CVT, four-wheel drive 
• 0-62mph: 7.7 seconds
• Top speed: 124mph
• Economy/CO2: 51.4mpg/127g/km
• On sale: Now

Mazda CX-5

The Mazda CX-5 is a good-looking, reliable crossover that's solidly built, reasonably efficient and fun to drive. One of the very best crossovers you can buy, the Mazda CX-5 is well made, really enjoyable to drive and good-looking too. Recent upgrades have improved the interior ambience and upped the technology levels so it's now on a par with rivals.

The interior isn't quite as spacious as the most practical crossovers and compact 4x4's but that doesn't stop the CX-5 serving as a fine family car. The engine range is smaller than you'll find elsewhere but there isn't a bad unit amongst them and this helps confirm the Mazda CX-5 as the driver's choice in this market.

The Mazda CX-5 was launched at a time when the company was losing money. But bosses gambled on a new platform, new engines and new lightweight, low-friction SkyActiv technology - and it really paid off. The crossover combined all three to brilliant effect, while bringing some driving fun to this class of the market. It can be credited with transforming Mazda's fortunes and around 800,000 sales later, it's helpedput the company back in the black.

Essentially, the CX-5 replaced the short-lived Mazda CX-7 - an SUV that was gorgeous to look at and great to drive, but hamstrung for much of its life by the lack of a competitive diesel engine. Few buyers wanted a tall family 4x4 with a turbocharged 2.3-litre petrol engine.

So the driving force behind the CX-5 was a determination not to make the same mistake twice, and this explains why Mazda went to so much trouble, with so much new technology, to get it right.

At launch, Mazda talked about this SUV carrying over some of the DNA of the MX-5 sports roadster. That's stretching things somewhat, although the company's engineers have given the crossover similarly sharp steering and a fun-to-use, slick-shifting manual gearbox. The result is that the CX-5 puts handling agility far higher up its list of priorities than most of its rivals in this class.

A mid-life update brought with it more small tweaks than wholesale changes, but there have been useful improvements to items such as the infotainment system, a boost in the quality of the materials used in the cabin and extra features such as piercing LED headlamps. Buyers have a simple choice of three engines and three specs - SE-L Nav, SE-L Lux Nav and Sport Nav - and all three come with a generous level of equipment as standard.

Mazda would like you to believe that it modelled the CX-5's driving dynamics on those of its evergreen MX-5 roadster, but realistically there isn't very much a family-sized crossover can share with a sporty two-seater soft-top - apart from perhaps the 'X-5' in their names.

Yet that's not to say the CX-5 isn't good to drive; in fact it's one of the most involving choices in its class. The steering is fluid, accurate, and full of feedback, while the suspension manages to soak up bumps without the trade-off of body roll in corners. The best test of this crossover's abilities is to drive one on an unfamiliar back road in bad weather - the sheer balance and poise on offer ensures the CX-5 inspires confidence behind the wheel like no rival.

Mazda offers only three engine options: one petrol and two diesels. Happily, the best engine in the CX-5 is also the greenest. The 148bhp 2.2-litre SkyActiv-D diesel is smooth, quiet and (thanks to its low-friction and low compression ratio design) generally economical.

We say generally because it's an easy engine to push beyond its impressively efficient comfort zone, but this model will take you further between filling station stops than the 173bhp 2.2-litre diesel or the 163bhp 2.0-litre petrol.

That means there's not much to be gained from upgrading to the more powerful diesel engine. It's only fractionally quicker from 0-62mph, yet is significantly thirstier than the 148bhp 2.2-litre SkyActiv-D.

Don't discount the 2.0-litre SkyActiv-G petrol by default though. While it will certainly get through more fuel than the diesels, it's around £4,000 cheaper to buy up front in base SE-L Nav trim. You'd have to cover quite a few miles in the diesels to cancel out that price difference with filling station stops.

Plus, the petrol engine revs sweetly and silently, even compared to the impressively smooth diesels. Certainly anyone who does most of their driving around town should consider it carefully, as this kind of use won't be getting the SkyActiv-D engines up to the kind of temperature to perform at their best.

The whole point of Mazda's SkyActiv programme was to make its cars as light and as strong as possible, and its engines as frugal as they could be, all in the pursuit of lower emissions and improved economy, as well as decent dynamics.

Early examples of the CX-5 struggled to meet their official efficiency figures, but over time Mazda has kept improving the engines - especially the diesels. The result is a car that is now noticeably more economical than it used to be.

Although the official figure of 61mph for the 148bhp 2.2-litre diesel is still a little unrealistic for everyday use, drivers can set 50mpg as a reasonable target. That's much better than the first CX-5s, which barely managed 40mpg in the real world, leaving them trailing most of the competition.

Of course, you still need to drive the crossover gently to achieve these figures - and it can be difficult to resist the 148bhp diesel's punchy nature, thanks to its 380Nm torque output. But press on and you'll start to notice the fuel gauge plummeting. That's even more the case for the higher-spec diesel, with its 173bhp power and 420Nm torque figures; it claims 54.3mpg officially.

While the 2.0-litre petrol engine is often unfairly ignored in favour of the diesels, it's far more frugal than you might think. Owners can realistically expect to achieve around 35mpg, and if you do most of your driving at low speeds around town, it's the better choice.

The SkyActiv-G is not only quieter and smoother, it also brings no concerns about a particulate filter getting clogged if you don't do enough high-speed driving, unlike the diesels. Road tax is currently £80 more expensive than for the 148bhp 2.2-litre SkyActiv-D, but a saving of around £4,000 on the price rather puts that into perspective.

Critics of the interior design of the CX-5 think it looks a little too dark and gloomy, while fans praise the high-quality fixtures and fittings and call the layout classy.

Either way, things have improved further since Mazda carried out its mid-life update, which brought various tweaks inside the CX-5. Some of the overly cheap plastics that plagued early models have been banished, while there are now clearer, more expensive-looking main instruments and a new central infotainment screen that's bursting with added technology. Little touches make a difference too - changing the background lighting of the heating and air-conditioning controls from orange to white adds a little more class, for example.

You could still accuse the cabin of being a touch too plain in its looks, but for most customers this won't be important. The crucial thing is the incredibly solid construction. You get a strong sense of quality sitting inside the CX-5, and that inspires confidence in the car's long-term reliability.

While there aren't many of the soft-touch surfaces that you'll find in more premium rivals, all the controls have a solid feel. It would be nice if Mazda jazzed the cabin up a touch, but if the trade-off for a sombre feel is a sensible layout and a high-quality finish, it seems like one worth making.

You did have to peer a bit at the old CX-5's smaller infotainment screen, but the newer seven-inch unit, shared the Mazda 6 and Mazda 3, is now far better and simpler to use, too. The rotary controller between the seats and steering wheel buttons have taken obvious inspiration from BMW's iDrive system in that regard.

The new set-up comes with satellite navigation as standard on all models, and the update brings Facebook and Twitter integration, plus internet radio streaming and DAB. You can even set it up to read out and respond to text messages on your mobile phone.

It's not that the CX-5 isn't spacious - there's reasonable room in the front and back seats, as well as the boot. It's more that the SUV bodystyle leaves you expecting it to be a little bigger on the inside than it is; climb aboard, and you can't help being a little disappointed.

At 4.5 metres long, the Mazda CX-5 sits somewhere between the SUV and crossover classes. It's larger and more substantial than the Nissan Qashqai and Skoda Yeti, about the same size as the Ford Kuga and Hyundai Tucson, and smaller than the Honda CR-V.

That means a trim kerbweight of 1,600kg for the two-wheel-drive diesel models, thanks in no small part to the SkyActiv programme that focuses on the weight of the car as much as on the engines and chassis. Mazda was one of the first companies to realise that to make significant weight savings you had to trim mere grams out of every component where possible. Small changes add up to big ones when you put them all together.

Mazda treats its front and rear passengers to more or less equal legroom in the CX-5, but it never feels like quite enough. It's spacious enough for a growing family, however, and kids in the back won't start complaining about head or legroom until they're well into their teens. Still, there is noticeably less space in every direction than in a Honda CR-V, for example, and the more compact Nissan Qashqai and Skoda Yeti aren't far behind either.

Mazda is rumoured to be looking at the potential for a bigger CX-7, with space for seven seats. With desirable models like the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento enjoying success in this market, such a car is likely to prove a hit.

At least the boot is a decent size - a capacity of 503 litres with the seats in place gives the Mazda CX-5 a significant advantage over the Ford Kuga and Nissan Qashqai. It's well beaten by the 589-litre load space in the similarly priced Honda CR-V, though.

The seats in the CX-5 are easy to tumble forwards simply by pulling a handle in the boot - this folding mechanism is called Kakakuri and was pioneered on the 2001 Mazda 6 saloon. However even when the seats are down in the CX-5 the load floor isn't completely flat.

The CX-5 should be a dependable car. Most models in the Mazda range have a great reliability record, so it was a surprise to see the SUV languishing down in 87th place in the reliability category of the Auto Express Driver Power satisfaction survey. The car finished 64th out of 200 cars overall, and we would have expected to see it ranking higher up the charts.

Even so, we'd be surprised if a CX-5 gave you much bother in reliability terms - perhaps the car was held back by owners criticism of the cheap cabin trim and fiddly infotainment system. Both of these were addressed by Mazda as part of the 2015 facelift.

Buyers should certainly have no worries on the safety front. The CX-5 was awarded a five-star crash test rating by Euro NCAP, which included an impressive score of 94 per cent for adult occupant protection. Mazda has also been one of the pioneers of fitting camera and radar-based braking systems, which respond automatically when they detect cars or pedestrians. All CX-5's come as standard with a set-up that can apply the brakes at speeds of up to 20mph if it detects an imminent collision.

Optional safety equipment includes lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, rear parking sensors that warn of passing traffic when you're reversing out of a space and adaptive anti-dazzle LED headlights. That braking system can be a bit hyperactive, though - try gently pulling up to something like a car park barrier and watch it go beserk.

Mazda's standard warranty runs for three years or 60,000 miles, and it currently doesn't offer customers an option to increase that. included in the package is a three year paintwork warranty and 12-year anti-perforation cover, though.

There's also the Mazda Accident Aftercare scheme, which sees the company liaise with your insurer in the event of an accident, making certain drivers have access to a courtesy car if they need one and ensuring that all repairs are carried out to Mazda's exacting standards.

Mazda recommends servicing the CX-5 every 12,500 miles or 12 months, whichever arrives first. And owners can kep track of their cars maintenance schedule via the online and app-based My Mazda programme; this also stores your service history digitally. In addition, the company offers a fixed-price maintenance plan, which covers all scheduled servicing parts and labour for the first three years or 37,500 miles. Prices start from £499, depending on the model.

Citroen C4 Picasso

The mid-sized Citroen C4 Picasso combines style, practicality, efficiency and comfort in a very tempting, family friendly package. The C4 Picasso is a fine example of Citroen doing MPVs well. It’s one of the most spacious and economical mid-sized people carriers on the market and it’s also an interesting looking car with a futuristic interior.

The most efficient model in the range, the BlueHDi 100 diesel, claims 74.3mpg fuel economy and CO2 emissions of 99g/km – astonishing figures for a car of this size. The Citroen is also impeccably refined and comfortable, so if you take all of that into account, it does everything a family car should do well.

Also available is a seven-seat Grand C4 Picasso, which will appeal to larger families who need more space.

Citroen used the Picasso name for the first time in 1999 when it launched its big-selling original compact people carrier, called the Xsara Picasso. The model then became part of the C4 family car range in 2006, when it was badged as the C4 Picasso.

That car remained on sale for seven years, with both the five-seater C4 Picasso and seven-seater C4 Grand Picasso proving popular, and was only replaced by an all-new model in 2013. The seven-seater version of the latest car, the Grand C4 Picasso, went on to be crowned Best MPV at the Auto Express New Car Awards 2014.

Citroen offers a wide range of efficient petrol and diesel engines in the current car, and the entry-level PureTech 130 model has a small, three-cylinder petrol turbo that delivers low running costs and strong performance. It’s only available with the basic VTR and VTR+ trims, but it’s a great little engine and also comes fitted with Citroen’s S&S stop/start system as standard.

Elsewhere in the range you’ll find a 98bhp BlueHDi 100 diesel, with emissions as low as 99g/km for free road tax, as well as a more powerful 118bhp version, which is a great all-rounder. Top-spec cars also get the option of a 148bhp HDi diesel and a 163bhp THP petrol engine. The latter is only available with Citroen’s EAT6 automatic gearbox.

Trims range from the basic VTR, through VTR+, Exclusive and Exclusive+, while the mid-spec Picasso Selection is a special edition that comes loaded with extra standard kit such as a panoramic roof.

The latest C4 Picasso was the first car to be based on PSA Peugeot-Citroen’s EMP2 platform. This new technology helps reduce the car’s weight by 140kg to a total of just 1,252kg – the same as the smaller C3 Picasso, which sits below the C4 Picasso in Citroen’s range.

In recent years, Citroen has undergone something of a rebirth, and is once again producing quirky cars that receive widespread acclaim. The C4 Picasso is a fine example of this. The egg shape of the original remains, but the distinctive front end sets the latest car apart from more conservative alternatives in the MPV class.

And inside, there’s a high-quality finish that allows the C4 Picasso to take on upmarket rivals such as the Volkswagen Golf SV and Ford C-MAX, although it also occupies a similar area of the market to the Vauxhall Zafira Tourer, the Renault Scenic, the Mazda 5 and the Toyota Verso.

Citroen’s cars have always tended to be comfortable, and the C4 Picasso upholds that reputation. There’s very little road, engine or wind noise at any speed – even on the motorway – and the soft, supportive seats make it an even more relaxed car to drive.

It suffers from a fair amount of body roll in corners, which is to be expected from a big MPV with soft suspension, but the C4 Picasso isn’t what you’d call an engaging car to drive. There’s not much feedback from the steering, while the five and six-speed manual gearboxes (it varies depending on the model) are a bit on the notchy side and don’t have a particularly fluid action. The Ford C-MAX is way ahead in terms of fun, but the Citroen serves up plenty of grip and is easy and relaxed to drive.

Elsewhere, the panoramic windscreen and thin A-pillars offer unparalleled visibility, although the multitude of controls on the steering wheel can be a touch confusing. 

The basic 128bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine is actually one of the best. Even though it has only three cylinders, it’s hushed around town and punchy enough on the open road – making overtaking simple and straightforward. Specify this PureTech model in VTR trim, and it’s also the cheapest C4 Picasso to buy, plus it’s quicker from 0-62mph than all but the most powerful diesel and petrol versions, taking 10.1 seconds.

Although the 98bhp 1.6-litre BlueHDi 100 diesel has the lowest CO2 emissions and best fuel economy in the range, it isn’t much of a performer. It’s quite sluggish in comparison to the other models in the range, covering 0-62mph in 12.7 seconds, and as you have to push the engine a bit to get the car moving, this takes the edge off the Citroen’s otherwise excellent refinement.

The 118bhp version of the same engine is a much better bet – it’s still very economical but is much more flexible, with a lot more pulling power, and is capable of 0-62mph in 11.3 seconds.

At the top of the range is a 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine, known as the BlueHDi 150. Although this isn’t quite as frugal as the 1.6-litre versions, it’s still very cheap to run and quite a bit faster, with plenty of mid-range pull and a 0-62mph time of 9.7 seconds.

The fastest C4 Picasso of the lot is the 163bhp 1.6-litre THP petrol, which claims 8.4 seconds for the benchmark sprint. But it’s only available as an automatic and is by far the most expensive version to run, so it doesn’t make a great deal of sense in an MPV such as this.

The most efficient C4 Picasso is the BlueHDi 100. According to Citroen’s official figures, this model returns 74.3mpg fuel economy and emits just 99g/km of CO2 – no mean feat for such a large car.

Our choice would be the BlueHDi 120, though – this more powerful diesel model is still exempt from road tax as it emits 100g/km of CO2, yet it feels much faster day-to-day and promises an identical 74.3mpg. The most potent diesel C4 Picasso, the BlueHDi 150, is barely any less efficient, as it’s capable of 70.6mpg and 102g/km. That puts it in tax band B, which means annual road tax bills of just £20.

Buyers who are watching the pennies on running costs shouldn’t discount the petrol models, though. Even the brilliant PureTech 130 will return 56.5mpg and emits just 115g/km of CO2; that means road tax band C, which costs £30 a year. If you spend most your time in town, this is the car we’d go for.

The most expensive and most powerful C4 Picasso THP 165 emits 130g/km or 134g/km depending on the trim, and claims 50.4mpg or 48.7mpg fuel economy, so it’s the least efficient model by a long way.

If you thought MPVs were boring, the C4 Picasso might just change your mind, as Citroen has adopted a bold, modern look for the car.

The high-set chevron grille and LED running lights are combined with small headlamps and a wide lower air intake that give the C4 Picasso’s rounded nose a futuristic appearance that certainly stands out compared to some of the less adventurous choices in this market. Think of the front end of any of Citroen’s recent concept cars, and you’ll be half right.

The C4 Picasso’s rear end is a little less avant-garde – it’s not that dissimilar to the previous-generation model’s – but overall it fits well with the rest of the car.

Citroen’s smart use of glass on the C4 Picasso adds to the space-aged feel established by the front end, and the C-shaped silver window trim looks like something from one of the upmarket DS models.

Styling cues from the DS range have also been carried over to the interior of the C4 Picasso. The dashboard is a simple mixture of curves and angles, and has a centrally mounted instrument binnacle.

The touchscreen centre console has a high-quality feel that helps the C4 Picasso take the fight to rivals from Ford and Volkswagen, and it ensures the dash stays clutter-free. The steering wheel, however, can seem a little complex, as it has a lot of buttons to navigate.

In general, the C4 Picasso is well screwed together, while it features decent-quality plastics and comfortable seats. All models come with a panoramic windscreen that extends to just above the front seats, although blinds can be used to block out intrusive sunlight.

Citroen adds to the car’s airy and relaxed atmosphere by making good use of a large glass area that includes quarterlight windows in the A-pillars; these give the car a sense of space its rivals can’t match.

The space-aged look continues inside the C4 Picasso, and the central touchscreen system is large and clear. Exclusive and Exclusive+ models also get a bigger screen set into the top of the dash that displays other information such as speed and range. The only frustration is that the touchscreen is fiddly and can occasionally be unresponsive – so despite its clarity, it isn’t the most intuitive system and can take a while to navigate.

All models from the basic VTR upwards come with Bluetooth, plus auxiliary and USB connections, and while standard sat-nav is reserved for Exclusive and Exclusive+ models, it’s an option on the VTR+, which is the second rung on the spec ladder.

Interior storage is yet another strong point for the Citroen. There’s a large bin under the centre console, complete with a 12V power supply and USB socket, as well as underfloor cubbyholes in the rear footwells, drawers under the front seats, deep door bins and lots of cup-holders. Unfortunately, as with many Citroen models (and French cars in general), a big fusebox renders the glove compartment almost useless.

Top-spec Exclusive+ models get individual climate controls in the rear, built-in roller blinds in the back doors and an extra ‘conversation mirror’ that allows the driver and front passenger to keep an eye on children seated behind them. Also included are picnic tables that fold out of the front seatbacks.

The C4 Picasso is a five-seater, but if you need to carry more passengers then there’s always the Grand C4 Picasso, which is essentially a seven-seat version of the same car.

The C4 Picasso is 4,428mm long, 1,826mm wide and 1,625mm tall. That makes it significantly longer than the Ford C-MAX, and about as wide and tall. It’s also longer and wider than the Volkswagen Touran.

Unlike many of its rivals, the Picasso gets a trio of identically sized seats in the back rather than a smaller central seat, so it can accommodate three Isofix child seat mountings. Adults will find plenty of leg and headroom, while the completely flat floor means more space for feet, so it’s very roomy, even for an MPV.

At the rear, the clamshell tailgate lifts out of the way (electrically on all but the basic VTR) to reveal a wide opening and low load lip. Boot space can be extended from 537 to 630 litres by sliding the rear bench forward, while folding the seats down presents a completely flat load area and a vast, 1,851-litre capacity. The boot light also doubles as a neat, handheld rechargeable torch.

The Citroen comfortably outdoes the Ford C-MAX in terms of boot space, as that provides 432 litres, although the Volkswagen Touran offers 695 litres and a huge 1,989 litres with its rear seats folded flat.

Citroen finished in 20th place overall in the manufacturers’ chart of our Driver Power 2015 satisfaction survey. While that doesn’t sound great, it’s six places up on its 2014 ranking. Owners praised the brand’s brilliant running costs, with poor scores for build quality, performance, road handling and ease of driving letting the side down.

The C4 Picasso placed 77^th in the Driver Power top 200 – comfortably in the top half of the individual model chart – with owners ranking it highly for practicality, ride quality, seat comfort and, of course, running costs.

Euro NCAP awarded the car five stars in its independent crash tests, and all models have six airbags, stability control and a speed limiter. The top-spec Exclusive+ trim level adds the likes of adaptive cruise control, forward collision alert and blind-spot monitoring. Lane-departure warning and adaptive headlamps are part of the £300 optional Serenity Pack, while surround-view cameras are £450 more.

The Citroen C4 Picasso comes with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty. That’s the same level of cover as you get with direct rivals such as the Ford C-MAX and Volkswagen Touran, but the Renault Scenic and Toyota Verso MPVs offer longer warranties. You get a four-year/100,000-mile package with the Renault and a five-year/unlimited mileage guarantee with the Toyota.

Citroen recommends servicing petrol versions of the C4 Picasso every year or 20,000 miles. Diesels also need attention annually, with the 1.6-litre HDi models’ service intervals set at 16,000 miles and the 2.0-litre versions’ at 20,000 miles.

Pre-paid maintenance plans for new Citroens or models up to a year old that have yet to have their first service cost £400 or £11.11 a month. That buys the scheduled services for three years and up to 35,000 miles. For cars over three years old, a basic check-up costs £115 and a full service sets you back £195. Citroen also offers bundle deals with annual MoT tests, so owners can pay £149 for a basic service with an MoT or £229 for a full service and an MoT.