Verdict
The small family hatchback segment is one of the most popular, so the stakes are high to get things right. Hyundai achieved exactly that with the i30, which is good to drive, well made, well equipped and keenly priced. Yes, the Golf beat the i30 in a twin test that we ran last year, but it was a close match, with the Hyundai trumping the VW in a few areas.

You could be forgiven for overlooking the Lexus ES, because it has never sold in big numbers and it’s easily overshadowed by more obvious executive saloons. But this is a car that’s worth a closer look if you want a luxurious model that’s reasonable value for money and offers peerless reliability.It’s not all good news, though, because when we pitted an ES 300h against a Mercedes E 200 and a Genesis G80 back in 2021, the Lexus came last because of its disappointing infotainment and performance, plus a cabin that couldn’t compete with its German and Korean rivals.

Verdict

As Suzuki’s biggest-selling car, getting the Vitara right was crucial to the firm’s success, and it’s fair to say that this was achieved. We ran a Vitara 1.6 DDSiS for 10 months and over 11,000 miles in 2016 and we loved it, even if the diesel engine was a bit agricultural. But the space, comfort and wealth of standard equipment soon won us over.

When the original Cee’d was unveiled in 2006, the idea of it competing with the Golf would have been laughable, but now the Kia is more desirable than VW’s evergreen family car in some ways. You get the same VW-like build quality but at a lower price, and while the Ceed is no longer cheap as such, you still get a lot of car for your money.

More drivers than ever before are considering a switch to electric. While 2022 energy prices are also on the up, driving an electric car is definitely still cheaper than running a conventional car. The trade-off is the time sacrifice, waiting for the vehicle to recharge. In some cases, however, a 40-minute stop can save £40, which is not to be sniffed at.