The Twingo is Renault's attempt to crack the retro small car market, but it didn't quite work. The previous model wasn't made in right-hand drive form, so it never officially came to the UK, but its cute looks and popularity in France gained it a cult following. more...

The Modus and Grand Modus are comfortable and very easy to drive. Like the Scenic and Grand Scenic people carriers, they offer buyers the choice between a more compact version and a larger model with additional space and more practicality. more...

The Laguna estate is roomy, refined and highly practical. It doesn't quite have the space or reliability of rivals like the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer or the Ford Mondeo estate, but it is easier to manage thanks to its slightly more compact dimensions and it's extremely comfortable. more...

Comfort, refinement and value are what the Renault Laguna does well. It lacks the all round ability, the badge appeal and the solid reliability history of heavyweight rivals like the Ford Mondeo and the Volkswagen Passat, but the current version is much better than any older Laguna. more...

The Laguna Coupe represents a big change from its hatchback and estate siblings - it's very handsome and distinctive. There's a lot of standard equipment with this two-door Laguna but it is considerably more expensive than the affordable standard Laguna on which it's based. more...

If you can't find a Renault Clio to suit you then you're not looking hard enough. The French rival to Ford's Fiesta is offered in either three- or five-door body styles, with the choice of engines encompassing everything from an inexpensive 75bhp 1.2-litre petrol choice, to a feisty 2.0-litre sporting flagship with 200bhp. more...

Jaguar decided that its latest luxury saloon should be completely different to the old XJ - a car that had stayed virtually the same for over four decades. The latest XJ has styling that's more flamboyant than rivals from Mercedes and BMW, and it's designed to be more fun to drive than them too. more...

The Jaguar XF saloon replaced the accomplished, but distinctly dated, S-Type in 2008. It replaced the S-Type's retro looks with thoroughly modern styling though retained its predecessors' engine line-up and chassis. more...

Honda first used the Insight name on a sporty two-door coupé made from 1999 to 2006, but the model launched in 2009 is a completely different car. It's now a practical five-door hatchback. more...

No car on the road is quite like the quirky BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo (GT) hatchback. It's built for space and comfort, and it has a 'twin hinged' boot lid that makes it easier to load small items, while allowing the entire rear screen to be lifted up for extra accessibility. more...

BMW's 5-Series saloon has long been the default choice for business buyers looking for a sporting, executive model. That's still the case, though BMW's focus on the environment is clear with its fuel consumption and emissions improving 'EfficientDynamics' technology. more...

BMW updated the 3-Series Coupé in 2010, though the changes are very subtle. Compared to the 3-Series Saloon, practicality is compromised by the Coupé's low roofline (and its two-door and four-seat layout), but it's still nearly as spacious. more...

When BMW launched the 1-Series it decided to leave blandness at the door, giving its hatchback unusual, swoopy, love it or hate it styling. It also focussed more on fun driving characteristics and design than space and practicality. more...

The Touareg was originally launched in 2003 and then significantly updated in 2010. It's more of a tall luxury car than a serious off-road machine, though it has the capability to tackle more extreme conditions than most drivers will ever experience. more...

The Tiguan looks like a 4x4 and has some off-road ability, but it's made with city roads and motorways in mind. It is designed to offer the benefits enjoyed by 4x4 owners - a high, commanding driving position, cabin space, and a feeling of safety - while being relatively compact. more...

For a classy supermini look no further. The Volkswagen Polo seems to have it all: good looks, a high quality interior, plenty of space and sensible pricing. If it falls down on one area it's the driving experience, which just isn't as much fun as some of its supermini rivals. more...

There's not much to excite about the Volkswagen Passat, but it's a solidly built saloon that doesn't do a lot wrong. It's spacious, well equipped across the range, and all the plastics you'll touch in the cabin are good quality. more...

While the Passat Estate doesn't have the most spacious cargo area among its rivals, you'd still call it a very practical car. more...

The Passat CC, which stands for 'Comfort Coupe', elevates itself above the Passat saloon by way of a sleek, rakish design and high level of standard equipment. And although its low, wide stance might make it look impractical, the four-door 'coupe' has got all the legroom of the saloon and a boot very nearly as big. more...

The Jetta is a bit of an anomaly in the UK car market being a hatchback based saloon. It's based on Volkswagen's previous Golf rather than the current model. That does mean it drives well and has an interior that's better than all its mainstream rivals, but it's difficult to ascertain exactly what those rivals are. more...

The Golf Plus occupies a quite specific area in the Volkswagen range: it's for family buyers looking for a taller, larger-booted Golf. It shares its looks with the hatchback, but gains some height and adds flexibility to the package, with rear seats that not only fold, but slide too. more...

For a classy hatchback look no further. The Golf exudes quality and badge appeal. That's not just perceived either; it's reflected in stronger resale values when you sell it. more...

For those wanting the classy looks, solid build and refinement of the Golf hatchback in a more practical package Volkswagen produces the Golf Estate. The spacious boot increases the carrying capacity of the Golf significantly, the space growing from 350 litres in the hatchback to 505 litres in the Estate. more...

The Fox is Volkswagen's attempt at 'cheap and cheerful' city motoring, and it's by some way the cheapest car in VW's range. The cabin isn't very cheerful, though, featuring lots of hard, dark plastic and quite a plain design. more...

There's no lack of boxy people carrier rivals for the seven-seat S-Max, but none feel as compact and nimble behind the wheel. That's not to say it's cramped though, as there's loads of head- and legroom in the cabin. And though the two rearmost seats are for children only, they fold flat easily and reveal a big boot. more...