06/04/10

1: Volkswagen Golf
Price £14,850-£22,750
Looking for a classy small hatchback? It has to be a Golf. Nothing else of its size comes close. And,best of all, it will lose value more slowly than most to keep overall ownership costs low. Interiors set the standards for low-fuss smartness while equipment levels are now impressively high. Cabin space is good and it’s packed with little details that make owning one a pleasure – such as softly damped help-you-out handles in the roof and (if you buy a SE model) a bottle opener in the tray between the front seats. And where previous Golfs felt woolly, this latest one is sharp and composed to drive. Now that the Mk6 is firmly established as a top-selling new car, prices are easing for second-hand examples of the  Mk5 - making them fantastic buys. Verdict *****
 

2: Ford Focus
Price £17,945-£23,695
Just pips the Golf to clinch the honours as the best-to-drive here, but sits a beat behind for looks, equipment and cabin quality. The Focus is also noisier than the VW at speed. Meanwhile, recent price rises means it costs more than the Golf. It’s very inexpensive to run, though, and reliable and safe. Servicing and spare parts are cheap enough to offer big savings over rivals’. There’s a huge range to choose from, of which the mid-spec Zetec and LX diesels are the pick. A new Focus will be with us soon, promising Golf-beating refinement. At current low prices, Focuses make terrific second-hand buys. Verdict ****

3: Vauxhall Astra
Price £16,275-£23,865
All-new car is heaps better than the five-year-old design that it replaced. It's now much better to drive - as good as the Golf and nipping at the heels of the Ford Focus, which is the best of its size and type. But the biggest surprise is the cabin, which is now among the classier in its part of the market - all high quality plastics, soft-finish metal inlays and piano-black finishing in the higher trim SE models. It's roomy, competitively priced and a reasonable looker. But it ds no better than third here because the latest Golf is simply such a classy and mature all-rounder that's easy to own in so many ways. The Focus, meanwhile, is showing its age now but still remains the most satisfying to cover ground in. The Astra is really pretty good - it's just that its rivals are truly exceptional. Verdict ****