71
Subaru Outback
Sorry to come over all The Economist at this point, but the reason that Subaru sells very few Outbacks (the Legacy moniker has been dropped for our market) is the strength of the Japanese Yen. Unlike such as Toyota, Honda and Nissan, Subaru has never opened a European factory, so all of our Outbacks have to come from Japan with attendant exchange rate horrors. Which is a shame, as this is a hugely capable, comfortable, characterful 4x4 estate that will potentially provide decades of unflappable reliability and more go-anywhere ability than a garage full of Land Rovers. If only it were a few thousand cheaper. As it is, it's more expensive than an equivalent Audi A4 Allroad.
Best buy: 2.0D SE Premium
Price range: €40,995 to €48,995
CO2 emissions range: 145 to 159g/km
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/IBISRNBSGOPVVXKW3JZI67MCMI.jpg)
72
Renault Twingo
Now, this is a classic case of letting your heart rule your head. If you really want a small city car, then the sensible part of your brain says it's best to buy a VW Up or a Hyundai i10. And your sensible brain will be right. But, there's a wacky, brightly-coloured part of your brain that will just fall completely in love with the Twingo and might not let go. It's really cute to look at, almost Fiat 500 cute and, best of all, the engine is in the back, under the boot, just like a Playskool Porsche. That makes no difference at all to the handling, and actually shrinks the boot considerably, but the Twingo has enough character to bridge the gap. It's fun, it's funky and you should ignore your internal accountant and get one. Wait till you see the turning circle.
Best buy: SCe 70 Play
Price range: €13,990 to €16,590
CO2 emissions range: 95 to 105g/km
73
Toyota Yaris
As staid and as sensible as modern motoring gets, the Yaris has a great deal to recommend it (space, quality, comfort) but it's the small car from which any semblance of fun has been surgically removed. Which is not to say it's a bad car, far from it – it will doubtless provide unbroken decades of service with maximum reliability, there's far more space in its back seats than there is in most rivals' and it does have, in the shape of its 1.0-litre VVTI petrol engine, one of the best small car engines around. Even the hybrid, once a hateful driving experience, has been improved. You just wish that Toyota could have found some sort of fun in there somewhere.
Best buy: 1.0 VVTi manual Luna
Price range: €14,995 to €20,640
CO2 emissions range: 75 to 114g/km
74
Mercedes-Benz SL
Far better suited to the broad boulevards and winding corniches of the Cote D'Azur, an SL manages to look slightly incongruous in a damp and dreary Irish city centre. You just know it was made for greater things than this. Still, there's no denying the excellence of the engineering on offer. Yes, you can spec it up with monstrously expensive and monstrously powerful AMG V8 engine, but anyone who says they really need more grunt than is provided by the 4.7 turbo V8 SL500 is either mad or a liar. What the SL does brilliantly though is to balance the conflicting demands of refinement and entertainment. One minute its an effortless long-distance express, more private jet than car; the next it's attacking sweeping passes like some kind of turbocharged mountain goat. The S-Class Coupe may attract more headlines (and buyers) but the SL has the badge and the ability to beat it.
Best buy: SL500
Price range: €155,750 to €269,050
CO2 emissions range: 179 to 231g/km
75
BMW 7 Series
The 7 Series has long lived in the shadow of the mighty Mercedes S-Class and in spite of all of BMW's efforts at updating the latest model, frankly we don't see that changing too much. Apart from anything, it just looks too much like the old model – where's the old shoot-for-the- moon BMW styling bravery? It is exceptionally high tech though – even the key has its own touch-screen – and the engines are just lovely. The handling has lost a little of its old edge though, in the search for more S-Class-like refinement, but it's still the drivers' choice in the luxury car segment.
Best buy: 730d
Price range: €96,030 to €125,000
CO2 emissions range: 124 to 164g/km
76
Mazda CX-5
About as good as mid-size crossovers get, the CX-5 really benefits from Mazda's decision to trim as much weight as possible from its vehicles under the "SkyActiv" programme. The CX-5 feels really light and agile for one so big, and on a wet and unfamiliar road, there are few cars as reassuring and responsive. The big 2.2-litre diesel has exceptionally good CO2 figures, and it's wonderfully grunty, but you'll pay at the pumps – low-40s mpg is realistically the best you can expect from it. Cabin is still a little plain, despite recent updates, but it's comfy and roomy and exceptionally well built.
Best buy: 2.2 D 150hp Executive SE
Price range: €27,995 to €40,295
CO2 emissions range: 119 to 139g/km
77
Nissan GT-R
There's just nothing else quite like the GT-R. For a start, there are few cars, even Ferraris and Lamborghinis, that are actually faster in the real world. The GT-R may "only" have a twin-turbo V6 engine, but it has prodigious power and the clever four- wheel-drive hardware to ensure every last pony reaches the tarmac, rain or shine. It also comes with a veritable army of electronic driver aids to help you get from Point A to Point B without seeming to ever have passed through the space between. Yet it doesn't drive like a robot – instead, it feels like a classic, hairy and lairy sports car helping you to have more fun as you drive. Plus, being a Nissan, it's a bit less likely to let you down, mechanically, on a wet Friday evening. All for about a quarter of the price of some rivals. Remarkable.
Best buy: GT-R NISMO
Price range: €POA
CO2 emissions range: 275g/km
78
Opel Meriva
Small MPVs don't generally make for very good purchases – they tend to be only about as roomy or practical as a conventional family hatch, and not all that much more affordable. Kudos then to the Meriva for carving out a niche for itself. It's distinctly different to a Corsa or Astra, and manages to blend the need for a high-roof, monobox shape with some reasonably nice styling details. Inside, the cabin is well-made and well-laid out, and there's lots of space. And those doors. Rear hinged, so that they open wide, are they really worth the effort? Try loading a wriggling toddler into a restrictive car seat and tell us – ultimately probably no better than more conventional sliding doors, they're still more useful than a front-hinged one.
Best buy: 1.6 CDTI SE
Price range: €21,695 to €26,195
CO2 emissions range: 99 to 166g/km
79
Audi TT
The TT has come a long, long way from its humble Golf-based origins. That original TT, way back in 1998, was gorgeous to look at but not actually very good to drive. The latest, third generation model, puts all that to bed. Especially in quattro 2.0 TFSI form, this is a properly engaging and enjoyable car to drive. Still not quite as alive in your palms as, say, a Porsche Cayman but more practical and more affordable than the Weissach car. Plus you can have it as a convertible, and if you're feeling really frugal, you can even have a sensible diesel. Cabin layout and design is a real landmark – just look at the cleverly integrated heater controls.
Best buy: 2.0 TFSI quattro Coupe
Price range: €44,500 to €67,300
CO2 emissions range: 116 to 173g/km
80
Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen
We know, technically these days the G-Wagen is actually known as the G-Class, but we just can't let the old habits go, it seems. While it may have evolved out of all recognition from its humble origins as a design for the German military, the G-Wagen is still an old-school off-roader at heart. No matter how many AMG V8 engines you manage to squeeze under the bonnet, no matter how much leather and wood trim you manage to stuff into the cabin, you will never take away its remarkable off-roading prowess (it makes a Land Rover Defender look like an utter wimp) nor the fact that it looks quite a bit like a motorised garden shed. Massive, expensive and deeply unfashionable. And that's exactly why we love it.
Best buy: G350 CDI
Price range: €POA
CO2 emissions range: 206 to 352g/km