For downsizers
- Best: Toyota Yaris Cross
It’s a slightly alarming fact to know that the Toyota Yaris Cross actually occupies the same amount of road space as the original three-door 1992 Toyota RAV4, a car that nowadays sits two full class sizes above the Yaris Cross. Which shows you how much cars have packed on the pounds in that time. Still, that’s not the Yaris Cross’ fault, and it’s actually a charming little (relatively) car, with far more usable space in the back seats and boot than the too-small Yaris hatchback. It also looks pleasingly anthropomorphic on the outside (kind of like a friendly Pokémon in metallic paint) and it’s sparky to drive. Hugely economical too — 4.5-litres per 100km seems easy, especially around town.
- Also try: Dacia Duster
The Duster looks like a bigger car than it is, what with that crenellated bonnet and upright, boxy body. Actually, though, it’s really not big at all — at 4.3-metres long, it’s actually shorter than a Ford Focus hatchback, yet thanks to its height and some clever packaging, there’s a very useful 517 litre boot back there. The hybrid version is the best to drive — at least until the incoming new hybrid 4x4 model arrives — and is usefully economical too. Sure, the cabin’s cheap and the rear seats a touch cramped, but given how affordable the Duster is, you probably won’t care.
- Also try: Leapmotor T03
The Leapmotor T03 — from a newly-arrived Chinese brand that’s part-owned by the European Stallantis Group — is a slightly odd car. With its low price tag, you’d expect it to be cheap and nasty inside, but no; it’s entirely grand. You’d also expect it to be dim-witted and wayward to drive, but again no; entirely grand. It’s not the longest-range EV around, but that’s OK for people who don’t tend to do long journeys, and it’s well-equipped so you’ll be kept entertained when you’re sat in traffic. Not a brilliant car, really, but one that’s good enough when all you want is basic transport.
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- Wild card: Mini Aceman
The Mini Aceman is the Mini for those who want to step down from a bigger, more expensive model, yet who haven’t quite given up on the thrill of driving. It’s not quite as much fun as the rival Alpine A290, but with its fast steering and grippy front end, the Aceman can still raise a smile, even a holler, on a twisty road. It’s also still fairly practical, being as it’s essentially the replacement for the old Clubman estate, with decent back seats and a usable boot. The big round instrument/infotainment screen is also fantastic. Range is a bit of an issue — 280-300km is your usable amount — but that won’t be a huge problem for most, as long as you can charge at home.
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For enthusiasts
- Best: Mazda MX-5
The Mazda MX-5 is such a brilliant little sports car that it can turn a cloudy day into a sunny one — almost literally. A booking snafu in November put one of our test team into an unexpected MX-5 at theoretically the worst time of year possible. Yet that proved to be the most enjoyable week of motoring in the entire length of the year, and that in a car whose basic design is now a decade old. Which is something of a worrying point for most car makers. Then again, Mazda isn’t most car makers, and it continues to plough an often unique furrow for itself, including promising that the MX-5 will continue to be a core part of its model line-up. Thank heaven for that. In the meantime, if you have the wherewithal (and you do — a basic MX-5 costs about as much as an entry-level Hyundai Tucson) then you simply should buy one. Keep it simple — the fabric roof, not the folding-hard-top RF model, and the basic 1.5-litre 132hp engine are all you need. This is a car with nigh-perfect chassis balance, steering so sharp it feels like the rack has been dipped in lemon juice, and one which reminds you of the sheer, undiluted pleasure of driving. Please don’t take it away.
- Also try: Alpine A110
The Alpine brand is at a crossroads, as it starts to embark on an all-electric future. The first step on that road — the A290 hatchback — shows that EVs can be fun and enjoyable, but this petrol-powered A110 shows what the future electric Alpines must live up to. This is a rare car, one designed to be as light as possible (just 1,100kg) instead of being stuffed with meaningless luxury. It needs only a 252hp 1.8-litre engine, thanks to that lightness, so it’s efficient too, and the lack of weight means that it can feel unbelievably good through corners yet it won’t knock your back teeth on bumps. The fact that one of the very best cars you can buy is light, simple, and rides on skinny tyres should be a lesson, perhaps a warning, to all car designers and engineers (and don’t forget that the Alpine was engineered by the great David Twohig, from Cork…).
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- Also try: VW Golf GTI
Like one of our correspondents, the VW Golf GTI turns 50 in 2026, yet it’s still got it (ahem). OK, so maybe that’s unlike our correspondent, but the original hot hatchback (Simca fans can register their outrage here ...) has managed to dodge, dip, duck, and dive around the encroaching encumbrances of weight, cost, and legislation to still be one of the most enjoyable cars around. True, it’s a touch softer now, and a good deal more expensive, and we miss the manual gearbox option, but on the right road, a Golf GTI is still a glorious thing to drive, and yet it doesn’t ask compromises when it comes to daily driving. 50 more years, please.
- Wild card: Porsche Cayman 718
Nab one of these now before Porsche bins the current model and introduces a new all-electric (well, almost all-electric) replacement. The current Cayman (and Boxster, of course — the same car with an open top) is just about old enough to count as one of Porsche’s final analogue designs, and that’s much to the benefit of the Cayman’s steering and chassis balance, which are exquisite. Flat-four engines don’t sound great, but they have a bewitching combo of power and economy, while the expensive 4.0-litre flat-six is an engine that deserves its own plinth in the combustion hall of fame.
