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Infotainment score 4.1 Which multimedia system is best for music, sat-nav & connectivity? score 4.0

Ford Fiesta ST SYNC3 Standard Key features: Sat-nav, Android Auto and Carplay

THE Ford’s standard eight-inch touchscreen display is responsive, clear and bright, so it’s relatively easy to figure out. There’s nowhere to rest your hand while you operate the set-up, so doing so while on the move is frustrating; but for the most part the buttons on screen are large enough that you can accurately select them.

Menu layout is logical and simple, with functions clearly displayed on the main screen. However, there’s no physical home button and few other buttons to access the different menus in the system, unlike with the easy-to-use MINI set-up.

On all three cars the air-conditioning is operated by physical controls and not hidden among the screen menus, which is a big positive for all of them.

The Ford’s large display is perfect for Apple Carplay and Android Auto, and both are standard here. So if you use those apps it’s on par with the VW’S screen.

MINI Cooper S Navigation Plus Pack £2,000 option Key features: Sat-nav, DAB, Carplay

THE MINI’S infotainment system is incorporated nearly as well as the VW’S. It’s fitted into a large circle on the dash, which is a nod to the sixties Mini’s central speedometer. A 6.5-inch display is standard, but to get sat-nav you’ll need to pay £900 extra. The 8.8-inch screen in our car is part of the Navigation Plus Pack.

This pack also adds wireless phone charging, realtime traffic updates, a concierge service and a front centre armrest, while the cheaper Navigation pack brings sat-nav, Apple Carplay and some connected services. There’s not much missing from that pack, so we’d stick with the cheaper option.

Whichever you choose it’s easy to use thanks to the intuitive rotary control on the centre console behind the gearlever, although you have to get used to scrolling anticlockwise to go down, which is the opposite to most systems using similar controllers.

Volkswagen Polo GTI Discover Navigation £650 option Key features: Sat-nav, DAB, Bluetooth

THE new Polo boasts one of the best infotainment systems in its class, and the GTI is no exception. The £650 eight-inch Discover Navigation system is just as responsive as the Ford’s unit, but features a more logical menu layout, better dashboard integration and a smarter, more grown-up interface.

Like the Ford, the VW’S system works very well with Android Auto and Apple Carplay, which are both standard here. There are also shortcut buttons to commonly-used features around the edge of the screen, so you can quickly go from the sat-nav map to change your radio station and then back again. However, they’re not physical buttons, so it’s still harder than we’d like to use the set-up while moving.

The Polo is available with VW’S Active Info Display as well. It’s a unique feature in the Polo and well worth the small extra outlay of £325.

Display Sat-nav costs £900 extra. Physical buttons make it easy to operate the system, which is housed in a round screen that is reminiscent of the original Mini’s speedo

Screen Clear display shows functions such as sat-nav and DAB radio settings. There are few physical buttons, but the virtual ones are large enough in use

Infotainment Polo’s touchscreen is well integrated and logical to use. Virtual shortcut buttons around the edge are handy, but there are few real buttons