Best family hatchbacks
Experts pick from Honda Civic, VW Golf, Renault Mégane
Volkswagen Golf
THE seventh-generation Golf has been around for six years now, but the heavily updated Mk7.5 model launched last year kept Volkswagen’s family hatchback right at the sharpest end of the sector.
It’s less practical than the Honda or the Renault, but it’s the best to drive, has the highest-quality interior and infotainment technology, and boasts a brilliant 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine. Importantly, it’s affordable on the secondhand market. The Golf was 18th in our Driver Power 2018 owner satisfaction poll.
Renault Mégane
DRIVE the latest Renault Mégane and it’ll become quite obvious to you that the French firm has tried to position its family hatchback as a soft option.
It’s the heaviest car here and the least economical, due to its four-cylinder motor. But it’s probably the most comfortable, thanks to a cossetting ride, a smart cabin and plentiful head and legroom.
The Mégane didn’t feature in our Driver Power 2018 new car survey, but Renault finished a disappointing 24th out of 26 car manufacturers.
Honda Civic
THE 10th-generation Honda Civic is the newest car here, having been introduced in the UK last year. As such, it’s also the most expensive on the second-hand market; prices haven’t yet dipped to the level of the older Mégane and Golf.
However, if practicality and space are what you’re after, the Civic could be worth considering, given its generous 478-litre boot. Owners seem to get on well with the Honda, too; it finished an impressive ninth overall in this year’s Driver Power satisfaction survey.