TOP 5 FAM|LY HATCHES

2024-03-01 -

BMW 1 SER|ES

THE GOOD: Premium and practical; now available in two spicy versions

THE BAD: Said spicy models aren’t much fun

THE UGLY: Can BMW spot a goodlooking car, let alone design one?

THE ONE TO BUY: 118i M Sport at £31k/£340pcm; allwheel-drive M135i super-hatch tops the tree at £42k

THE GOOD: Style; big-car character; knockout interior; EV version available

THE BAD: So-so handling; a squash for adult rear-seat passengers

THE UGLY: Dumping the wheel in your lap like a TV dinner to see the dials clearly

THE ONE TO BUY: Range from £20k, but £25k GT is worth saving up for. Bright colour is best

THE GOOD: Brain-out default choice still a solid all-rounder; ride, visibility, roominess

THE BAD: Seat Leon a very similar package for a lower price

THE UGLY: Getting caught publicly raging at the infotainment system

THE ONE TO BUY: 1.5 TS| 150 at £300pcm or £28k; roomy estate is also great value

THE GOOD: Userfriendly hatchback shows how simplicity always works best

THE BAD: |t has a CVT. But wait! This one actually works well

THE UGLY: Wishing you’d worked harder and could have saved up for the Type R

THE ONE TO BUY: Just the one engine so choose Advance spec for £40k G|ANT TEST W|NNER

THE GOOD: Nice interior, lively performance and decent value from the Merc/Geely rebirth of Smart

THE BAD: Using the Smart name creates expectations of a more cleverly packaged product

THE UGLY: Brabus version brings more power but not the chassis upgrades it needs

THE ONE TO BUY: Entry Pro★ is reasonable at £36k