The fourth-generation Skoda Octavia vRS is the hot hatch version of one of our favourite family cars , the ever-popular Octavia .  Skoda's always done things a little differently when it comes to hot hatches though. Who remembers the original diesel-powered Fabia vRS ? And it's a similar story...

The compact executive estate class is highly competitive. Both the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate and Audi A4 Avant are excellent cars but we think the BMW 3 Series Touring is quite possibly the best of the bunch - especially now it's been brought bang up to date with sharper looks and a new infotainment...

There was a time when a hybrid Toyota was a sensible but uninspiring choice of family car. The old Toyota Auris is a prime example of that - dependable and cheap-to-run, yes, but lacking even the slightest hint of charisma. But the latest Toyota Corolla is genuinely a very good car. There are no...

The BMW X5 is one of the original 'soft roaders', or SUVs . Along with less expensive models such as the Toyota RAV4 , it took the favoured features of proper off-roaders - such as a high driving position and rugged styling - but applied them to a more road-biased model.  It's a formula that has...

The Q7 is the best all-rounder in the class, and for that matter, the best SUV in the class. Yep, it’s that good. First and foremost, it’s a brilliant family car . It’s among the roomiest cars of its type, with generous space surrounding each of its seven seats , and with so many different options...

Today's luxury 4x4s are immensely popular, arguably down to the trailblazing original Volvo XC90 . There weren’t many SUVs at the time that could carry seven people - and lots of their stuff - in luxurious comfort. That made it very popular with large, well-to-do families. These days, however,...