VW Golf - WhatCar? announce as best small family car

Always one to help car buyers make a well-informed choice, WhatCar? has released the results of their 'Best and Worst - Small Family Car' feature.

Revealing the winner to be the ever popular Volkswagen Golf, the magazine cites the 1.4 litre turbo petrol model in Match trim as the best of the offerings.

Other small family cars receiving the thumbs-up from the car buying guide include the hybrid Toyota Prius, the Skoda Octavia and Hyundai's i30 which all offer space, good styling and low running costs.

For those that want something with a little more 'va va voom' as a popular French manufacturer would say - who sadly didn't make the top grade - the Mazda 3 offers a responsive and exciting ride. Its also available in a range of bold colours for the style conscious.

And the worst? Well, WhatCar? describe the Proton Gen-2 as a 'lowly one star' offering, describing it as rapidly depreciating and of poor quality. Also making the D grade were the Mitsubishi Lancer, Chevrolet Lacetti and surprisingly the Mercedes-Benz CLC which was slammed as expensive and not of a high enough standard to hold the coveted Mercedes badge.

Looking to the future, the new Honda Civic and Ford Focus will be unveiled soon, so expect them to be a part of any future top ten's. Nevertheless, with yet another Golf expected in 2012, the current winner is certain to be hot on their heels.

 

 

Gail Hunter, Birmingham , MG ZR TROPHY

Mark Titcombe, Swindon, Subaru Impreza