Independent Reviews of New and Used Cars

Honda does things differently - and we can't help liking that. Whether the model in question is a Civic, a Clarity fuel cell vehicle or a Type R hot hatch, you'll find that it's been uniquely engineered and packaged - as is the case with this Jazz. This always used to be the supermini that motoring experts would recommend as the small car they'd buy with their own money. For us, it still is. We're not blind to its failings. Other class competitors are more refined and offer higher quality cabins with more sophisticated infotainment. But none of them can get near the interior flexibility made possible by this Honda's neat 'Magic Seat' flexibility and tardis-like cabin. We'd go as far as to say that in many ways, this supermini is a more practical choice than many Focus-segment family hatchbacks from the next class up. As for the changes made to this third generation model, well to be frank, they don't greatly alter its sales proposition. The uptake on this top 1.5-litre 'Sport' variant was low and beneath it in the range, the package remained pretty much as it had been since 2015. Just as well then, that the packaging of this design remained so difficult to beat. By 2017, rivals had become classier, more dynamic and more up-market. Whether they're also better where it really matters though, is quite another question. For its loyal, dedicated band of buyers, this Jazz always will be. Try one and you'll understand.

The GR Yaris hot hatch shows Toyota's extreme side. Jonathan Crouch takes a look...

If you're looking for a mid-sized premium badged executive sports coupe from the 2017 to 2020 period, this BMW 4 Series Coupe is still the car in this class that does it all, the sector benchmark, the go-to choice in its segment. Especially if you're the kind of driving enthusiast this model has traditionally appealed to. Can it be criticised? Perhaps. Some have found it a rather overly mature proposition, but we think that these are people who would probably be better suited by BMW's smaller 2 Series two-door model. What's not up for debate is that here, BMW built a benchmark contender in this class. That sounds rather clinical doesn't it, so let's allow the Munich maker's marketing men to have the last word. This car, they reckoned, was more than just a 'love letter to performance'. Instead, it offered something deeper than that: the promise of a passionate affair. It still does.

Audi's A8 60 TFSIe PHEV saloon allows a successful executive to go green in some style. Jonathan Crouch looks at what's on offer

So, how to sum up? Well, this improved 'Type8V'-series A3 Saloon might look little different from the original at first glance but it'll feel so if you get a car whose original owner specified the clever 'Virtual Cockpit' technology. Otherwise though, the recipe here is much as it was before and that'll see many continuing to like the statement this A3 Saloon makes on their behalf. This car won't turn the heads of passers' by like a rival Mercedes CLA, but then that very discretion is a fundamental part of its appeal. As with any other A3, it's as at home in Belgravia as it is in Brixton, offering a democratisation of automotive luxury without a dilution of desirability. If you doubt that, you've only to get behind the wheel, for the interior is where this design really strides apart. You could be in a luxury car - and of course, in many ways, you are. Just one that perhaps better reflects the times we live in.