Most underrated cars 2026
They may not be class leaders but we think these underrated cars deserve a higher profile
No matter how good a car is, sometimes it just fails to make an impact with buyers. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a supermini, an SUV or even a high-end supercar, some models simply end up being underrated cars that are overlooked in favour of better known rivals.
When testing cars, we take every model and rate it in the context of its rivals and how suitably it fits the needs of its target audience. As a result, the coveted Auto Express five-star rating is only awarded to the best-of-the-best, so a car has to be very special indeed to get top marks. Competition breeds excellence, as they say, and with so much rivalry in the car industry, many models that fall just short of the top spot are still highly desirable.
We’ve overlooked a few minor imperfections, ignored the advertising bluster and forgotten the fashions of the moment to highlight cars that we think are the most underrated new models on sale today…
Why are some cars underrated?
Often the reason a model might be underrated and sit in the shadow of its rivals has nothing to do with how good it is. It can simply be down to newer models’ fancier technology and gimmicks, or even just a more memorable marketing campaign.
Another factor is badge snobbery – more prestigious brands that offer no more substance than a less loved marque, but steal the spotlight with their strong identity and perhaps a more impressive back catalogue of models.
It could even be one simple flaw or polarising aspect of a car that causes it to miss out. A controversial design, iffy infotainment system or small boot. It’s not all bad news, however, because these underdogs can still have a lot to offer, with brands dropping prices or serving up tempting finance deals in an effort to get buyers into the showroom.
Most underrated cars
For all the reasons mentioned above and more, cars can become underrated by the car buying public and we want to set that right. Here we’ve put together this list to shine the spotlight on some of the best underrated cars to buy in the UK.
Alfa Romeo Giulia
- Price new: £43,750
- Price now: From £10,500
- Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl petrol
- Gearbox: Eight-speed auto
- Power/torque: 276bhp/400Nm
- 0-60mph: 5.7 seconds
- Top Speed: 149mph
Author: Paul Barker
The Alfa Romeo Giulia is one of those cars that was never underrated by the media, but definitely was by buyers, when you look at how few people were tempted out of their BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 or Mercedes C-Class when the very pretty Italian landed back in 2016.
Alfa’s return to the compact executive saloon arena after a five-year gap following the lukewarm 159’s demise caused much excitement, and in most areas the car didn’t disappoint.
But despite the excitement, how well it drives and how great it looks, those German saloon drivers never took the beautiful Italian seriously, and it’s now very much a car on its last legs, the sole 280bhp non-hybrid petrol engine at odds with the modern electrified world.
A big racing car-style start button on the steering wheel prodded by your left thumb set the tone, as did the gearshift paddles big enough to make a touring-car racer blush, this was a car with character. On the flip-side, the infotainment was way off what the Germans were doing even a decade ago, and feels very much old-tech in a car that will hit its 10th birthday during 2026 – positively antique in the new-car game.
But 2026 should be the current car’s last year, with a new Giulia due to come, complete with hybrid and electric powertrains. It’ll be sad to see the current car go though, because it was always the one you’d choose with your heart, when your head was very much turned towards a BMW, Audi or Mercedes. And not enough people went with their heart.
Latest Alfa Romeo Giulia deals
Audi e-tron GT
- Price new: £89,505
- Price now: From £35,000
- Engine: 105kWh battery, 2x e-motors
- Gearbox: Two-speed automatic
- Power/torque: 496bhp/625Nm
- 0-62mph: 4.2 seconds
- Top Speed: 152mph
Author: Richard Ingram
You might not expect to see an Audi in our list of underrated cars, but for me, the e-tron GT is a genuine hidden gem. Essentially a Porsche Taycan in a sharp suit, the electric e-tron GT offers everything its Stuttgart sibling does – including a similarly engaging driving experience, rapid straight-line speed and super-quick charging speeds.
Electric advocates looking for a sporty EV flocked to the Porsche when it launched in 2020, and they continue to do so now the car’s been granted a series of spec-enhancing upgrades. The thing is, for every tweak to the Taycan, Audi’s been quietly revising its own electric flagship; the current car does up to 384 miles on a charge and can add up to 177 miles of range in 10 minutes when connected to a suitably speedy charger.
Yet it’s not all about boring range and efficiency figures. Pick the right one and the e-tron GT packs up to 912bhp for 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds – making it the consummate wolf in sheep’s clothing. Even the base car has almost 500bhp – more than enough to shame bonafide sports cars in a traffic-light drag race.
Throw in an exquisite interior and beautifully sculpted seats, a comfortable ride and loads of tech, and you’ll soon discover that the e-tron GT is not only one of the best electric cars out there, but one of the finest sports saloons money can buy. It now costs from just £35,000 if you scour the used-car classifieds, too…
Cupra Leon
- Price new: From £32,140
- Price now: From £14,000
- Engine: 2.0-litre turbo petrol
- Gearbox: Seven-speed auto, front-wheel drive
- Power/torque: 296bhp/400Nm
- 0-60mph: 5.7 seconds
- Top Speed: 155mph
Author: Dean Gibson
If there’s one hot hatch that literally flies under the radar, it has to be the Cupra Leon. It’s a close relative of the Golf GTI, but without the weight of expectation that car’s badge carries, the Spanish sibling is something of an unsung hero in comparison.
The top-spec VZ3 features a 297bhp version of the VW Group’s familiar EA888 four-cylinder petrol engine, so it has the same power output as the Audi S3, although it’s only front-wheel drive. It’s connected to a seven-speed twin-clutch DSG gearbox that delivers quick shifts, while Dynamic Chassis Control allows you to choose between a sporty or comfortable ride.
The most recent exterior update helped to separate the Cupra Leon from the less powerful SEAT version of the hatchback, but it’s still a pretty subtle way to have driving fun without drawing attention to yourself – even Cupra’s trademark copper detailing doesn’t seem as ‘in your face’ as some other hot hatches.
But there’s more to the Cupra range than just a flying flagship. Engines kick off with the relatively pedestrian 148bhp turbo petrol, although this does offer the now-rare option of a manual gearbox. And the whole range looks the part, with sharp lines and a sporty edge that turns the Leon into an appealing warm hatch.
Then there’s the option of an estate body, which adds another level of versatility to the Spanish model. Chose the top-spec VZ3 in this guise, and you’ll gain an extra 6bhp and four-wheel drive to help get that power to the road. You can’t do the same with a Golf GTI, instead you’d have to fork out a few thousand pounds more for the even faster Golf R estate.
Genesis Electrified G80
- Price new: £75,615
- Price now: From £35,000
- Powertrain: 94.5kWh battery, 2x e-motors
- Power/torque: 365bhp/700Nm
- 0-60mph: 5.1 seconds
- Top Speed: 139mph
Author: Shane Wilkinson
Electric luxury cars make plenty of sense, because their near-silent running combines beautifully with a plush cabin to create an incredibly refined form of transportation. However, while most brands are hellbent on releasing a new premium SUV every 15 minutes, the Genesis Electrified G80 is a good old-fashioned luxurious barge.
With an array of top-shelf materials inside, and an exterior design that doesn’t look out of place when parked outside an astonishingly overpriced hotel, the Electrified G80 already meets the traditional luxury car brief. Add its 354-mile claimed battery range into the mix and this car’s appeal should outshine a number of its rivals, even though it doesn’t. The fact that this is essentially a Hyundai underneath means it should actually work, too.
The Electrified G80 certainly isn’t the only electric luxury car out there, but it undercuts rivals such as the BMW i7 and Mercedes EQS on price. Genesis’s struggle to shift cars in the UK means there’s a surprisingly high exclusivity factor with this model. In fact, it may well be a rarer sight on the road than some Rolls-Royces.
So why is this car so underrated? A large portion of the blame goes to Genesis’s brand status in this country. In short, people don’t know much about it, especially when compared with the big German premium marques. That’s a shame because this is a rather lovely luxury car.
Latest Genesis Electrified G80 deals
Lotus Eletre
- Price new: £84,990
- Price now: From £64,950
Engine: 112kWh battery, 2x e-motors - Gearbox: single-speed auto
- Power/torque: 603bhp/710Nm
- 0-60mph: 4.5 seconds
- Top Speed: 160mph
Author: Tom Jervis
Hearts sank faster than the Titanic when Lotus unveiled the Eletre: an electric SUV designed to keep the British sports car maker afloat. Yet, just like the infamous doomed liner, the Lotus Eletre is actually a bit of an engineering marvel – despite both having a particularly rocky start to their lives.
A two-tonne zero-emissions luxury SUV hardly screams ‘simplify then add lightness’, but the Eletre nevertheless channels much of the Lotus DNA into its more practical and fashionable form factor. Boasting a unique “porous” design, the sculpted vents and active aerodynamics make the Eletre feel much more exotic than rivals.
The Eletre’s leather-wrapped interior is at odds from the stripped-back nature of the two-seat Lotus Elise, but the electric SUV makes up for it when out on the road. The steering is incredibly quick and precise for a car of the Eletre’s size and makes threading it through tight country roads a joy.
There’s also plenty of power on tap, even in base form; all versions are sports car-quick, but top-of-the-range Eletre 900 Sport models can dispatch the 0-62mph sprint in less than three seconds. Of course, basking in the prodigious power for too long means range will start to tumble – not ideal given the Lotus’ main rival, the BMW iX, already beats it in this regard.
Mazda 3
- Price new: £25,030
- Price now: From £10,000
- Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
- Gearbox: Six-speed manual/auto
- Power/torque: 120bhp/212nm
- 0-60mph: 10.4 seconds
- Top Speed: 122mph
Author: Jordan Katsianis
My most underrated car is one with a most underrated design; and it’s an inexpensive family hatchback from Japan. The current generation Mazda 3 is a fine car. It drives nicely, the gearbox is slick and it has a lovely interior, but all too often the model’s rather underpowered engines push it out of contention for class honors.
But the reason a fourth-generation Mazda 3 is on this list is that it just looks so damn good. Through a designer’s eye, there are details that are so finely styled and surfacing so deftly executed that I genuinely think it deserves a spot in the contemporary automotive design hall of fame. And remember, this is sitting over the top of mundane hatchback proportions, with enough space in the second row for people (although they can’t see out) and it’s incredibly affordable.
And when you dig into why the Mazda 3 looks the way it does, the story actually gets quite interesting. Right at this point in which Mazda was in the generating ideas for the next model, the team was having close dealings with Alfa Romeo for the proposed, but eventually cancelled, co-developed two-seater roadster. This eventually created the current ND MX-5 and Fiat 124 Spider, with the Italian sibling having initially meant to be a small Alfa Romeo Spider based on the Duetta concept car.
During this process, the second-generation Alfa Giulietta was also deep in the design phase, but with that project also cancelled, rumour has it that Alfa’s designers collaborated with Mazda’s team for the next Mazda 3. ‘Collaborated’ might be a strong word – there definitely weren’t Italian designers hiding under desks at Mazda’s Hiroshima HQ – but with its eccentric silhouette and almost ‘Italian’ styling, it definitely has more than a hint of modern Alfa Romeo.
This has not been officially corroborated by any either party, but you could certainly imagine the Mazda 3 with a Scudetto grille mounted up front and a set of teledial wheels. This isn’t to take credit away from Mazda’s designers, but it’s just one more example of how brilliant car design can be when Italian flare is combined with a fine piece of Japanese sensibility.
Peugeot E-Rifter
- Price new: £32,285/£30,850 with electric car grant (ECG)
- Price now: From £14,500
- Engine: 52kWh battery, 1x e-motor
- Gearbox: One-speed auto
- Power/torque: 134bhp/270Nm
- 0-60mph: 11.7 seconds
- Top Speed: 82mph
Author: Max Adams
For those with children, the Peugeot Rifter is a highly underrated family car and far more versatile than the SUVs people think they need. It’s primarily available in zero-emission electric form (or diesel if you’re getting it converted for wheelchair access), so you won’t need to worry about local air pollution or be accused of idling outside the school gates.
All Rifters have sliding doors, so you won’t have to write an apologetic note because one of your cherubs has slammed a door into the car you’ve parked next to. Get the standard-length version with the optional Zenith roof, and you’ll get nifty illuminated overhead storage and a glass roof that floods the interior with light.
Yes, I know it’ll never set your hair on fire with blistering performance or engaging handling on a twisty road, but that’s not what a family car is for. The Rifter is comfortable, relaxing, and easy to punt about in traffic. Our preferred standard-length version is also shorter than a Nissan Qashqai, making it easier to park than a great big SUV.
And while I can tell that some of you are still thinking this is merely a van with windows – despite Peugeot’s best efforts to hide that fact with chunky tyres, pseudo-SUV black body cladding and roof bars – your children won’t ever think you’re cool no matter what you drive, so the sooner you get over such a crushing realisation, the quicker you can get into this sorely overlooked family bus.
Skoda Scala
- Price new: £26,295
- Price now: From £12,000
- Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
- Gearbox: Six-speed manual
- Power/torque: 148bhp/250nm
- 0-62mph: 8.2 seconds
- Top Speed: 137mph
Author: Ellis Hyde
Despite offering what our team describes as a “class-leading combination of space, quality, comfort and value”, the Skoda Scala has always been a bit of an underrated gem in the family hatchback class. It’s also an often overlooked member of the Czech brand’s own line-up, although that’s not surprising when it sits between the much-loved Fabia and multi-award-winning Octavia.
I drove the Scala for the first time last year, and was particularly impressed by the tech onboard this great-value hatchback and the sheer amount of space inside, especially the boot, which is bigger than any Golf, Astra or Focus hatch. Meanwhile, the remarkably comfortable ride and quiet cabin make it an ideal motorway cruiser, especially with the smoother 1.5-litre engine under the bonnet.
The Scala got even better after its mid-lift facelift, which included a slightly sportier new look and the addition of some more tech, such as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. But I appreciate Skoda sticking with simple physical buttons and dials for the climate control, and using fabric for the dashboard to make the cabin feel more welcoming than rivals.
Prices currently start from £24,020, which is nearly £3,000 cheaper than the Vauxhall Astra, plus standard equipment is fairly generous. Every model comes with dual displays, LED headlights, a reversing camera, advanced driver-assistance tech and, of course, Skoda’s signature ‘Simply Clever’ features, such as a handy umbrella concealed in the driver’s door.
Suzuki Swift
- Price new: £19,699
- Price now: From £10,000
- Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol
- Gearbox: Five-speed manual
- Power/torque: 81bhp/112Nm
- 0-60mph: 12.5 seconds
- Top Speed: 103mph
Author: Alex Ingram
At a time when cars grow ever larger, ever heavier and increasingly complex, the Suzuki Swift feels like it’s politely sitting in the corner asking, “does it really need to be this way?” The Japanese supermini really deserves to have its voice heard a little louder, because it’s a really likeable thing.
There aren’t many cars that weigh less than a tonne these days, and the Swift is one of the few that sways to the better side of that figure. For everyday drivers, that helps it sip the bare minimum of fuel – while running a Swift on our long-term fleet, it averaged a fantastic 56.8mpg – but it also works out well for keen drivers, too. Sure, with a mild-hybrid three-cylinder engine with 81bhp it’s not going to win any drag races, but that minimal mass means the Swift is a whole heap of fun through the corners, while a sweet gearchange allows you to make the most of that modest power.
There’s even a four-wheel drive version for those who want go-anywhere ability without the SUV baggage. Are there more luxurious cars on the market? Absolutely. But are there many which are as honest and as underappreciated? Well, that’s a much shorter list.
Toyota Prius
- Price new: £36,395
- Price now: From £21,000
- Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol, 1x e-motor
- Gearbox: CVT automatic
- Power: 220bhp
- 0-60mph: 6.8 seconds
- Top Speed: 116mph
Author: Alastair Crooks
In its latest guise, the Toyota Prius has actually become a likeable and dare we say even desirable car.
When it was first revealed in 2022, Toyota’s decision to initially refrain from launching the fifth-generation Prius in the UK was met with surprise to say the least, given it had become a staple of taxi ranks and Uber fleets up and down the country.
The reason for the brand’s decision was that the mild-hybrid Toyota Corolla had stolen the Prius’ position, especially with the new one going plug-in hybrid-only. Fast forward to 2025 and Toyota reversed its decision and has brought the Prius to the UK – we think that’s great news, because not only is it a well built and efficient family hatch, the Prius drives surprisingly decently and looks very cool.
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