Skip advert
Advertisement
Car group tests

Class winners

Which supermini is the best? Which MPV should you avoid? Find out in our rundown of the best and worst cars in each class

So you know what kind of car you want, but you aren’t sure which model to choose.

We’ve pooled together all the results to weigh up which cars are best - and which came last - in each class to help make your decision as easy as possible.

Scroll down to find out which cars owners rate highest.

Best small car

Owners of superminis are hard to please - cars in this class received an average rating of 81.97 per cent.

PositionMakeModel%
1KiaRio MkIII87.79%
2HondaJazz MkII87.34%
3NissanMicra MkIV87.31%
    
Last placeMitsubishiColt MkV79.12%

Best compact family car

Our compact family car champion had to be the Skoda Yeti, which finished in the top 10 in eight categories.

PositionMakeModel%
1SkodaYeti92.65%
2SkodaOctavia MkII89.20%
3Alfa RomeoGiulietta89.10%
    
Last placeCitroenC4 MkI79.63%

Best family car

The Skoda Superb is a clear family car class winner, with eight category top 10 finishes.

PositionMakeModel%
1SkodaSuperb MkII92.13%
2ToyotaAvensis MkIII86.54%
3Mazda6 MkII86.37%
    
Last placePeugeot40781.67%

Best compact executive car

The king of the compact execs is the BMW 3 Series, with an overall rating of 88.74 per cent.

PositionMakeModel%
1BMW3 Series MkVI88.74%
2HondaAccord MkVIII87.29%
3MercedesC-Class MkIII87.19%
    
Last placeAlfa Romeo15982.76%

Best executive car

Executive cars had the highest average score of any class, at 87.09 per cent.

PositionMakeModel%
1JaguarXF89.90%
2MercedesE-Class MkIV88.61%
3BMW5 Series MkVI88.41%
    
Last placeBMW5 Series MkV84.94%

Best sports car

As the Jaguar XK finished first for performance, it's no surprise it took the sports car crown.

PositionMakeModel%
1JaguarXK/R MkII87.57%
2PorscheCayman MkI87.09%
3MercedesC-Class Sports Coupe86.77%
    
Last placeMazdaRX-882.22%

Best SUV

The CX-5 has made a sensational Driver Power debut to come top of its class.

PositionMakeModel%
1MazdaCX-589.63%
2Land RoverDiscovery 488.92%
3BMWX3 MkII88.30%
    
Last placeMINICountryman82.68%

Best MPV

It's all change in the MPV market, as the Ford S-MAX loses its crown to the Renault Scenic.

PositionMakeModel%
1RenaultScenic/G Scenic MkII89.82%
2VauxhallZafira Tourer88.41%
3ToyotaVerso MkI86.92%
    
Last placeFordC-MAX MkI80.25%

See the results for previous years…

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £15,255Avg. savings £1,966 off RRP*Used from £7,250
Dacia Spring

Dacia Spring

RRP £14,995Avg. savings £4,500 off RRP*
Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa

RRP £19,200Avg. savings £4,670 off RRP*Used from £16,745
Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £38,140Avg. savings £3,019 off RRP*Used from £11,895
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort review: the best BYD yet
BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort - front

New BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort review: the best BYD yet

The new BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort is arguably the Chinese brand's most convincing model in its range
Road tests
11 Jun 2025
Car Deal of the Day: A Volkswagen Golf R Estate for less than a GTI
VW Golf R Estate - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: A Volkswagen Golf R Estate for less than a GTI

The Golf R Estate is one of the best performance estates around – and right now it’s criminally cheap. It’s our Deal of the Day for 9 June.
News
9 Jun 2025
Best cars to own: Driver Power 2025 results
Driver Power 2025 - header

Best cars to own: Driver Power 2025 results

The best new cars to own in the UK right now according to the people who already do. It’s the 2025 Driver Power results!
News
10 Jun 2025