1. Take Note... Nissan is making it hip to be oblong

Pity the humble oblong – a shape without much form. You can kick spheres into the back of a net or set out to conquer them.

2. New Golf comes with a little extra

Cars offered with a little bit extra bolted on are not always best sellers. Take the Popemobile for example.

3. The Toyota Urban Cruiser

The great paradox of the meltdown in the motor industry is that consumers have never had more choice about what to buy… if only they had the money.

4. Mini Clubman John Cooper Works

MY Uncle Tony had a Mini van in glorious matt grey and I was always jealous of the way cousin Carl was able to sit in the back

5. VW Golf as reliable as ever

If any car summed up the new über cool style-explosion which was celebrated in Calvin Harris’s paean to the 1980s, then it was the original Volkswagen Golf GTI.

6. Toyota’s Verso gets a makeover

I pored months of bloke-ish investigation into buying my latest family car, something which needed to seat five (or seven) carry loads of junk, and not be expensive to run.

7. The Mercedes C220 Sport estate

For this year’s family holiday I fancied going back in time to the days when the destinations didn’t involve air travel.

8. Nissan Qashqai

Nissan's cars have a hard earned reputation for longevity, but not so much for their style and kerb appeal.

9. Review: Chevrolet Cruise 2.0 VCDi LT

If cars were cheap enough to be sold in Poundland, then you’d most likely find a Chevrolet Cruze blocking the gardening aisle.

10. Peugeot RCZ