10 of the Best Compact Saloons

The Mazda6 is the manufacturer’s flagship model so the latest upgrade was welcomed with excitement. The latest version looks sleeker, boasts more tech and is well-equipped. The new Mazda6 has a fresh look too with a new deeper mesh grille offering a more sophisticated and muscular face, revised LED headlamps and a redesigned lower bumper. In addition, there are new-look alloys and the introduction of Soul Red Crystal Metallic paint which looks stunning and perfectly matches the car’s sporty profile.

The new Mazda6 is priced from £23,195 with 0% APR - book your test drive.

I’ve been lucky enough to drive a lot of Volvos and, put simply, they represent the best value for money in the premium sector. The levels of safety kit is unparalleled, their onboard technology is mind blowing and their interiors are just gorgeous. The new S60 embodies the styling cues that exist throughout the Volvo range, but in a premium package which offers genuine luxury without a sniff of ostentation. Oh, and the seats are the best on the market. 

The current model Volvo S60 is priced from £22,545, the new S60 is due to arrive in 2019 (prices not yet announced).

Honestly, who’d have thought KIA could come up with something this gorgeous? Well, shame on you for underestimating the South Koreans, who are rivalling the Germans in terms of automotive innovation nowadays. The Stinger is KIAs new flagship saloon and it certainly puts a question mark against the 3 Series, C Class and Audi A4. The Stinger offers an excellent level of refinement, style and class for significantly less than the typically ‘premium’ saloon cars on the market. It is best served as a Stinger GT S which delivers a colossal 365 horsepower and comes with massive air intakes, bonnet vents, alloy wheels and 4 raucous exhaust pipes. Few saloons will turn as many heads on the high street as this new Stinger, and it sends a message to anyone who ever doubted the KIA brand.The KIA Stinger is on sale now and prices start from £29,995

Aside from the stunning SUVs, this new 508 saloon might be the best looking Peugeot in decades. Release a car as bold and striking as this into a saloon market littered with neat and smart-looking competition, but we can gladly report that Peugeot has done an excellent job. As expected, the 508 has the ‘i-cockpit’ which exists across the Peugeot range, meaning a tight, small steering wheel providing excellent feedback and satisfying cornering. You also have a dashboard with high-end materials and dials which are positioned right up against the windscreen, meaning you don’t take your eyes off the road. The 508 is also extremely economical, and the 1.6 HDi diesel will return up to 74 mpg on the motorway, but the more powerful diesel is the one to go for as this 2.0-litre unit is considerably more powerful and still returns a lovely 67 mpg.
The 508 is on sale now and prices start from £25,039.

The latest Mondeo is an all-new car which was designed to fulfil the same role as the previous model, which is to provide families with a reliable, attractive, practical and dependable car with bags of character and agreeable running costs. Gladly, the new Mondeo ticks every single one of those. It comes best-served in ST-line guise where it dons some of the outfit worn by other ST-badged cars in the Ford lineup. Typically this means big, attractive alloy wheels, deep side skirts, tinted windows and all the black plastics turn body-coloured. Despite being a fairly regular and common vehicle, this new Mondeo manages to stand out from the crowd extremely well. It’s no surprise that a huge chunk of the Mondeo’s buyers are returning customers.The Ford Mondeo is on sale now and prices start from £21,495.
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With the release of the stunning Volkswagen Arteon, which replaces the Passat CC, there were a few doubts as to whether the new Passat would have the style and panache of the old model, or would they play it safe and release a slightly more mundane model that took less risks, allowing the Arteon to steal the limelight? Thankfully, Volkswagen hasn’t taken the easy way out. While the styling isn’t quite as dramatic as the Arteon, we think you’ll agree that it is still very good looking. When kitted out in the R-Line trim the Passat looks muscular, devilish and aggressive as the side skirts, big alloys and reduced wheel arch gap help to really fill-out the Passats skeleton. For economy, the best bet is the tried and tested 1.6 TDi diesel engine which will return up to 76 mpg on a motorway run.

The Volkswagen Passat is on sale now and prices start from £23,120.

Jaguars first ‘compact saloon’ has gone down a storm. It stands out to company car buyers due to low BIK values and generous equipment levels. This is a rear wheel drive saloon with a prestige badge on the front, a full leather interior on all but the SE, 17” alloys as standard, cruise control as standard, rear parking assist as standard loads, loads more. Dynamically, the XE is a pleasure to drive on B-roads and comfortable to waft on motorway journeys - a very good blend and a very good car.

Prices for the Jaguar XE start from £31,505.

Who’d have thought Audi’s A4 would continue the startling success of all the previous A4 models? Well, everyone really. Fewer things were more certain than the fact that this A4 would go down a storm upon release, and it has done just that. It was released just last year and it carries all the hallmarks of the new Audi range, which include that gorgeous and enticing front grille as well as the wraparound headlights which appear as curved hiplines when you look at the car from the front. The interior is as classy as saloon cars get, with premium materials all over the place and a no-fuss dashboard layout which makes light work of the functionality while also keeping the driver’s attention on the road ahead. The A4 is best-served as a 2.0 TDi with 150 PS - this is plenty of power for every day use and this model will also return 74 mpg. Lovely.

The Audi A4 is on sale now and prices start from £28,725 

The C-Class has become an extremely popular car in the UK. Recently revised the new model C-Class is stylish, refined and oozing upmarket appeal, with a charm all of its own. There are some new engines on offer, including a new mild hybrid option.

Prices for the new C-Class start from £30,845 and it's now available to test drive. 

One of the main reasons premium buyers were reluctant to BMW 3 Series was that they’re not very handy in snow. Which is fair, everyone knows that in heavy snow or icy conditions then the rear wheels will spin and you won’t get very far if anywhere at all. Now though, with the new 3 Series, that excuse has been rebutted. BMW have released their xDrive all-wheel-drive system as an option on their diesel models, which are most commonly bought as fleet vehicles.BMW still maintain that the xDrive models still maintain the class-leading driving dynamics that BMW is renowned for, only now there is more grip in the bends and the 3 Series is more willing to go anywhere, anytime, no matter the conditions.

The BMW 3 Series is priced from £33,610 and is available for a 24-hour test drive.