BMW 118i Sport 5 Door

from £200.82 (+ VAT) per month

This is the third-generation BMW 1 Series - and this time round, the premium family hatch has undergone a real transformation. BMW has ditched its famous rear-wheel drive setup in favour of the front- or four-wheel drive of all its main rivals, making the 1 Series more spacious and practical than before in one fell swoop.

You can even see its influence from outside, because despite the 1 Series being a similar size overall, its bonnet is now shorter to maximise passenger space. It also sports BMW's enlarged kidney grilles and the popular M Sport trim looks suitably racy thanks to 18-inch wheels and high-gloss black exterior trim.

Its interior is still one the best in its class, with a dashboard angled towards the driver, smart materials, and an expensive, sporty look. Its front seats feel great too, especially in M Sport trim with Dakota leather seats, and there are neat touches like backlit trim dotted around the interior.