This is where you can find the cars that rate most highly in all the major sectors of the market. As well as telling you which models Verdict on Cars thinks are best overall, they'll tell you which are best for particular attributes. For example, it is not much use knowing that, overall, the Ford Focus is the best Lower Medium car if you need a car to carry six people. Verdict on Cars will tell you which cars are best for interior room, safety, comfort and other important attributes.

City Cars
This generation Seat Arosa was facelifted in 2001, the previous version having been on sale since 1998. Its underpinnings are shared with the Volkswagen Lupo - which you'll notice looks much the same - but the Arosa is considerably better value.

Superminis
Key to the Jazz's success in the sector is that it feels like a much bigger car than it actually is. It has mini-MPV-like styling, which means that it's very spacious, while the interior itself is attractively styled.
 

Small Family
The Focus's continued popularity is not just thanks to keen pricing, a diverse range and a prevalence of dealers. Although released in 1998, the Focus is still objectively the best car in the class.
 

Large Family
The Ford Mondeo just pips its rivals as the class-leader; it's one of those cars which just does everything well. It feels well-built, with a high-quality interior, which we suspect was a result of Ford chasing Volkswagen in the feelgood-department.

Compact Executive
Despite its age, it's hard to see the 3 Series being pipped at the top of the class before it gets replaced - every competitor falls short of its all-round competence in some way.