Best medium-sized cars for 2024

Looking for the best medium-sized car? This car class is dominated by popular hatchbacks, including the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra, along with more premium models, such as the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3. 

But while they may all be around the same size, our lab tests reveal that not all medium-sized cars are worth your money. The best are reliable, practical, safe and reasonably cheap to run. The worst are much more likely to break down, or be uncomfortable or impractical. 

Only cars that score highly in our tough lab and road tests are Which? Best Buys. You'll find our top recommendations for the best new and used medium-sized cars in the tables below. Plus, we reveal the models that aren't worth your money.

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The best new medium-sized cars

The best medium-sized cars are easy to drive, spacious and safe. They also have great fuel economy. Find out which models came out on top in our rigorous lab tests.

The best used medium-sized cars

Buying used is a great way to get an exceptional car for a lower cost. Just make sure you select a highly rated model to avoid making a costly mistake. Our experts select the very best models.

Not found the car for you? Go straight to all our medium car reviews.

Medium-sized cars to avoid

Medium-sized cars need to be jacks of all trades: great family cars, with space for a pushchair and a fortnight's luggage, but compact enough to park easily in town. They should be easy to drive, comfortable and smooth – all while being cheap to run. Our testing has found a number of models that can't quite hit all the high notes and come up short in a number of key areas. Here are some you should avoid.

Our latest medium-sized car reviews

Want to find out how the newest medium-sized cars have fared in our tests? Read our latest and most-recently updated medium-sized car reviews.

What to look for in the best medium-sized cars

We look at passenger comfort, safety and practicality as well as driving pleasure to help you choose the best medium car for you. Here are our top buying tips and things to look out for.

By their very nature, medium-sized cars should be more spacious than small ones. While most models have plenty of room in the front, some are cramped in the rear, while headroom and legroom can leave a lot to be desired. We use human-sized dummies to measure exactly how much room there is in every seat in a car.

People's high expectations of medium-sized cars extends to how cheap they are to run. A manufacturer's claimed mpg is usually high, and often too good to be true. We conduct our own fuel-economy tests, so you get an accurate figure and will know exactly how much the cars on your shortlist will cost you to run.

We don't only provide you with an overall mpg figure. We also tell you the car's mpg for city, out of town and motorway driving, so you will know you're buying the right car for where you drive the most. To top it all off, we also tell you the cost of filling the tank each month and over the course of a year.

From dealerships to classifieds, we show the best places to buy a car.

Medium-sized saloon cars

In terms of medium cars, the UK is a nation of hatchback buyers: we simply don't go in for saloon versions of medium cars in great numbers, and most mainstream models are now only offered as hatchbacks or estates. However, a number of upmarket medium-sized models, including the Audi A3 and Mercedes A-Class, continue to be offered as a saloon for buyers who prefer a more executive aesthetic.

Which medium-sized cars have large boot space?

If you're considering a medium-sized model as a family car, check that the boot will be large enough for your requirements.

Despite most medium cars taking up a similar amount of space on the road, there are often huge differences in terms of luggage space. The previous-generation BMW 1 Series (2011-2019) for instance, has a relatively small boot. Its rear-wheel-drive setup robs space in the name of a better driving experience.

However, other models are designed specifically with practicality and ease of use in mind. The Citroen e-C4 X, for example, offers an exceptionally large boot. Many hatchback models are also available as estates, which vastly improve available boot space, without significantly increasing the car's exterior dimensions.

You can use our car reviews to check how much boot space is in a car and to compare between different models. We don’t rely on a manufacturer's claims: our independent tests assess just how much usable boot and passenger space there is in each model, so you can make an informed choice.

Best medium-sized cars for passenger comfort and safety

Given their increased appeal, newer iterations of family favourites such as the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra are now only available with five doors.

In recent years, the traditional boxy hatchback silhouette has given way to more stylish coupé-esque designs. While these often look more appealing, sloping roofs can compromise interior headroom, as well as cause problems for taller passengers getting in and out.

Consider legroom for both children and adult rear-seat passengers. We measure the space inside each car we test, so in our car reviews we can tell you what height of person will fit in the front and back. This means you will know you're buying a car that's suitable for your passengers, without having to take them with you on every test drive. 

If you need a child car seat, check whether there are Isofix mounting points and make sure that the rear doors open wide enough for easy access.

Medium-sized hot hatchbacks

You don’t have to sacrifice driving pleasure just because you need a practical medium-sized car. A 'hot hatch' such as the Cupra Leon or Honda Civic Type R can be a great compromise between performance and versatility.

Typically, high-performance hot hatchbacks have more powerful engines, along with different suspension, brakes and tyres, to improve performance and handling. Otherwise, they don't differ much from the regular model on which they are based.

There may be some increased running costs to consider, including higher insurance and fuel costs, as well as higher bills for consumables such as tyres and brakes. However, manufacturers are increasingly turning to plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology, which not only boosts performance but can also improve fuel economy through the ability to run on electricity alone – provided you can regularly charge it up. The latest Volkswagen Golf GTE is a great example of a PHEV hot hatch.

You'll need to make sure that all your family can cope with a firmer ride. Large wheels and low-profile tyres, not to mention sports-tuned suspension, may not give an experience your passengers would call comfortable.

And before you get too carried away, make sure that if you need to use child seats or baby carriers that these will be compatible with the heavily sculpted sports seats that are often fitted to performance models.

We test cars more thoroughly than anyone else

Our tests go further than those carried out by other outlets. And because Which? is independent, you can trust our reviews to give you the full, honest and impartial truth about every car we test.

To find out more, head to our how we test cars guide.