Best automatic cars 2025
High-quality automatic cars from rated and reviewed dealers
10 best automatic cars: for hassle-free driving
Cars with automatic gearboxes are ones which eliminate the need for a clutch pedal and traditional H-pattern lever, as you would find in a car with a manual transmission, using their own devices to choose which is the right gear for how you’re driving. The best automatic cars really take the strain out of driving by letting you focus on the road ahead.
The biggest advantage of automatic cars can be felt when driving at low speeds in stop-start traffic, where a manual car’s clutch pedal in particular can be very tiresome to operate. A lot of automatic cars come with paddles on the steering wheel so you can choose the gear for yourself, without having to do any of the hard work involved, but in most driving situations you’re best leaving the car to do its own thing.
While you don’t have to change gears in an electric car either, they don’t actually have gearboxes of any kind. Electric motors work differently to combustion engines, so they don’t need a box of cogs to drive the wheels - which is why you won’t find any on this list, aside from one surprise…
Automatic gearboxes have come a long way from slow, frustrating and expensive options to being slick, smooth and standard-fit in most cars on sale in the UK. Six, seven or eight speeds, dual clutches and constantly variable transmissions (CVT) - there are so many options available that it can get a little baffling.
That’s why our expert reviews team has given every automatic car on sale in the UK a thorough road test and put together this list of the ten best that you can buy.
2025
Car of the Year Award
What's good
What’s not so good
Best for: all-round ability
The Hyundai Santa Fe is such a good car that it’s the outright winner of the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year Awards. Where the Santa Fe was once the vehicle of choice for green-laning enthusiasts looking for a rough-and-ready workhorse, Hyundai has transformed it into the best all-round SUV you can buy.
The self-charging hybrid model is our pick of powertrain, though only the plug-in hybrids (PHEV) are available with four-wheel drive. All Santa Fes come with a 1.6-litre petrol engine with electrical assistance. You can have a PHEV Santa Fe with 253hp, and even though the self-charging model only comes with 215hp it’s a more pleasant car to drive.
It looks like nothing else on the road with its bluff, boxy silhouette and sharp edges. H-pattern LED lights at both ends and chunky wheel arches mean you won’t mistake the Santa Fe for any other SUV on the road. It may not be as quite as big as the BMW X5 or Kia EV9, but it has more road presence than either alternative.
A benefit of the Santa Fe’s footprint and square shape is that there’s loads of room inside. It’s a properly usable seven-seater with a frankly absurd amount of interior space - and 17 cupholders spread out across all three rows. Even the rear bench gets climate control.
Space in the front and middle rows is plentiful, the seats are comfortable and the interior design blends chunky features and slick infotainment. Materials don’t feel quite as posh as the Hyundai’s German alternatives but the build quality is solid, and the Santa Fe is great value with plenty of standard kit.
It’s a comfy cruiser, and motorways are taken in the Santa Fe’s stride. Dips in the road are absorbed well by the soft suspension, and its big square corners mean the Santa Fe is surprisingly easy to thread through narrow city streets. All in all, Hyundai has pulled out all the stops to engineer an excellent family SUV - and it’s succeeded.
The Hyundai Santa Fe is such a good car that it’s the outright winner of the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year Awards. Where the Santa Fe was once the vehicle of choice for green-laning enthusiasts looking for a rough-and-ready workhorse, Hyundai has transformed it into the best all-round SUV you can buy.
The self-charging hybrid model is our pick of powertrain, though only the plug-in hybrids (PHEV) are available with four-wheel drive. All Santa Fes come with a 1.6-litre petrol engine with electrical assistance. You can have a PHEV Santa Fe with 253hp, and even though the self-charging model only comes with 215hp it’s a more pleasant car to drive.
It looks like nothing else on the road with its bluff, boxy silhouette and sharp edges. H-pattern LED lights at both ends and chunky wheel arches mean you won’t mistake the Santa Fe for any other SUV on the road. It may not be as quite as big as the BMW X5 or Kia EV9, but it has more road presence than either alternative.
A benefit of the Santa Fe’s footprint and square shape is that there’s loads of room inside. It’s a properly usable seven-seater with a frankly absurd amount of interior space - and 17 cupholders spread out across all three rows. Even the rear bench gets climate control.
Space in the front and middle rows is plentiful, the seats are comfortable and the interior design blends chunky features and slick infotainment. Materials don’t feel quite as posh as the Hyundai’s German alternatives but the build quality is solid, and the Santa Fe is great value with plenty of standard kit.
It’s a comfy cruiser, and motorways are taken in the Santa Fe’s stride. Dips in the road are absorbed well by the soft suspension, and its big square corners mean the Santa Fe is surprisingly easy to thread through narrow city streets. All in all, Hyundai has pulled out all the stops to engineer an excellent family SUV - and it’s succeeded.
2025
Tech Trailblazer Award
Battery range up to 278 miles
What's good
What’s not so good
Best for: astonishing performance
While the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N technically isn’t an automatic car, the engineers at Hyundai have managed to develop a truly authentic-feeling simulated gearbox in this electric hyper-hatchback.
What makes the Ioniq 5 N so special is the smile it puts on your face. Put the car in ‘N’ mode and you’ve got simulated engine noise and gearshifts which totally transform the driving experience into something incredible, and it’s the simulated gearbox which earns the Ioniq 5 N a place on this list.
The ‘gearshifts’ are genuinely convincing, and it feels as though you’re swapping cogs in any high-performance sports car when you’re using the steering wheel paddles.
Pottering about in normal drive mode is like being in the regular family friendly Ioniq 5, just with a touch stiffer suspension and some more road noise. There aren’t multiple powertrain options, but the four-wheel drive, 650hp electric system is part of the Ioniq 5 N’s duality.
With the press of a few buttons it can turn from a regular Ioniq 5 to a fighter jet; a 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds is enough to really pin you back in your seat - and to keep up with sports cars multiple times the Ioniq 5 N’s price.
And though it is a family hatchback, the Ioniq 5 N is much larger than it looks - larger than some mid-sized SUVs. It’s not just the engineers at Hyundai that have been clever, the designers have been too. The N’s aggressive gloss black and red body kit looks sporty and aggressive without losing any of the regular Ioniq 5’s retro charm.
Inside is just as practical as the regular Ioniq 5 too, though with some even posher and sportier details. A pair of super-supportive bucket seats in the front hug you and your passenger, with an updated centre console and loads of N-specific settings in the infotainment display.
It’s got a silly amount of power, it’s practical and it’s more fun to drive than you’d expect from an EV - so the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is the wildcard of the automatic bunch.
While the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N technically isn’t an automatic car, the engineers at Hyundai have managed to develop a truly authentic-feeling simulated gearbox in this electric hyper-hatchback.
What makes the Ioniq 5 N so special is the smile it puts on your face. Put the car in ‘N’ mode and you’ve got simulated engine noise and gearshifts which totally transform the driving experience into something incredible, and it’s the simulated gearbox which earns the Ioniq 5 N a place on this list.
The ‘gearshifts’ are genuinely convincing, and it feels as though you’re swapping cogs in any high-performance sports car when you’re using the steering wheel paddles.
Pottering about in normal drive mode is like being in the regular family friendly Ioniq 5, just with a touch stiffer suspension and some more road noise. There aren’t multiple powertrain options, but the four-wheel drive, 650hp electric system is part of the Ioniq 5 N’s duality.
With the press of a few buttons it can turn from a regular Ioniq 5 to a fighter jet; a 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds is enough to really pin you back in your seat - and to keep up with sports cars multiple times the Ioniq 5 N’s price.
And though it is a family hatchback, the Ioniq 5 N is much larger than it looks - larger than some mid-sized SUVs. It’s not just the engineers at Hyundai that have been clever, the designers have been too. The N’s aggressive gloss black and red body kit looks sporty and aggressive without losing any of the regular Ioniq 5’s retro charm.
Inside is just as practical as the regular Ioniq 5 too, though with some even posher and sportier details. A pair of super-supportive bucket seats in the front hug you and your passenger, with an updated centre console and loads of N-specific settings in the infotainment display.
It’s got a silly amount of power, it’s practical and it’s more fun to drive than you’d expect from an EV - so the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is the wildcard of the automatic bunch.
2025
Adventurer's Choice Award
Battery range up to 45 miles
What's good
What’s not so good
Best for: spacious, stylish, luxurious fun
As the winner of the ‘Adventurer’s Choice’ award at the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year Awards, it should come as no surprise that the X5 is one of the very best automatic cars you can buy.
All X5 models come with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, and you get a wide range of engine options to choose from. The entry-level X5 xDrive 30d comes with a 3.0-litre diesel engine which can achieve up to 39.2mpg. The range-topper is the X5 M Competition, with a beastly 625hp twin-turbocharged V8 engine and a 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds.
The sweet-spot of the bunch is the X5 xDrive m50e plug-in hybrid, with an impressive 67 miles of electric-only range. With a short commute and semi-regular charging, you’ll hardly ever have to worry about filling the tank.
It’s a handsome car, with big proportions and crisp lines as well as intricate details in its LED headlights and taillights. Some BMW design is polarising, but the X5 has managed to avoid the trend of outrageous stylistic touches.
Inside the X5 is very posh, and even the standard vegan leather is lovely to the touch. Tick a few boxes and you can be surrounded by cow hide and wood trim on almost every surface, to complement the slick dashboard design and responsive infotainment.
Interior space is good too, with buckets of room for both front and rear passengers, and a 650-litre boot with an optional third-row of fold-out seats. You can’t spec a seven-seater hybrid unfortunately, as the PHEV batteries live where your feet would.
Twisty roads are a blast in the X5, as BMW has managed to once again work its magic and turn a two-tonne family chariot into a very fun car to drive. The X5 is as enjoyable when attacking corners as it is comfortable when cruising on the motorway or in town.
It may be large and expensive, but the BMW X5 is one of the best automatic all rounders on sale today - and if it were cheaper it could well be the best car you can buy, period.
As the winner of the ‘Adventurer’s Choice’ award at the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year Awards, it should come as no surprise that the X5 is one of the very best automatic cars you can buy.
All X5 models come with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, and you get a wide range of engine options to choose from. The entry-level X5 xDrive 30d comes with a 3.0-litre diesel engine which can achieve up to 39.2mpg. The range-topper is the X5 M Competition, with a beastly 625hp twin-turbocharged V8 engine and a 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds.
The sweet-spot of the bunch is the X5 xDrive m50e plug-in hybrid, with an impressive 67 miles of electric-only range. With a short commute and semi-regular charging, you’ll hardly ever have to worry about filling the tank.
It’s a handsome car, with big proportions and crisp lines as well as intricate details in its LED headlights and taillights. Some BMW design is polarising, but the X5 has managed to avoid the trend of outrageous stylistic touches.
Inside the X5 is very posh, and even the standard vegan leather is lovely to the touch. Tick a few boxes and you can be surrounded by cow hide and wood trim on almost every surface, to complement the slick dashboard design and responsive infotainment.
Interior space is good too, with buckets of room for both front and rear passengers, and a 650-litre boot with an optional third-row of fold-out seats. You can’t spec a seven-seater hybrid unfortunately, as the PHEV batteries live where your feet would.
Twisty roads are a blast in the X5, as BMW has managed to once again work its magic and turn a two-tonne family chariot into a very fun car to drive. The X5 is as enjoyable when attacking corners as it is comfortable when cruising on the motorway or in town.
It may be large and expensive, but the BMW X5 is one of the best automatic all rounders on sale today - and if it were cheaper it could well be the best car you can buy, period.
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Battery range up to 34 miles
What's good
What’s not so good
Best for: day to day life
In a world full of SUVs, the BMW 3 Series proves that you don’t need a lofty driving position and four-wheel drive to be comfortable, practical and safe. It’s arguably the most iconic of the posh compact saloons, and it’s certainly the best of the bunch.
Only the most basic 3 Series comes with a manual gearbox as standard, as the rest of the range is equipped with a frankly outstanding eight-speed automatic. It’s smooth and quick to change gear, and it’s part of the reason the 3 Series is such a good car to live with.
It’s a handsome car, with sleek headlights and kidney grilles which are large but not quite the ‘supersize me’ XXXL of the 3 Series’ siblings. Aggressive LED ‘eyebrows’ within the headlights add some sportiness to the front end, while at the back of the 3 Series is an angular rear ‘diffuser’ trim and L-shaped LED taillights.
The interior has seen a huge change, with a pair of screens in a curved display atop the minimalistic dashboard. The new layout looks rather smart with some lovely details in the air vents, but the loss of physical climate control buttons is a shame as the touchscreen controls can be frustrating to use.
Motorways and driving in town are both quiet and comfortable no matter which engine you choose, but twisty roads are where the 3 Series really stands out against its alternatives. It’s a hugely fun car to drive in any spec.
In a world full of SUVs, the BMW 3 Series proves that you don’t need a lofty driving position and four-wheel drive to be comfortable, practical and safe. It’s arguably the most iconic of the posh compact saloons, and it’s certainly the best of the bunch.
Only the most basic 3 Series comes with a manual gearbox as standard, as the rest of the range is equipped with a frankly outstanding eight-speed automatic. It’s smooth and quick to change gear, and it’s part of the reason the 3 Series is such a good car to live with.
It’s a handsome car, with sleek headlights and kidney grilles which are large but not quite the ‘supersize me’ XXXL of the 3 Series’ siblings. Aggressive LED ‘eyebrows’ within the headlights add some sportiness to the front end, while at the back of the 3 Series is an angular rear ‘diffuser’ trim and L-shaped LED taillights.
The interior has seen a huge change, with a pair of screens in a curved display atop the minimalistic dashboard. The new layout looks rather smart with some lovely details in the air vents, but the loss of physical climate control buttons is a shame as the touchscreen controls can be frustrating to use.
Motorways and driving in town are both quiet and comfortable no matter which engine you choose, but twisty roads are where the 3 Series really stands out against its alternatives. It’s a hugely fun car to drive in any spec.
2025
Pleasure of Driving Award
Carrera GTS
What's good
What’s not so good
Best for: sporty luxury
It may have won the Pleasure of Driving category at the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year Awards, but it’s not only our expert reviews team who think the Porsche 911 is the best sports car you can buy, as journalists and enthusiasts over the past 60 years are almost all agreed on the matter.
The 911’s appearance might be the only disputed part of its reputation, with the same basic design features as the car has always had still in place on the newest model. Details such as the big round headlights, rear light bar and that curvy roofline can be seen on various Porsches all the way back to 1964.
Inside the 911 is an ultra-posh and well designed interior. Materials are high quality and you get a slick duo of screens for the infotainment and driver’s display. There are a lot of options available, and the most basic Carrera model is rather spartan inside compared to higher-rung trims.
It’s a little cramped in the rear seats, but you’ll have no issue getting comfortable in the front seats and the front boot is a usable shape - if a little small.
With the engine in the back, the 911 recipe is unique to Porsche. The Porsche 911 drives like no other car, with ridiculous levels of grip and poise when carving corners but a high level of comfort on the motorway. Even the sportiest models designed for the road soak up lumps and bumps well around town, and the 911 only starts getting too firm with the track-focused special edition cars.
It may have won the Pleasure of Driving category at the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year Awards, but it’s not only our expert reviews team who think the Porsche 911 is the best sports car you can buy, as journalists and enthusiasts over the past 60 years are almost all agreed on the matter.
The 911’s appearance might be the only disputed part of its reputation, with the same basic design features as the car has always had still in place on the newest model. Details such as the big round headlights, rear light bar and that curvy roofline can be seen on various Porsches all the way back to 1964.
Inside the 911 is an ultra-posh and well designed interior. Materials are high quality and you get a slick duo of screens for the infotainment and driver’s display. There are a lot of options available, and the most basic Carrera model is rather spartan inside compared to higher-rung trims.
It’s a little cramped in the rear seats, but you’ll have no issue getting comfortable in the front seats and the front boot is a usable shape - if a little small.
With the engine in the back, the 911 recipe is unique to Porsche. The Porsche 911 drives like no other car, with ridiculous levels of grip and poise when carving corners but a high level of comfort on the motorway. Even the sportiest models designed for the road soak up lumps and bumps well around town, and the 911 only starts getting too firm with the track-focused special edition cars.
Battery range up to 60 miles
What's good
What’s not so good
Best for: technology and sophistication
As far as big, luxury saloons go the Mercedes S-Class is probably the best regarded of the bunch. It’s Mercedes’ flagship four-door car after all, and it’s absolutely loaded with technology, equipment and poshness.
It’s an elegant, classy looking thing - if a little plain. Slim LED headlights flank a large grille that’s big but not too brash, and the S-Class wears its massive size well thanks to a slippery silhouette and some bright trims breaking up the car’s bulk. Alternatives have more interesting designs, but the S-Class is handsome in a less-is-more way.
The interior is the main event, and when you’re sat in it you’re very conscious of all the leather, wood and metal trim that’s surrounding you. Ambient lighting adds to the experience, but the enormous new control screen is the most striking interior detail. It houses the climate control settings as well as the entertainment, and it’s a very responsive piece of kit.
Space is no issue in the S-Class with miles of headroom and legroom wherever you’re sitting. In fact, the S-Class is one of the few cars where you might be more comfortable in the back than in the front. The boot has plenty of room for luggage too.
Mercedes has managed to make the S-Class one of the most comfortable cars you can buy, and it simply glides over bumps and dips whether in town or on the motorway thanks to its standard air suspension. Twisty roads are taken in the huge saloon’s stride, though some alternatives are more fun.
As far as big, luxury saloons go the Mercedes S-Class is probably the best regarded of the bunch. It’s Mercedes’ flagship four-door car after all, and it’s absolutely loaded with technology, equipment and poshness.
It’s an elegant, classy looking thing - if a little plain. Slim LED headlights flank a large grille that’s big but not too brash, and the S-Class wears its massive size well thanks to a slippery silhouette and some bright trims breaking up the car’s bulk. Alternatives have more interesting designs, but the S-Class is handsome in a less-is-more way.
The interior is the main event, and when you’re sat in it you’re very conscious of all the leather, wood and metal trim that’s surrounding you. Ambient lighting adds to the experience, but the enormous new control screen is the most striking interior detail. It houses the climate control settings as well as the entertainment, and it’s a very responsive piece of kit.
Space is no issue in the S-Class with miles of headroom and legroom wherever you’re sitting. In fact, the S-Class is one of the few cars where you might be more comfortable in the back than in the front. The boot has plenty of room for luggage too.
Mercedes has managed to make the S-Class one of the most comfortable cars you can buy, and it simply glides over bumps and dips whether in town or on the motorway thanks to its standard air suspension. Twisty roads are taken in the huge saloon’s stride, though some alternatives are more fun.
2025
Pleasure of Driving Award
Highly Commended
What's good
What’s not so good
Best for: pocket-sized fun
Where the regular Toyota Yaris is one of the most sensible small cars you can buy, the GR Yaris is one of the most fun. It’s a real pocket-rocket, cramming in a lot of performance and driving tech into an easy to park package.
There are clear links to the standard car in its design, but the GR Yaris is a three-door car with boxy wheel arches and sportier features. The big metal grille and diffuser stand out, as do the red brake calipers and racy silhouette.
Inside, the updated GR Yaris gets a retro-looking dashboard with a big boxy section that‘s angled towards the driver and contains all of the car’s controls and displays. It’s an improvement over the old interior, but it is a little plasticky.
A pair of sports seats keep the front occupants snug on fast roads, but rear space is really tight and the boot is tiny - even smaller than a regular Yaris.
The latest version is equipped with a new eight-speed automatic gearbox, and whilst driving purists might still opt for the six-speed manual, the automatic is a fantastic gearbox - quick to change gears and easy to live with.
Twisty roads are the GR Yaris’ forte, with owners often going as far as to take their cars on track days. In town you get good forward visibility and its size makes it easy to park, but it’s shaken up by broken roads because of the stiff suspension. Motorways are more comfortable, though there’s noticeable wind noise at cruising speeds.
Where the regular Toyota Yaris is one of the most sensible small cars you can buy, the GR Yaris is one of the most fun. It’s a real pocket-rocket, cramming in a lot of performance and driving tech into an easy to park package.
There are clear links to the standard car in its design, but the GR Yaris is a three-door car with boxy wheel arches and sportier features. The big metal grille and diffuser stand out, as do the red brake calipers and racy silhouette.
Inside, the updated GR Yaris gets a retro-looking dashboard with a big boxy section that‘s angled towards the driver and contains all of the car’s controls and displays. It’s an improvement over the old interior, but it is a little plasticky.
A pair of sports seats keep the front occupants snug on fast roads, but rear space is really tight and the boot is tiny - even smaller than a regular Yaris.
The latest version is equipped with a new eight-speed automatic gearbox, and whilst driving purists might still opt for the six-speed manual, the automatic is a fantastic gearbox - quick to change gears and easy to live with.
Twisty roads are the GR Yaris’ forte, with owners often going as far as to take their cars on track days. In town you get good forward visibility and its size makes it easy to park, but it’s shaken up by broken roads because of the stiff suspension. Motorways are more comfortable, though there’s noticeable wind noise at cruising speeds.
2025
Smart Spender Award
Highly Commended
What's good
What’s not so good
Best for: affordable chic
The Renault Clio is one of the most stylish small cars you can buy, with a handsome exterior design paired with a funky interior and some excellent engine options to choose from. It’s practical too, and the Clio was highly commended in the Smart Spender category of the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year Awards.
The updated Clio’s design brings it bang up to date with slim LED headlights and striking LED accents flanking the slim grille. The front end is a little sharper than the rest of the car, but new LED taillights add a touch more style to the back of the Clio too.
Inside the Clio is dominated by a large portrait infotainment screen on high-spec cars, and the new climate control buttons feel much more premium than what came on older models. Well placed soft-touch plastics help the Clio to feel posher than it is too.
Front passengers have loads of space, though the rear bench is a little cramped for knee room. The boot is enormous for a car of its size, larger than all of the Clio’s alternatives, and it’s a great shape too.
The hybrid model is the pick of the bunch, with enough power to get you up to speed and plenty of low-speed pep to zoom around town with. Some alternatives are quieter on the motorway, but where its firm suspension jiggles you about in town it helps make the Clio rather fun on a twisty road.
The Renault Clio is one of the most stylish small cars you can buy, with a handsome exterior design paired with a funky interior and some excellent engine options to choose from. It’s practical too, and the Clio was highly commended in the Smart Spender category of the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year Awards.
The updated Clio’s design brings it bang up to date with slim LED headlights and striking LED accents flanking the slim grille. The front end is a little sharper than the rest of the car, but new LED taillights add a touch more style to the back of the Clio too.
Inside the Clio is dominated by a large portrait infotainment screen on high-spec cars, and the new climate control buttons feel much more premium than what came on older models. Well placed soft-touch plastics help the Clio to feel posher than it is too.
Front passengers have loads of space, though the rear bench is a little cramped for knee room. The boot is enormous for a car of its size, larger than all of the Clio’s alternatives, and it’s a great shape too.
The hybrid model is the pick of the bunch, with enough power to get you up to speed and plenty of low-speed pep to zoom around town with. Some alternatives are quieter on the motorway, but where its firm suspension jiggles you about in town it helps make the Clio rather fun on a twisty road.
What's good
What’s not so good
Best for: four-door performance
As far as high-performance four-door cars go, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is a bit of a left-field choice compared to the typical German alternatives - but it’s one hell of a performer, and it’s easy to live with too.
It looks stunning, with some gorgeous Italian flair and soft curves where its alternatives have sharp lines. The aggressive LED headlights straddling the classic Alfa Romeo triangular grille, taut rear-end with quad exhausts and the beautiful flower-inspired alloy wheels work devastatingly well together.
Inside, unfortunately, is a bit disappointing. The sporty Alfa is a rather expensive car, and the fit and finish just isn’t up to par with fast German saloons. The infotainment system is also poor; laggy and with a design that’s not very intuitive to use.
The engine is where the Giulia Quadrifoglio comes into its own, with a simply phenomenal V6 which not only sounds amazing but goes like the clappers when you put your foot down. You can feel a constant power surge all the way from a standstill to the redline in the Alfa, and it’s a joy to drive fast.
Attacking high-speed corners is a piece of cake, and the Alfa feels more like a sports car than a family saloon - but it’s still more comfortable than a BMW M3 and it’s a more interesting choice too. It’s quiet, refined and deals with bad roads well.
As far as high-performance four-door cars go, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is a bit of a left-field choice compared to the typical German alternatives - but it’s one hell of a performer, and it’s easy to live with too.
It looks stunning, with some gorgeous Italian flair and soft curves where its alternatives have sharp lines. The aggressive LED headlights straddling the classic Alfa Romeo triangular grille, taut rear-end with quad exhausts and the beautiful flower-inspired alloy wheels work devastatingly well together.
Inside, unfortunately, is a bit disappointing. The sporty Alfa is a rather expensive car, and the fit and finish just isn’t up to par with fast German saloons. The infotainment system is also poor; laggy and with a design that’s not very intuitive to use.
The engine is where the Giulia Quadrifoglio comes into its own, with a simply phenomenal V6 which not only sounds amazing but goes like the clappers when you put your foot down. You can feel a constant power surge all the way from a standstill to the redline in the Alfa, and it’s a joy to drive fast.
Attacking high-speed corners is a piece of cake, and the Alfa feels more like a sports car than a family saloon - but it’s still more comfortable than a BMW M3 and it’s a more interesting choice too. It’s quiet, refined and deals with bad roads well.
2025
Urban Living Award
What's good
What’s not so good
Best for: efficiency in the city
Where the regular Yaris is the mild-mannered middle child and the GR Yaris is the hot-headed smaller cousin, the Yaris Cross is the more mature older sibling. It’s bigger and more practical, and it’s so good that it won the Urban Living category of the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year Awards.
There are some similarities to the regular Yaris in its design, but the Yaris Cross is beefed up with a taller ride height, plastic body cladding and some more aggressive shapes such as the front grille and headlights. It’s a funky looking thing, and it stands out against its mini-SUV alternatives
The interior is a bit disappointing though, and while the layout is clear and easy to navigate it’s very dark in there. The materials are all fairly soft-touch, but there’s a lot of plastics with very little in the way of trims or colourful accents to break up the expanse of dark grey in the cabin.
The front seats are highly adjustable and it’s easy to get comfortable, but the rear is very tight - though the boot capacity is a useful 391 litres.
Motorways aren’t the Yaris Cross’s strong suit as it can take a while to get up to speed, but once you’ve reached cruising speed it’s fairly quiet and comfortable. Around town the lofty driving position helps when manoeuvring in traffic and the hybrid engine is at its best – quiet and economical. It’s surprisingly fun on a twisty road, too.
Where the regular Yaris is the mild-mannered middle child and the GR Yaris is the hot-headed smaller cousin, the Yaris Cross is the more mature older sibling. It’s bigger and more practical, and it’s so good that it won the Urban Living category of the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year Awards.
There are some similarities to the regular Yaris in its design, but the Yaris Cross is beefed up with a taller ride height, plastic body cladding and some more aggressive shapes such as the front grille and headlights. It’s a funky looking thing, and it stands out against its mini-SUV alternatives
The interior is a bit disappointing though, and while the layout is clear and easy to navigate it’s very dark in there. The materials are all fairly soft-touch, but there’s a lot of plastics with very little in the way of trims or colourful accents to break up the expanse of dark grey in the cabin.
The front seats are highly adjustable and it’s easy to get comfortable, but the rear is very tight - though the boot capacity is a useful 391 litres.
Motorways aren’t the Yaris Cross’s strong suit as it can take a while to get up to speed, but once you’ve reached cruising speed it’s fairly quiet and comfortable. Around town the lofty driving position helps when manoeuvring in traffic and the hybrid engine is at its best – quiet and economical. It’s surprisingly fun on a twisty road, too.
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What do you need it for?
There’s such a wide variety of automatic cars on sale that they can fit a multitude of roles. If you do a lot of long-distance journeys then a comfortable saloon or SUV with a smoother gearbox will be the best choice, but if having a blast on country lanes is your idea of fun then a dual-clutch-equipped sports car will give you rapid gear changes. This means less time focusing on your clutch technique and more fun carving corners.
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As automatic gearboxes have become more and more popular they’ve become cheaper to manufacture, and they’ve found their way into smaller, cheaper cars as a result. Loads of small hatchbacks now come with automatic gearboxes as standard or as an affordable option - so you don’t have to break the bank to get an automatic car.
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