Compare the best medium-size cars
High quality midsize cars from rated and reviewed dealers
Best medium-size cars of 2024
The world of cars is broken up into classes, or segments, of which medium-size is one. Also referred to as family cars or midsize cars, these vehicles are part of the fabric of motoring life - think VW Golf, Vauxhall Astra and Ford Focus. Here, we pick 10 of the best.
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It may seem a little bit of a leap to go from a Mercedes to a Dacia, but keeping an open mind when shopping for a nerw model often pays off, and that may be the case if you investsigate the Dacia Jogger. True, it's an estate car rather than a traditional hatchback, but that just means Dacia has been able to squeze an extra pair of seats in the boot, making it a highly practical machine, and at a highly appealing price point.
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It would be hard to put a case against an argument that said the VW Golf was the archetypal medim-size car, such is the breadth of its talents. Well made, good to drive, refined, efficient, handsome and understated, the Golf is available as a hatchback or an estate, and has a dizzying array of engines that promise ultimate performance, maximum economy, or a combination of the two.
It would normally be a bit of a toss-up whether the Vauxhall Astra or the Ford Focus follows the Golf, but the Astra is the newer car, while Ford paused production of the Focus in early 2022 due to the worldwide parts shortage. That's not too much of a hardship, as the latest Astra is a highly competent car. With a modern, clean-sheet design, efficient and quiet engines, plus a decent-sized boot, the Astra has a lot going for it
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The Mazda 3 may not be one of the first cars to pop into your head if you're in the market for a new mid-size car, but it should be. One of the more stylish vehicles in this class, the 3 matches its looks with an excellent driving experience, one of the best manual gearboxes going, and an infotainment setup the focusses on physical buttons and dials, rather than an over-reliance on touchscreens. What more could you ask for?
There's a bit of a running joke among some car journalists: when asked by friends or family members what their next car should be (this is an occupational hazard), the Skoda Octavia is a default response, often provided before the question has finished being asked. Hugely practical (it has a vast 600-litre boot), the Octavia is also handsome, excellent to drive, and represents very strong value. Arguably all the car you could ever need, the Octavia has all the engineering know-how parent company Volkswagen put into the Golf, but also has a starting price that's around £2,000 less.
Battery range up to 354 miles
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We've a series of articles on the best electric cars you can buy, but EVs are now arguably less of an alternative class of car in their own right, but instead have been absorbed into more general classes. As such, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is an excellent contender if you're after a medium-size car, offering genuinely striking looks, an excellent battery range, a comfortable cabin, and an appealing driving experience.
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Another VW Group stablemate, the Audi A3 rivals the Golf and the Octavia, offering a more premium badge and interior, together with the option of a saloon, instead of an estate body style. The five-door hatch - known as the Sportback - is something of a default choice in the range, though, and if you're after a taste of the good life from your family car, the A3's refined driving manners, tastefully designed cabin and excellent technology make it an appealing prospect.
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A very similar proposition to the Audi A3 in many ways, the BMW 1 Series is a slightly sharper car to drive, while the cabin has a little more of a premium air to it - though some may find its front-end exterior design less appealing than the Audi's. Aside from that, though, there's almost nothing not to like, with one of the best infotainment systems around, good passenger space and an efficient range of engines.
Battery range up to 40 miles
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The Mercedes A-Class is a hugely popular choice in this segment, and with good reason. The cabin, for one thing, is a remarkably nice place to sit, with the twin-screen infotainment and driver display screens and making the A-Class really stand out from its rivals. The 1 Series is a sharper car to drive and the Audi A3 has a slightly larger boot, but the A-Class has an appeal that distinctly Mercedes, only in a medium-size format.
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The Kia Ceed may not have the premium appeal of some of the German models mentioned so far, but it remains a good choice for buyers after a medium-size car nonetheless. With generous levels of both standard equipment and passenger space, the Ceed is competent in almost all areas, while Kia's industry-leading seven-year warranty only adds reassurance.
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