What Car? Car of the Year awards 2011 - Family car contenders

What Car? Awards 2012 website


Best buy less than £18,000
Skoda Superb 1.4 TSI S
List price £17,445
Target Price £16,196

The Skoda Superb is such an enormous chunk of car that you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve turned to the luxury car section by mistake.

As well as being big, the Superb is also clever, with a boot lid that can be opened like a saloon’s or as a hatch. Either way, the 565-litre load capacity is immense.

The Skoda is also a cut above most of its opposition if you judge it by the quality of the cabin’s dense, soft-touch plastics, classy chrome highlights and slick-operating switchgear.

One aspect of our favourite Superb that isn’t super-sized is its diminutive 1.4-litre petrol engine, although the efficient turbocharger helps it to pump out a healthy 123bhp and 148lb ft of torque. This means it has more than enough get up and go.

The 1.4 TSI also does an average of 41.5mpg and pumps out just 157g/km of CO2, so it won’t tax your coffers too much.

Bear in mind its list price is just £16,670 and you’ll see that all this luxury comes at a cost that’s far from luxury-car money.

Skoda Superb review


Best buy £18,000-£21,000
Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi 140 Zetec
List price £20,445
Target Price £19,141

It's a real tragedy that the Ford badge on the front of the Mondeo prevents some people from considering it – we think it’s brilliant.

It’s truly great to drive, thanks to a silky ride and superb refinement, and it’s great value now that Ford has cut the car’ prices.

The Mondeo was face-lifted in 2010 with subtle exterior tweaks and a smarter, more robust interior.

Along with the cosmetic spruce-up came a range of fuel-efficient petrol engines and a choice of six-speed manual or Powershift twin-clutch gearboxes, but we’d stick with the 138bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine, which is smooth, punchy and economical.

Our chosen Zetec trim includes dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth and alloy wheels. High-tech options include blind-spot monitoring, automatic high-beam adjustment and rear-view parking camera.

The Mondeo is head and shoulders above rivals such as the Citroën C5, Toyota Avensis and Vauxhall Insignia, and we have no doubt that it’s more than capable of ruffling the feathers of many high-profile German saloons.

Ford Mondeo review


Best buy more than £21,000
Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI 140 SE
List price £22,035
Target Price £21,284

Despite the fact that every panel is new, it’s obvious that the folk in Volkswagen’ styling department haven’t exactly overworked themselves with the Mk7 Passat.

Even so, the new car is a significant improvement over its predecessor.

Thicker glass and more sound-proofing material makes it quieter; you’ll notice only the mildest clatter from the 2.0-litre diesel engine in town, and that disappears on the motorway.

Our chosen Passat has fuel-saving Bluemotion technology and a six-speed gearbox as standard, which means the 2.0-litre turbodiesel is capable of 61.4mpg on the combined cycle and has low CO2 emissions.

Inside, things are exceedingly spacious, and although the style of the cabin is very similar to that of the old car, the higher-grade materials, smart metallic trim and centrally mounted clock give it a lift.

The Passat remains one of the best family cars to drive. Consider the improved refinement and efficiency, and it makes a more compelling proposition than ever.

Volkswagen Passat review