Seat Leon, CUPRA

Seat Leon, CUPRA is for people who want a compact hatchback with a sporty badge and a sharper road feel than a plain family car. By our assessment, its appeal comes from the Leon shape with CUPRA's performance image layered on top, so it occupies the warmer end of everyday driving rather than the stripped-out track-car end. That makes it more interesting than an ordinary commuter hatch, but also less relaxed if what you want is soft suspension and low drama. In practice these cars usually ask for more attention to trim, tyres and running costs than the basic versions, because the point is the extra edge. It sits between mainstream hatchbacks and full performance cars, and that middle ground is exactly why people cross-shop it. If the badge and the firmer character are the draw, it makes sense; if the only goal is cheap simple transport, it does not.