My judgement is based on following grounds:

VW Golf
Despite the Golf not being a totally new car – that is why it doesn’t get 10 points – the latest generation has been tuned to a near perfect level. Walter de’Silva has created a line which makes the Golf look new without losing the recognition of millions. The line is clear and attractive, and maintains a clear overall view from the inside. Four people can travel with comfort and the interior design profits from the best material, excellent finish, ergonomics and shaping. On the road, the new Golf rides superbly with very low noise, precise steering and good comfort. Nevertheless the hard and discordant ESP should be improved.
The current requirement for light, compact cars, consuming less fuel and emitting less harmful substance will only grow in the future and the new Golf is heading in the right direction with a wide range of engines (and the excellent DSG-gearbox). However, ´green` downsized engines, including the ´blue motion` model, will not be on the market before 2009.

Citroën C5
After the remarkable C6, the new C5 is Citroen’s latest step on the way back to a strong individual brand. The design plays a major role. The C5 (Limousine and Break) looks strong and self-confident, and is a distinctive face in the flood of cars currently on our streets. Individual and protective. Driving, especially on long-runs, is a luxurious and very comfortable experince in the C5 with low noise, enough power in every situation (especially with the big Diesel) and outstanding comfort – at least with the air suspenion. This car cools you down and make you feel totally relaxed. Inside the C5, which is the modern interpretation of a classic touring car, I like the design, the quality of material and the finish. The seats are perfect for long distance and the car is roomy enough for four people on a long journey. Despite this long-run-talents the C5 has a precise and good-natured handling even on tricky courses and is nice to drive. The main reason that it missed out on more points is heavy weight, the mean overall view from inside and the somewhat playful ergonomics.

Opel Insignia
The new Opel is not similar to the old Vectra, nor does it look like an Opel at all. This is both good and bad. Good, because the design is attractive, bad because this profound change of lines from angular to a soft fit is not easy for the brand. From outside, the Insignia is a big car, longer than a Mondeo and even longer than a Passat. But inside, passengers on the back seat feel as close as in a BMW 3-Series. The interior design is attractive, with good material and finish and there are no problems with ergonomics. However the overall view – especially to the rear – is poor, a tribute to the coupe-inspired design, which, by the way, makes awkard getting in and out of the rear. Driving is fun with the insignia: good roadholding, good brakes, powerful motors, a lot of assist systems, but comfort could be better and the steering makes it difficult to get a precise feel for the road. What is urgently missing are ´green` motors with downsized capacity and innovations such as start-stop.

Renault Mégane
The new Megane has changed fromt the polarising design of the previous generation to a more agreeable version. From outside it’s now an attractive compact car with rather good finish inside and nice shaping. On the other side, the overall view is not good enough for a car which is to be driven in real cities. Driving is nice and comfortable, but with the steering feels a bit artificial. Unfortunately the space on the back seats is rather cramped, meaning the Megane isn’t an ideal car for families. Maybe they will have to wait for the station wagon.

Ford Fiesta
The latest generation of the bestseller will make its way onto the market with a lot of people liking the new design. But in my opinion this new appearance doesn’t really fit a City-Car. From the front-end it begins like a sportscar and sacrifices a lot of interiour space for an impressive nose. In my opinion a modern City-Car should offer a new dimension of space for the passengers and, above all, should be easily overseen from inside. This is why the Fiesta doesn’t get more points. On the other hand driving is fun, and the roadholding excellent. The sporty talents are obvious.