My judgement is based on following grounds:

Ford Fiesta: 10 points
A small car ought to be fun to drive, because it has everything – weight, size, agility potential – on its side. The Fiesta trumps its rivals here, yet it has the feeling of quality and integrity expected of a bigger car. It looks great, too, being a faithful productionisation of the wedge-waistlined Verve concept car. The super-frugal Econetic diesel version could be all the car you'd ever need.

Skoda Superb: 6 points
Drive the Superb after the Insignia and C5, and you wonder where the others went wrong. The Skoda flows beautifully along British roads, always responsive, always natural. It has huge rear-seat space, it's very well finished and the combination bootlid and tailgate is a piece of genius. It's no beauty but the Skoda is both great value and a great car.

Alfa MiTo: 4 points
A small(ish) car with a big personality steeped in red-blooded heritage. It works, too. The 1.4-litre turbo engine is a feisty thing, the Torque Transfer Control keeps the front wheels nailed to the cornering line, and it looks good. Even the steering, which I disliked at launch, has been improved. You'd enjoy owning the MiTo, and that's crucial.

Vauxhall Insignia: 3 points
The Insignia expunges the ghost of mediocrity that haunted its Vectra predecessor. The look, feel and subjective quality hint at premium standards, and the Insignia oozes technology in its suspension, transmission, adaptive headlights and a device which reads speed-limit signs. There's little deep pleasure gained from driving it, though. It's merely a well-focused consumer durable.

Citroën C5: 2 points
Citroën goes German. Only the nose and the concave rear window reveal its marque identity. Inside, too, there's a generic Germanic feel, but the C5 is nothing special to drive. It feels bulky, its steering is vague, the top models' oleopneumatic suspension fails to raise ride comfort above that of cheaper steel-sprung versions. Great idea, imperfectly executed.

Volkswagen Golf: 0 points
I put the last Golf in top slot for COTY 2004, but time moves on. The new Golf has moved on less, sharing more major components than any previous Golf has with its immediate predecessor. It's quiet, civilised, pleasing if unmemorable to drive and it has an interior of class-busting quality. But a significant new car? No.

Renault Mégane: 0 points
This is a competent car with a high-tech instrument pack, a quality feel and smooth, light, precise controls. Its steering is a vast leap forward from its predecessor's stodgy, anaesthetised system, and the Mégane flows over Britain's disintegrating roads with the dynamic authority at which the French have long excelled. But it's not particularly quiet, and its styling manages to be both contrived and – unlike its predecessor's – unmemorable.