Take it or leave it XE Project 8; Fiesta; Touran; MX-5

Prices started from £18,890 when it was new in 2020, a figure that has now risen to £19,910 for the hatch and £24,170 for the Crosstar. Used, entry-level cars can be picked up from £14,000. We even found an EX model for £16,250. Expect to pay a significant premium for a Crosstar. The Jazz achieved an excellent five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. It netted good scores across the board – including 87% for adult occupancy, 83% for child occupancy and 80% for pedestrian safety – thanks to its suite of standard-fit safety systems. The model has long been a reliable car. This latest iteration has not yet featured in a What Car? Reliability Survey, but the previous model finished consistently in the upper quartile. Honda itself came 14th out of 30 brands in the 2021 survey with a score of 94.2%.

TAKE IT

LEAVE IT

HONDA JAZZ

OUR The standard hatch

PICK is slightly more frugal than the Crosstar and premium kit is available at a more reasonable price.

HONDA JAZZ

WILD CROSSTAR

CARD The Crosstar is pricier, but it’s also stylish, exclusive and the more adventurous-looking option. Just don’t expect any sort of off-road competency.

seats as part of the plusher interior trim, front and rear parking sensors and 15in alloy wheels.

To up the ante further, look to the EX model. This adds keyless entry, a heated leather steering wheel, blindspot monitoring, heated seats, a reversing camera and a premium 9.0in Honda Connect infotainment system with sat-nav.

Crosstar models have similar kit to EX but gain a premium 376W audio system, water repellent upholstery (for the lifestyle, obviously…) and an optional two-tone roof.

Later, an EX Style model arrived with a contrasting black roof, 16in alloy wheels, a rear-view camera and blindspot monitoring, but it’s not a spec we would seriously consider due to its expense. You could get a wellspecced Volkswagen Golf for similar money. But an SR Jazz really does add up as a practical, well-equipped and frugal urbanite. ONES WE FOUND

2021 Honda Jazz SE, 225 miles, £14,500 2021 Honda Jazz SR, 2500 miles, £16,490 2021 Honda Jazz Crosstar EX, 7000 miles, £22,500

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 £105,995

IS THERE SUCH a thing as a trackbred demon that’s also suitable for the school run? Jaguar certainly thought so when it produced the ultra-limited XE Project 8 – a bespoke reworking of the firm’s XE compact saloon.

While it may appear at first glance to be a normal XE with a spoiler superglued to the rear, the Project 8 is much, much more. It was developed by Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations division and retained four seats but gained an entirely new, bespoke body, save for the roof and the front doors.

The model’s suspension was also reworked, and its Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres became the first such set to be fitted to a new Jaguar. Under the relatively unassuming bonnet sits Jaguar’s 5.0-litre supercharged V8, ramped up to produce 592bhp and 516lb ft. The Project 8 can complete 0-62mph in 3.3sec and its top speed is put at 200mph.

To this day, it’s Jaguar’s most powerful road car ever. The British firm even claimed the model lapped the Nürburgring in 7min 21sec, which is seven seconds quicker than the BMW M4 GTS and the fastest time clocked by a saloon car. In the front, sports seats keep the driver cemented in place, although the same is not true for rear passengers.

The car’s staggering circuit performance is partly credited to its bespoke aero pack, which helps it to produce 122kg of downforce at 186mph. Despite its comprehensive track makeover, though, the Project 8 is also capable on the road thanks to an impressive damping system.

Of course, it’s firm, but we think there is more than enough compliance and bump absorption to deal with TAKE IT

most road surfaces and we’ve never found it overbearing.

Just 300 examples were made (and, annoyingly, all in left-hand drive) but we found a 2019 car for £105,995. Okay, that’s by no means cheap, but it’s a significant saving considering the Project 8’s original £149,999 2018 launch price. It has been driven for just 6000 miles and has a full Jaguar service history. JACK WARRICK

TAKE IT LEAVE IT

LEAVE IT

Volkswagen Touran £1800

This Touran can be forgiven for having had better days, seeing as it has covered 200,000 miles. Its current owner says it needs a new windscreen and clutch, and that’s just to pass an MOT test, which it will need to do by the end of April, when the existing one expires. That won’t be cheap. The owner spent £3000 on it last year, too.

Mazda MX-5 £12,995

The owner of this MX-5 requires a bigger car, so now is the chance to bag this fine 2015 example just in time for summer. The car is a 1.5-litre model in Sport Nav trim with grey and black leather seats and it’s being sold privately. It has a full Mazda service history, has been recently serviced and comes with an MOT until August. It has done 42,000 miles and is yours for £12,995.

Ford Fiesta £6845

The high price of this Fiesta 1.25 Zetec is a reflection of its relatively low, 24,000 mileage and its clean condition. However, almost £7000 for a nine-year-old example is unimpressive when compared with other, newer Fiestas on the market. Many are priced lower, are more refined and benefit from Ford’s excellent Ecoboost engine.