4 used five-door family hatchbacks

The Honda Civic has some of the most satisfied owners in the family hatch sector. There’s an all-new one on the way that aims to carry on this success, but if you can’t stretch to a new car, there’s still plenty to recommend going for an older model.

Here, we’re looking back to the 2006-on eighth-generation car, which these days is looking like a real bargain, given what a standout model it was when new. To find out if it still has what it takes, we’ve conducted a used car comparison test, lining it up alongside a similar-age Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and Volkswagen Golf. Which wins the battle of the bargain family five-door?

We’ve tested all in turbodiesel guise. The Civic has a 2.2-litre i-CDTi engine with 138bhp, while the Golf and A3 both have 2.0-litre TDIs with the same power output. The BMW 118d betters them all, though. Its 2.0-litre turbodiesel has 141bhp and proved to be the fastest on the test track against the clock when we originally measured them. There’s little in it, though, and all prove strong on the move.

To drive, we actually prefer the TDI of the Audi and VW. It’s smoother than the other two engines, and proves more responsive across the rev range. The BMW is a bit sensitive to engine revs and sometimes hesitant to get going. The Civic doesn’t like extreme revs either, but does stand out because of its enormous mid-range pulling power. Get the revs right and it flies.

It’s therefore a shame the Civic isn’t better through the bends. It doesn’t have much grip, steering feel is lacking and the darty setup makes it nervous on the motorway. The suspension knocks a bit on rough roads too, although it’s smoother at speed than the A3 and 1 Series.

Indeed, the BMW’s ride is generally pattery everywhere, and at times actually proves abrupt due to its run-flat tyres. But the pay-off is really eager handling. The rear-drive chassis has great balance, the steering is engaging and it’s a real blast to drive on twisting roads – far more fun than you’d expect given its family five-door profile.

The Golf and the Audi are similar, as you’d expect, given how both share underpinnings. Surprisingly though, we prefer the Golf. The Audi tries to be a bit sportier than the VW but doesn’t really pull it off, and the compromises in ride quality mean it’s less comfortable. It’s also, oddly, noisier than the Golf, despite both sharing the same engine.

In contrast, the Golf is the smoothest and quietest car to ride in, with the best all-round comfort and the most convincing ‘premium’ feel. It’s an excellent all-rounder that few will find fault with.

Inside, the space-age looks of the Civic are carried over. It’s very busy and unusual-looking, but it’s a pity it feels cheap with it. The Golf is the complete opposite. It’s relatively mundane but is much more solid than the Civic – indeed, it maybe gets the nod over the premium BMW here. The 1 Series is good, but a bit on the awkward side.

The Audi has the most expensive-feeling interior. It’s beautifully built from really high-quality materials and looks lovely by day or night. Mind you, the red backlighting on the centre console also makes it hard to read at night, and those stylish TT-like struts by front seat passenger’s knees can dig into them on a run.

The A3 is, like the others, otherwise generally comfortable for front-seat passengers (although Civic drivers’ necks will ache from all the craning they have to do because of poor rear visibility). In the rear, the Civic has a slight lack of headroom but, like the Golf and A3, is generally OK. The worst by far here is the cramped BMW. It’s difficult to get in and really tight once you’re there. Boot space is also poor, unlike the Civic, which has a massive boot.

Annoyingly for the Audi, it’s the most expensive to run, although the Civic isn’t far behind. The Golf boasts better fuel economy but it’s the sporty BMW 118d that betters them all. It and the Audi are more likely to have been fitted with options by the original owner too, making up for the fact both the Civic and the Golf have a better level of standard kit.