‘The Irish Times’ top 100 cars for 2016

You can read what follows in two ways, really. You can read it as being a list of our current favourite cars on sale, in order from one to 100, and that’s fine – heaven knows, we’ve been doing enough arguing back and forth over which car belongs where and how high up or down the list.

Actually, though, there’s a better way to read it and that’s as a list of the 100 cars most deserving of your attention come 161 plate time. We have catered for every taste, every whim and every price bracket. Whether you’re celebrating a lottery win or need to find something frugal enough to help stretch the household budget that bit further, there’s a car in this list for you.

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BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe Right, this is going to take a bit of explaining as we have decided to rate the BMW 4 Series both above and instead of the more popular 3 Series saloon. Why? Well, for a couple of reasons. When we first fell in love with the 3 Series, it was the two-door E30 that we loved, and the 4 Series is the modern successor to that car. Plus it looks so much better – leaner, lither and more luscious – than the 3. Ah, but what if you need the practicality of the saloon? Well, then, the best bet is to ignore the saloon and coupe and get the very practical 3 Series Touring estate. Otherwise, if you need something gorgeous but usable, get a four-door, fastback 4 Series Gran Coupe. Or, if you fancy something really exciting, the rip-roaring M4 coupe . . . Best buy: 420d Gran Coupe Price range: €46,280 to €108,180 CO2 emissions range: 109 to 213g/km

[ Read the full review ]

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Nissan Qashqai Almost two years on from the launch of this second generation Qashqai and the Nissan gravy train is showing no signs of decelerating. And why should it when the basic product is this good? It's roomy, practical, well made and surprisingly enjoyable to drive. Nissan sells a new one roughly every 62 seconds and that's no surprise. The 1.5 dCi has seriously impressive 99g/km CO2 emissions, but the 1.2 DGI Turbo petrol is well worth a look if most of your miles are in town. You have to spec the cabin carefully or it can look and feel a little too dowdy, and the ride can be annoyingly jittery at times. And it's not quite as roomy in the boot as some estate car rivals, in spite of the butch SUV styling. If you need more space, trade up to the mechanically-related seven-seat X-Trail. Best buy: 1.5 dCi SVE Price range: €26,795 to €36,245 CO2 emissions range: 99 to 139g/km

[ Read the full review ]

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Volvo XC90 This is is Volvo's big, bold leap into the future. True, making a large, luxury SUV is hardly the riskiest move in the modern car market, but the XC90 really is all Volvo's own work – every nut, every bolt – and that is a risk. Thankfully for the Swedes it turned out to be a good gamble and the XC90 is wonderfully handsome inside and out, and hugely relaxing to drive. Amazing touch-screen technology inside too. All come with seven seats as standard, and both the D4 and D5 diesel engines will do just fine. We're tempted to wait for the plug-in hybrid petrol T8, though, and take that first step on the electric car ladder. Some of the cabin quality is a critical half step behind the likes of Audi, and the ride could really do with being a bit gentler. Best buy: D5 Inscription Price range: €63,450 to €80,900 CO2 emissions range: 49 to 152g/km

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Volkswagen Golf Yes, Volkswagen is having its, er, issues right now but that shouldn't and doesn't detract from just what an excellent car the Golf still is. Beautifully made, responsive to drive and significantly more roomy than rivals such as the Ford Focus and Peugeot 308 – you can see why it's become the hatch Acme. It depends which Golf you want. Sensible? 1.6 TDI Bluemotion or 1.2 TSI Comfortline. Fun? GTI 230hp Power Kit. Insane? 300hp 4WD Golf R. There's the whole lying about emissions thing but that's rather outside the scope of this short entry. As a car, there's very little wrong with the Golf. Basic cabin feels too plain, while the e-Golf is still behind the best of the electric ranks, but that's about it. Best buy: 1.2 TSI Comfortline Price range: €20,225 to €45,750 CO2 emissions range: 0 to 165g/km

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Tesla Model S Still not officially available in Ireland, and a car that doesn't qualify for the Government's electric car rebate scheme, so you'll have to pay full whack for it if you privately import one. And yet it would be worth it – the Model S is without question the most ground- breaking car on this list. While the styling might be a touch anonymous, what's underneath has become a major catalyst for change in the entire car industry. Stacks of batteries give the Model S a genuine 500km one-charge range, making it the first truly practical electric car. Better still, massive electric motors give it Porsche-like (even Porsche-beating) performance, and the quality (aside from the occasional glitch) seems worth the price tag. You can even have it with seven seats . . . Best buy: Model S 85D AWD Price range: Approx €100,000 and up CO2 emissions range: 0g/km

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Mazda MX-5 It is, quite possibly, the best sports car of all time. Smaller and leaner than the bathtub-shaped model which preceded it, the new MX5 has a lovely, free-revving new 1.5-litre petrol engine, a gearshift taken from God's own parts catalogue and handling that is on the approachable side of sublime. On the right road, on the right day, nothing feels better than this to drive. You don't need to upgrade to the more powerful 2.0-litre version – the 1.5 SkyActiv-G petrol feels in perfect harmony with the chassis. More power just really misses the point. If you're tall, it's still quite cramped, and your head might be slightly above the top of the windscreen. Also, while there's nothing actually wrong with the 2 and 3 hatchback parts-bin cabin layout, it's a little uninspiring. Best buy: Basic 1.5. Price range: €27,995 to €29,995 CO2 emissions range: 139g/km

[ Read the full review ]

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Audi Q5 Somehow or other, the Q5 grew from being a rather bland SUV into Audi's best all-round car. A facelift a couple of years ago brought an improved cabin, slightly sharper exterior styling and better handling and dynamics, and now it's just really, really good. Well worth the premium over the smaller Q3 and darned near as good as the bigger Q7. A 2.0 TDI 190hp SE will do nicely. Avoid the S-Line pack – although it looks nice, it makes the ride too harsh. Beware the options list – it's incredibly easy to click a few buttons and end up with a €75,000 Q5 . . . Best buy: 2.0 TDI SE. Or, if you really fancy, 3.0 V6 TDI SQ5 Price range: €47,730 to €75,120 CO2 emissions range: 129 to 174g/m

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Skoda Superb A big family saloon that makes you wonder why anyone spends more money on an Audi. Forget the Volkswagen diesel scandal, this is a remarkably talented car with more space than you can shake a stick at (plus room for the stick) and tremendously good quality too. As good a family car as you'll find and it makes a decent affordable executive saloon too. The 1.6 diesel is a touch underpowered, so go for the 2.0-litre 150hp diesel instead. And despite Ireland's love affair with saloons, get the Combi estate – it's better-looking and even more practical than its booted brethren. The Superb doesn't steer or handle as sharply as its cousin the VW Passat, and it's a bit noisier inside too. And it's starting to look a little expensive for a Skoda, but weigh up all the pros and cons and it's a good buy. Best buy: Skoda Superb Combi 2.0 TDI 150hp Elegance Price range: €27,050 to €39,350 CO2 emissions range: 105 to 139g/km

[ Read the full review ]

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Lexus IS300h Okay, so the styling won't be to all tastes (that big pointy grille takes some getting used to), and many will still be put off by the hybrid element. But you really need to get past both and start revelling in the Seiko- watch quality and precision, the surprisingly entertaining handling and the utterly gorgeous and beautifully made cabin. And, if you tickle it very, very gently, you might just see the sunny side of 55mpg from the hybrid. We'd be tempted to go for the F-Sport, with its aggressive bodykit. If you're going to be different, you might as well go the whole hog, right? The biggest problem is the CVT gearbox, which is as dreadful as ever and leaves the engine droning annoyingly in the outside lane. Also, unless you take the time to learn its ways, the hybrid system can be hard to extract proper economy from. Best buy: IS300h F-Sport Price range: € 38,980 to €47,850 CO2 emissions range: 99 to 109g/km

[ Read the full review ]

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Mercedes-Benz S-Class The king of luxury cars welded its crown ever more tightly to its head with the current S-Class. It may look a bit quiet on the styling front, but the technology, comfort and refinement are streets ahead of the old one, even if, once again, it’s not quite as invigorating to drive as a BMW 7 Series or Jaguar XJ. Space is impressive, even in the standard wheelbase versions, and those seeking super-luxury accommodation should consider a new Maybach-badged long-wheelbase edition. The 3.0 diesel is all you really need, to be honest, but who could resist the charms of the mighty AMG V8 or a super-frugal plug-in hybrid? Best buy: S350CDI Price range: €99,780 to €223,240 CO2 emissions range: 65 to 259g/km