After the awful Almera, which understandably never sold particularly well in the ultra-competitive UK family hatchback market, Nissan decided they need to do something a bit different to be able to claim a stake against the likes of the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf. So they introduced the Note and then the Qashqai to reflect the trend towards four-wheel-drive SUVs, but without the four-wheel-drive or the SUV price tag.

Nissan have therefore designed the Qashqai to have the appearance of a trendy 4x4, although it's actually just a family hatchback-sized (and priced) car. The downside is that the extra height limits its handling, two-wheel-drive means it'll never be any good off-road - and the fact that it shares similar dimensions to a Ford Focus means it's not especially practical either.

However the Qashqai feels comfortable behind the wheel, benefits from some excellent Renault diesel engines and is well-equipped right from the base model up. On top of that, prices are very competitive even if the residuals aren't as rock-solid as a Golf's. Discounts in AutoeBid's reverse auction are also good, making the Qashqai a great proposition if you're in the market for something a bit different.