Should you buy one?

The Toyota C-HR claimed our 2018 Car of the Year Award, so we can recommend one, all these years on. But only if you’re in the market for a left-of-centre hybrid SUV and you don’t need oodles of interior and storage space for your family.

If your needs aren’t so niche, and if practicality is your thing, it’s hard to look past more sensible options like the Skoda Kamiq, Nissan Qashqai and Ford Puma. But none of those will match the C-HR’s excellent fuel consumption and servicing and warranty support. Another string in its bow is that it also attracts low tax, making it an excellent choice for company car drivers.

Still after a C-HR? We’d recommend a base model 1.8-litre. It still has plenty of kit and 50mpg will be easily achievable. The additional power from the larger 2.0-litre engine doesn’t really make its presence felt on the road.

What we like

You’ll get close to achieving the official MPG figures in real-world driving – which is not always the case with its closest rivals. And despite it not being billed as a sporting car, the C-HR is surprisingly keen to drive.

What we don’t like

You’ll most likely get used to the mooing that comes from the engine thanks to the unusual transmission. But it’s still annoying and counter intuitive. The infotainment looks and feels very old, and if you’re coming in from one of its rivals, the C-HR will feel like a retrograde step in this respect.