2016 Hits and misses: Best Daily Driver

Andrew Maclean: Volkswagen Tiguan?

It's our new Car of the Year for good reason as it is spacious, comfortable, economical, drives well and has all the latest safety tricks. The Tiguan is a great example of the modern family SUV.

Stephen Ottley: Mazda CX-9

Mazda's latest generation models have left me a little bit underwhelmed - until now. The all-new CX-9 is not only the best family-sized SUV in its part of the market, it is the best car I've ever driven from the Japanese brand.

It has fixed the problems I have always been frustrated by with Mazdas, namely the new turbocharged petrol engine offers good low down pulling power and the CX-9 has a quiet, refined and nicely presented cabin.

David McCowen: Ford Focus RS

While impressively-executed family SUVs such as the Volkswagen Tiguan and Mazda CX-9 are easy to live with, the new Ford Focus RS is a car after my own heart. It's the perfect combination of ingredients - a practical body shell, manual transmission, power to spare and sharp dynamics - to make every drive an event.  

Mark Short: Holden Commodore SS-V Redline?

I'm partial to a muscle car and need room for the family so a Holden Commodore SS-V Redline is my pick. From the second you start the 'LS3' V8 you have a smile on your face. Holden finally has the perfect Commodore, offering plenty of grunt, it sounds great, has big brakes, rides & handles very well and is comfortable in a good looking package. I'll have one while I still can!

Kez Casey: Mazda3

With a range that stretches from budget to premium the Mazda3 is hard to pass up as a go-to for daily commuter duty. It might not be as exciting as more sporting models, yet it still drives beautifully, eagerly, and comfortably.

Interior presentation puts it on par with more premium hatches, and a huge model spread sees something for everyone, with decent frugal petrol engines providing the right amount of punch for a life of city crawling and weekends away.

Peter McKay: Hyundai i30

My urban runabout choice last year was the Hyundai i30. Slam me for a lack of imagination but 12 months later, it's still the daily driver I favour. The value is extraordinary - under $20,000 - and it's fuel efficient, reliable, has handy infotainment, isn't remotely fugly, carries five backsides, offers hatchback versatility, slots into small parking spaces in the city and also motors along highways comfortably.  Plus cheap insurance, running costs, and a five-year warranty.  Only downside; it's up for replacement soon.

Toby Hagon: Holden Commodore SS-V

It's a no brainer, the Holden Commodore SS-V. Superb value, even better performance and thoroughly practical. We'll miss 'em this time next year when Australian manufacturing switches the lights out...

Stephen Corby: BMW M2

Sure, it's a bit expensive, but some cars are worth extending your mortgage for, or selling some unused organs, or children, and the BMW M2 is one of them. At (notionally) less than $100K it's also cheaper than a Porsche, and more practical, because it kind of has rear seats.

It's not just that the M2 is spectacular, old-school, manual-gearboxed fun on a winding bit of road, either (although that's obviously the main reason). It's actually compliant enough, and docile enough in Comfort mode, to be a daily driver that you could live with in the city. And small enough to be easy to park, too. Far and away the most real-world-fun car of my 2016.

Cameron McGavin: Mazda CX-9

If I'd driven the Volkswagen Tiguan or Holden Astra as this was written I might be making strong noises about them, but I haven't. And Honda's new Civic, while a serious return to form for the Japanese brand, isn't quite a gold-standard small car. So this well thought out, beautifully executed Mazda gets the gong, despite being about the size of a house and having more seats than I'd ever need.

David Morley: Tesla Model S P100D

I'm about as renaissance as a torture chamber. But these days, even I have solar panels on my roof. And if the dual-engined Tesla is what electric cars are about, then gimme gimme.

Jonathan Hawley: Mercedes-AMG E63 S

Hey, call me elitist but who wouldn't want to have a 450kW Mercedes E63 S AMG parked in the driveway? After all, it accelerates like a Ferrari and the new all-wheel-drive system has tamed previous tail-happy shenanigans while subtracting seconds from the lap time. But the smaller 4.0-litre (still twin-turbo) V8 at least gives the promise of achievable fuel consumption, the ride comfort is better than acceptable, plus it's got five seats and a boot for practicality's sake. The only downsides? Not here until next year, and I can't afford it.

Daniela Intili: Jaguar F-Pace R-Sport 30d

Jaguar took its time joining fellow luxury car makers Porsche, Maserati, BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the SUV foray but it was worth the wait. It's a ridiculously good-looking car that drives superbly and has great safety and tech features. The waterproof wristband used to lock and unlock the car feels very James Bond like.