MINI

The brand that was a novelty last year has certainly driven itself into mainstream place in the car park, and there are more than 400 owners out there who undertand that they have a real car under them, not a toy. And with the most recent summerside arrival of the Cooper S supercharged version, they have a performance car as well if they want it, and for less than lesser-fast more established sporty saloons would set them back. The car has really broken the ‘cuteness’ barrier, and it is a credit that all the versions are built around the same 1.6-litre Chrysler engine. Upcoming is a 1.4-litre diesel from Toyota, which I’ve driven in the Yaris and found it to be a little smasher. I remember being prepared not to like this car, and now I quite love it. Stars: 8/10

BMW 3-Series

Is there any reason not to buy a BMW 3? Not for quite a lot of people in Ireland, who favour the sporty ethos of the Munich firm’s most important car against the more luxury theme of its competition on the other side of the Naas Road. The Compact is now a truly modern part of the 3, and very attractive to many eyes, but choices go all through saloon, touring, coupe and cabriolet, so there is much consideration to be done. Engines are a choiceful too, ranging from 1.8- to 3.3-litre in petrol and a brace of the best 2- and 3-litre diesels around. There’s less of a flash feel about the 3-series than in some of its competition (though you CAN go a bit brash if that’s your bag), which is much of the attraction. Stars: 8/10

BMW Z4 Roadster

Bluntly, this much more macho replacement for the toy-like Z3 is one of two roadsters that would be likely to convert me to the genre. Front engine and rear drive, as BMW insist is the way things should be to achieve the best possible car balance. The long bonnet and the driver sitting more or less on the back axle is also one of their roadster tenets. Now, I know I drove this in ideal conditions - twisty mountain roads in late autumn sunshine - but I suspect its arrival here will strongly boost BMW sports car sales in this country. The essential bits are tried and proven, like the 2.5- and 3-litre engines, and the rear suspension from the 3-Series. Sticking also to their traditions, BMW also decreed that it should be a soft-top only, so there’ll be no tin-hat option. Stars: 8/10

BMW 5-Series

There are those who would tell you that this is the best mid-sized car in the world from a driver’s point of view. And they might be right. But for us, the superb dynamics are being overtaken by a number of brands in the matter of sheer ‘I want that’ factor, because how many people who buy a 5-Series drive them to their dynamic limits? And, truth to tell, it is this writer’s feeling that the car outside and inside is, well, dull in execution. Not quite 21st century. Doesn’t matter, really, what I think, it is still a staple good seller for the brand, and the fact of the upcoming replacement sometime in the next 12 months won’t make a jot of difference to person who just wants one, now or later. There are 2.2- to 5-litre engines, with a price range to match. And not even I can gainsay the quality and value for the real motorist. Stars: 7/10

BMW 7-Series

Flagship BMW. Big. German. For big car lovers who also value engineering excellence, top of the list. Superb to drive on the long haul, without outpacer in refinement. Not the most aesthetically styled car in the world, with that metallic bustle in the bootlid. And I’ve got real concerns about the much-lauded I-Drive, which is basically a way of twiddling which information you want the big centre-dash screen to show, including TV channels (while stopped, of course). But that reservation is probably because I’m not a Nintendo-trained teenager. But the 3.6- and 4.4-litre V8 engines are a dream to drive behind, and the diesel options are upcoming in January. Stars: 8/10

BMW X-5

The ultimate luxury SUV? Well, maybe Range Rover could argue the point, and Mercedes might also be adverse to the suggestion, but there’s little doubt that the X5 is one of the absolute best of the species. It drives better than most, and has some of the best engines in the business, while the interior finish is nothing less than classy. And there’s an intriguing wide range of cost and running affordability with, unusually, the 3-litre diesel being the ‘cheapest’ against petrol options of 3-, 4.4- and 4.6-litre power. And right too, because its 184bhp and 29.1mpg are both respectable enough in their widely different ways to warrant the choice. The upper-level petrol engines come with autoboxes as standard. The very low level of depreciation must be mentioned as a very big plus to anyone buying one. Stars: 8/10