Universal Car Rent

A round of applause, please, for the UK's most satisfying car to own in 2007 – Skoda's unbeatable Octavia. Having been pipped at the post by Honda's S2000 last year, the Octavia has edged ahead this time round. Breaking new ground for the Czech company, the latest model has won over its drivers with its breathtaking strength in depth.

Its lowest score in any category is 30th for comfort – a result that many rivals languishing lower down the chart would be very grateful for. Netting an amazing seven top 10 positions, the Octavia falls short of first place in any one category, but is the overall winner through sheer all-round consistency. Putting more expensive models from its Volkswagen parent company to shame, the Skoda gets excellent reviews for its reliability and build quality. More impressive is that you don't need to spend the earth to get this sort of dependability – used versions of the latest Octavia are already available for only £6,000.

The popularity of the hot hatch-chasing vRS variants has also helped to boost the Skoda's dynamic scores, with sixth place for performance and braking proving the quality of the Octavia's engineering. Another top rating for Skoda's family car came in the practicality chart. Even the five-door model has a big enough boot to put many rivals to shame, but opt for the estate and you will own one of the most versatile models on the market. It all adds up to a well deserved win for a top-value, top-class Driver Power champion.