The 50 Best cars - Gadgets & Tech - IndyBest - The Independent Rolls-Royce Ghost rolls-roycemotorcars.com, from £200,500 BMW successfully reimagined the Mini, now it's reinventing Rolls-Royce. The Ghost captures the elegance for which the RR badge is famous. Bentley Mulsanne bentleymotors.com, from £224,700 An outstanding product that carries forward decades of fine car building at Bentley's UK factory in Crewe. Thanks to big investment by VW, it gets all the latest technology as well. Jaguar XJ jaguar.com, from £56,260 A big car but a light one, thanks to its clever aluminium body structure. The design team has also reflected the feline qualities of past Jags in this thoroughly modern shape. Mercedes-Benz CLS mercedes-benz.co.uk, from £47,600 At first, this secondgeneratoion CLS struggled to match the impact of the original. But the new CLS Shooting Brake estate version puts it back at the top of the tree. Eco-friendly: Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid toyota.co.uk, from £28,245 The Prius was a trail-blazer, and this latest plug-in version enhances its appeal. Now, with a mains top-up, it can travel 15 miles in electric-only mode. Smart Fortwo uk.smart.com, from £9,475 The Smart Fortwo is roomy and comfortable - but only for two, while its tiny dimensions make parking a doddle. The long-awaited electric version hits UK showrooms this year. Renault Twizy renault.co.uk, from £6,795 plus £45 per month battery rental A large quadricycle rather than a proper car, the Twizy is one of the most convincing electric vehicles to make it onto the market so far. Nissan Leaf nissan.co.uk, from £23,490 Not your average Nissan, the brilliant all-electric Leaf has just had a £2,500 price-cut. Most drivers, though, still won't be able to live with this car's limited battery range. Chevrolet Volt chevrolet.co.uk, from £30,255 An electric car without range anxiety - that's the compelling proposition offered by the Volt. Its batteries will last up to 50 miles on a mains top-up before its petrol engine cuts in. Sporty: Audi RS4 Avant audi.co.uk, from £54,925 Supercar performance in an estate body - the RS4 Avant offers everything except great fuel economy. The V8 engine provides thrilling acceleration but enthusiasts will mourn the loss of the manual gearbox. Subaru BRZ subaru.co.uk, from £24,995 The fruit of a link-up between Subaru and Toyota, the BRZ is an old-school rear-wheel drive sports car that's an awful lot of fun to drive. The throbby beat of Subaru's four-cylinder boxer engine only adds to the appeal. Ford Focus ST ford.co.uk, from £21,995 The new ST is a sweet, smooth and subtle thing, with none of the rough edges of previous fast Fords. One big surprise - this latest ST sounds and goes almost as well as its predecessor, despite its smaller engine. Porsche 911 porsche.com/uk, from £71,449 The glorious Porsche 911 is 50 years old and it has only had two full updates in all that time. One thing has remained unchanged throughout, though; a rear-engined layout that shouldn't work but does. BMW 6-Series bmw.co.uk, from £59,870 The 6-Series is a sports car for our times - the majority sold are powerful diesels, which would have been unimaginable a few years ago. The fourdoor Gran Coupé is a convincing rival for Mercedes" CLS. Off-roaders: Dacia Duster dacia.co.uk, from £8,995 You may not have heard of this Romanian-badged, Indian-built bargain before but it's backed by Renault. You won't get this much capable SUV for so little money anywhere else. Mitsubishi Outlander mitsubishi-cars.co.uk, from £23,699 The latest Outlander is a bit understated but scores with refinement, a seven-seat option and great emissions and fuel economy. SsangYong Korando ssangyonggb.co.uk, from £16,995 This new Korean contender lacks the polish of Japanese and European rivals but offers a lot for the price. It vies with Dacia for value-for-money. Land Rover Defender landrover.com, from £21,410 The magnificent Defender, which can trace its roots back to 1948, won't be with us for ever, so enjoy it while it lasts. Crude but effective - and a lot cheaper than a Merc G-Wagen. Range Rover landrover.com, from £71,295 This all-new Range Rover is 400kg lighter, with huge benefits for economy and performance. Always a top off-roader, it now competes with the best luxury saloons. Fashionable: Range Rover Evoque landrover.com, from £29,195 The achingly stylish Evoque has become a common sight on British roads but still turns heads. Now it's being offered with the world's first ninespeed automatic gearbox. Citroën DS3 citroen.co.uk, from £12,700 The DS3 was the first model in Citroën's up-market DS range, and it's still the most convincing. Thanks to a huge array of personalisation options, you can stamp your identity on it. Vauxhall Adam vauxhall.co.uk, from £11,255 The oddly named Adam isn't very exciting to drive but will brighten your existence with its huge range of zanily named trim levels, fancy paint colours and funky interiors. Hyundai Veloster hyundai-car.co.uk, from £18,000 The Veloster is a slightly dull drive but scores points for its looks. Its unusual body with one door on one side and two on the other works well. Mini mini.co.uk, from £11,870 The Mini is more than just a car these days; it's an entire range, offering seven different body types. The original three-door hatch is still the most convincing - and the cheapest. Cheap and cheerful: Volkswagen up! volkswagen.co.uk, from £8,095 The up! returns Volkswagen to its roots as a maker of small, cheap cars but still delivers great levels of quality and fun. If you don't fancy a VW, you can get this car, with minor tweaks, as a Seat or a Skoda. Fiat 500 fiat.co.uk, from £9,960 Fiat has always been better at small cars than large ones The 500, which recalls the famous 1950s model, is one of its best. All versions work well but the characterful two-cylinder TwinAir offers the most fun. Dacia Sandero dacia.co.uk, from £5,995 Renault's budget brand is taking the UK by storm thanks to keen pricing, but if you want a Sandero for £5,995 you'll have to wind your own windows and do without air con. Still, it's unbeatable value. Fiat Panda fiat.co.uk, from £8,900 Ever since the Fiat 500 arrived, the Panda has lived in the shadow of its more fashionable stablemate but still has plenty going for it. Space, comfort and a different sort of style are its strong points. Kia Picanto kia.co.uk, from £7,795 The Picanto is a great example of how Kia is moving beyond its humble budget roots with cars that combine keen pricing with real style and ability. Beaten by Volkswagen's up! for cabin quality though. Mainstream: Mercedes A-Class mercedes-benz.co.uk, from £18,970 Mercedes has finally got it right with this excellent third-gen A-Class, which abandons the narrow, tall look of its predecessors. Seat Leon seat.co.uk, from £15,670 The all-new Leon uses the same weight-saving body as its sister model - the latest VW Golf - with impressive results. The centrepiece of Seat's strongest range ever. Mercedes E-Class mercedes-benz.co.uk, from £32,400 The E-Class has had a mid-life revamp. The E 300 BlueTEC diesel-electric hybrid version delivers low emissions and high performance. Kia cee'd kia.co.uk, from £14,395 The first cee'd, launched back in 2007, put Kia on the map in Europe. Now this impressive second-generation model adds a big dollop of polish but keeps the old car's keen pricing. Volvo V40 volvocars.com/uk, from £19,995 This is Volvo's first car since it left Ford's ownership - and it's good. Younger and sportier than previous Volvos but with the safety features you expect. Volkswagen Golf volkswagen.co.uk, from £16,285 With this seventh-gen model, the Golf goes from strength to strength. It uses Volkswagen's radical weight-saving MQB architecture. Honda Civic honda.co.uk, from £16,995 Hondas contain a lot of great engineering but are sometimes a bit too understated for their own good. The new 1.6-litre diesel engine is one of the best in the business. BMW 3-Series bmw.co.uk, from £23,180 BMW has been making the 3-Series since 1975 and this is the best yet, with great engines and lots of poise. Those who want more space can opt for the Touring estate. BMW 5-Series bmw.co.uk, from £30,430 If you're looking for a car in this bracket, there should be a 5-Series for you. From the miserly but still quick 520d EfficientDynamics to the storming M5, BMW has the lot. Jaguar XF jaguar.com, from £29,940 The XF is getting on a bit now, but a facelift, an expanding engine range and the addition of the handsome Sportbrake estate have kept it fresh. Matches its German rivals. Peugeot 208 peugeot.co.uk, from £9,995 Peugeot has struggled quite a bit lately but this is a pretty convincing effort. That said, the forthcoming GTI will have to be very good if the 208 is going to be a worthy successor to the legendary 205. Audi A3 audi.co.uk, from £17,905 The new A3 doesn't look much different to the old one but under the skin Audi has cut weight and improved the engines, giving it a much sharper feel. The five-door Sportback is now roomier. Seat Toledo seat.co.uk, from £12,495 A prettier sister to Skoda's new Rapid, the Toledo is hard to beat for space, quality and value, but it's not particularly exciting to drive. A handsome car likely to appeal to the head rather than the heart. Alfa Romeo Giulietta alfaromeo.co.uk, from £17,760 Alfa Romeo's range has been cut to just two models, the Giulietta and the Mito, but they are among the best of Alfa's recent efforts. The Golf-sized Giulietta offers more style at the price than most rivals. Renault Clio renault.co.uk, from £10,595 Renault's cars have lost some of their sparkle over the years. This latest Clio recovers some of that lost va va voom, but it's slightly pricey compared with the Dacia Sandero with which it shares the same showrooms. Practical: Ford Tourneo Custom ford.co.uk, from £28,285 Ignore the unfamiliar name - this is the latest version of the Transit with extra windows and seats, and it's remarkably refined and comfortable given its commercial roots. Volkswagen Sharan volkswagen.co.uk, from £24,300 A great all-rounder, offering high levels of comfort, quality and versatility, although Ford's Galaxy and S-Max edge ahead on the driving front. Ford B-Max ford.co.uk, from £12,995 Ford's B-Max thrashes its small MPV rivals with a single big innovation - an enormous side opening thanks to clever structural work that does away with the central "B pillar." Vauxhall Zafira Tourer vauxhall.co.uk, from £20,135 Despite tough competition from Ford, Vauxhall's people carriers, particularly the Zafira, are standing up pretty well. One curiosity - the old Zafira is still available at a lower price. Citroën C3 Picasso citroen.co.uk, from £12,995 Practical, stylish and keenly priced, the C3 Picasso offers a lot more space and comfort for the money than most rivals - and it's better value still if you can catch a discount offer.