Practical, capacious and easy to live with - the family hatchback has a distinctive criteria set to match-up to. Here are the models that did - and didn't - float the boat of Top Gear's new front man, Chris Evans, when he drove them during the last year.

'Hi boss. I'm too ill to make it in today.' It's a phone call we've all had to make at some point, but a survey has found many drivers pick up their car keys despite phoning in sick. And while almost half said they'd call in sick if they ahd a broken arm, 21 per cent would still get behind the wheel with it.

We have to thank McLaren on behalf of the British automotive industry for taking the supercar fight to Italy in such audacious fashion, with such sincere gusto, unblinking commitment and relentless passion. It's nothing short of incredible how far the warriors at Woking have come in such a short time.

My brother, who is 84 years old, has just received a letter saying he has won £325k in the People's Postcode Lottery. We are both extremely suspicious, but the letter looks so official that if it is a scam, it might well trick a lot of people.There is a People's Postcode Lottery, warns Tony Hetherington, but this isn't from it.

Family-run Chard, based in Blackpool, which has 15 staff and an £8 million turnover, has seen an increase in demand for gold and silver in the run-up to the vote on June 23. The company says this is due to investor concerns that, whatever the result, there will be an effect on the economy, stock market and currency. While voters tossing Chard's gold coin to decide their vote would have a 50:50 chance either way, the bookmakers' odds on Brexit have narrowed sharply suggesting far from even odds.

Oxford Open Learning has developed a 'profession picker' quiz, which you can take to find which career could be the best fit for your skills. One in ten Britons are tempted to start a new career within the next 12 months, with money the largest motivator according to its research. Of these as many as 58 per cent would retrain to get a foot in the door.

For the past 15 years, he has worked as a freelance public relations adviser and fundraising consultant for numerous charities. He is also a patron of Brathay Trust, a charity that helps vulnerable young people get their lives back on track. With wife Katy, a 32-year-old Good Morning Britain reporter, he lives in a 200-year-old cottage in Stratford-upon-Avon and is currently filming a Second World War drama.

We look at how books can prove shrewd investments. Sarah Henshaw (pictured), who runs The Book Barge, believes early Penguin classics can be a great option for those on a tight budget. It can seem a daunting prospect to start collecting but thanks to the internet there is no need to feel overwhelmed as it enables you to explore the market in your own time looking for favourite reads.

From the numbers it would seem abundantly clear to me that a big chunk of people who wanted to either get into buy-to-let, or snap up another one, pulled forward purchases. Not only are these buy-to-let investors now going to be missing from the rest of the year's property market, but investing has got less attractive for others too, so what next for the market?

While some say it's time to go, annoyance at Brussels paperwork and administration do not outweigh the benefits of EU membership, claims Jeff Lynn, founder and chief executive of crowdfunding firm Seedrs. As argument rages over the soon-to-arrive EU membership referendum, we talk to key bosses on each side of the divide.

Jacqueline Gold started out as an intern at Ann Summers in the 1970s, when it was a small chain of sex shops owned by her father. Today she's in charge. It turns over £140m a year and she is one of the richest women in the UK. In this week's Start-Up Secrets, she reveals the sexism she encountered, and why Ann Summers will never go the way of BHS.

Bradgate Bakery, part of catering giant Samworth Brothers which owns Ginsters pasties and makes half of the UK's pork pies, is to cut back on overtime, paid breaks and weekend perks for its 5,000 staff after legal changes introduced last month. The firm has denied making cuts after criticism from Labour MP Joan Ryan during a debate on the living wage in Parliament in April.

A deal is expected imminently with one source suggesting it could be signed as soon as Monday. Administrator Duff & Phelps is weighing up three bids for the whole group. Offers from Poundstretcher, Matalan founder John Hargreaves and a mystery private equity bidder are being considered. A bid from Sports Direct's Mike Ashley is understood to be out of the running.

While you may use in-store loyalty cards, or scour the internet for good deals, there could be a whole host of unused perks and discounts sitting right under your nose. From free hotel stays, to money off designer labels and free gift cards - we round up the best shareholder offers and compare them.

I need to borrow some money to pay for some home improvements and I'd like to free up some cash to be able to help my kids, but I don't want equity release. What are the other options that I have and can I get a mortgage? Our experts answer a reader's questions.

The average price of a home in England will be more than £450,000 in 2030, new research mapping out what house prices could look like across the UK claims. Estate agents eMoov admitted that this was simply a projection of 'what may happen' but said that it had done so not to celebrating such a potential rise but warn of the consequences.

The first handful of staff members have taken advantage of Starbucks 'home sweet loan' initiative in Britain, according to the global coffee giant. This includes 25 year-old Marta Swiac who works at its Covent Garden branch - she has borrowed £1,218 for a deposit on a two-bedroom flat in Hendon.

On January 19, I made flight and hotel reservations for four people to travel from Bristol to Jersey in June using travel website Expedia. The next day, Expedia told me it was unable to confirm seats on the plane as the flight was fully booked. So I cancelled the package and booked a different trip.

When Strictly Come Dancing star Anya Garnis found the perfect home to buy with her boyfriend, she was thrilled. The 34-year-old dancer from Russia and her British partner put an offer on their dream London flat, only to discover npower had wrecked his credit rating due to the energy firm's own blunder.

This is Money is launching a new regular series called 'a coffee with...' where we will chat to some of the most colourful bosses and financial commentators in the personal finance sphere. As part of the launch, consumer affairs editor Lee Boyce speaks to AO.com founder John Roberts.

Unwary first-time buyers could be pushed needlessly into smaller properties or different areas due to the 'dark art' of mortgage affordability calculators. Using a joint income of £75,000 and a deposit of £25,000 our investigations uncovered a near £200,000 difference between lenders' calculators' mortgage amounts.

To clear the average national household debt of ?13,000 at 6% interest with a monthly repayment of ?100 will take around 17 years. There are, however, plenty of simple ways to make significant savings on your regular spending that could clear your debt - or boost your savings - in less than a year. This is Money's top 50 - updated - money-saving tips may appear light-hearted but are deadly serious.

Choosing the right DIY platform is crucial but a wealth of choice and changes to charges have left many investors scratching their heads. We pick some of the best. We also highlight why investing in an Isa makes sense, as it should protect your hopefully growing investments from tax forever.

George Osborne's continued austerity revealed in his 2016 Budget is likely to keep rates on hold for longer. Inflation expectations have been revised down for 2016 to 0.7 per cent, while Brexit uncertainty and slow global growth are also playing on rate-setters' minds.

Musicians have seen pay rises averaging nearly 20 per cent in 2015, while cleaners are getting 17.8 per cent more, and window cleaners 12.3 per cent. Artists in general are earning 14.6 per cent more in 2015 than 2014, according to the huge annual data dump of pay scales by the Office For National Statistics highlights.