Acura ILX

The technical twin is the Honda Civic. Suspension, arms, dampers, calipers, pads and filters are shared, sit on shelves here, and cost what a Civic's cost.

The cosmetics are the opposite. The grille, the sharp wings, the bumpers, the bonnet and above all the Jewel Eye LED headlamps are Acura's alone. A front impact means ordering from the States rather than a tour of the yards, and that can double the repair against the same damage on a Civic.

After the 2016 facelift there is one configuration: the naturally aspirated 2.4 K24, 201 hp, no turbo, and it takes an LPG conversion without complaint. The 2013-2015 cars are not that -- the base engine there is a 2.0 and there are 1.5 hybrids, so the year decides which engine you are looking at.

The gearbox is unusual and good: an eight-speed dual-clutch that keeps a torque converter. It shifts like a DSG but pulls away smoothly in traffic, without the shunt that wears dry dual-clutch packs out.

Drive is front-wheel only, on all of them. Unlike the larger Acuras there is no SH-AWD and never was, so that is not what to check -- check whether the trim is Premium or Technology, because from there up come heated leather, lane keeping and adaptive cruise, which European compacts of these years rarely carry together.