Roadtests

Weekend road test: Toyota Auris Touring Sports Icon 1600

9 November 2013

Powered from Wales, built in Britain and destined for Europe, a lot is riding in the back of the Toyota Auris Touring Sports. It is the most significant model yet produced by Toyota in the UK and since its launch this summer it has been selling very well across Europe. An extensive 14 model range from £15,600 to £22,845 comes in four trim levels with … [Read more...]

Weekend road test: Mazda CX-5 2.2 Sport AWD

2 November 2013

Cross-overs are the driving force for more manufacturers. They combine one set of benefits with another, effectively giving a buyer not one but two models in one car and most popular of these today is the medium-sized SUV with some sort of all-wheel-drive. It may be either part or full time, and mainly intended for wintry roads and light off-road … [Read more...]

Weekend road test: Honda Civic 1.6 DTEC ES T Manual

26 October 2013

Honda’s latest diesel engine has not moved the goal-posts in the market, it has introduced a completely new game and left existing players in the dressing room. We were accustomed to gradual economy and performance improvements with diesel engines but the new Honda i-DTEC 1.6 has taken big strides in economy, performance and low emissions. While … [Read more...]

New BMW X5 builds on success

26 October 2013

The third generation BMW X5 SUV, or Sports Activity Vehicle as BMW calls it, goes on sale in the UK from 16 November priced from £42,590 and rising to £63,920. But in reality the on-the-road prices will be much higher due to must-have options and packs. There is the £2,760 Design Pure Experience pack, the £2,160 Design Pure Excellence and £2,995 … [Read more...]

Skoda kicks up the dust with its sporting models

21 October 2013

It's an unlikely brand to shoulder its way into the performance market but Skoda punches above its weight in many ways. Skoda, a full member of the Volkswagen Group since 2000, started as a bicycle manufacturing business in 1894 and the links to cycling continue today with vehicle support for the Tour de France, Tour of Britain and most recently Ride … [Read more...]

Weekend roadtest: New Jeep Grand Cherokee

19 October 2013

The iconic American heavyweight in its new form is in so much demand in its home market that right hand drive models for the UK are very limited. Nothing says more about the heritage of the Jeep brand than the latest Grand Cherokee models are still built in motor city Detroit, albeit a significantly updated production line with retrained quality … [Read more...]

Weekend roadtest: Suzuki Swift Sport 5dr

12 October 2013

Suzuki has brought a new look and practicality to its sporting Swift model with the addition of a five-door body. While giving it more versatility it has lost none of its verve. On sale since January with three-door bodystyle the make-over has also added a high level brake light in the roof-top spoiler and one-touch closure to the driver’s side window … [Read more...]

Weekend roadtest: Lexus IS 300h

5 October 2013

Britain’s executive car market is the envy of Europe and the latest Lexus IS 300h has been carefully pitched into the sector, and comes out very well. Using proven hybrid technology from Lexus’s larger models, the 300h is the first hybrid in the IS series where they are counting on its mixture of petrol and electric power to give it tax and running costs … [Read more...]

Weekend roadtest: Mitsubishi Mirage 1.3

28 September 2013

The Mirage has been a shimmering success for Mitsubishi in Britain and it’s easy to see why. The new five-door only version arrived this spring with a simple choice of 70 bhp 1.0 or 79bhp 1.2 5speeders and optional CVT on the higher output version. We tested the manual 1.2 Mirage3, expected to be a strong seller priced towards the top of the four-model … [Read more...]

Subtle changes make the BMW 5 Series still better for 2014