The A3 compact saloon vs the hatch October 28, 2013 Audi is taking a punt on this new-ish segment. We find it has bags of character, if not the “oomph” factor IF THERE’S a niche to be filled in the car market, Audi is often the first there. And so it is with the new compact Audi A3 Saloon, the 47th model in Audi’s line [...]
Not convinced? October 28, 2013 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… BMW 1 SERIES COUPE 120D PRICE: £24,145 0-62MPH: 7.6 SECS TOP SPEED: 142MPH CO2 G/KM: 124G/KM MPG COMBINED: 60.1MPG THE VERDICT: DESIGN Two stars PERFORMANCE Three stars PRACTICALITY Three stars VALUE FOR MONEY Three stars MERCEDES CLA 220 CDI SPORT PRICE: £29,355 0-62MPH: 8.2 SECS TOP SPEED: 143MPH CO2 G/KM: 117G/KM MPG COMBINED: 62.8MPG THE [...]
A smaller SUV that can’t compete October 21, 2013 The Chevrolet Trax is uglier, noisier and worse value than its Nissan, Peugeot and Renault equivalents OVER the last few years, SUVs have been shrinking. Small SUV crossovers – which are commonly offered with two-wheel drive, as well as four-wheel drive – have proved a big hit in the UK, particularly with city drivers who [...]
Mercedes but not as you know it October 14, 2013 The blisteringly fast A45 AMG is just the car to attract the younger audience the German carmaker craves IN case you hadn’t noticed, Mercedes-Benz has transformed its strange wedge-shaped and conservative little A-Class into one of the most stylish cars around. Gone is the unspeakably dull styling and comfort-focused setup of old. Instead the A-Class [...]
Not convinced? October 14, 2013 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… AUDI S3 PRICE: £32,120 0-62MPH: 4.8 secs TOP SPEED: 155mph CO2 G/KM: 159g/km MPG COMBINED: 40.9mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Three Stars PERFORMANCE Four Stars PRACTICALITY Four Stars VALUE FOR MONEY Three Stars BMW M135i PRICE: £32,255 0-62MPH: 4.9 secs TOP SPEED: 155mph CO2 G/KM: 175g/km MPG COMBINED: 37.7mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Three Stars PERFORMANCE Four [...]
Review: the new BMW 4 Series October 7, 2013 Whatever you think about the name change, this new coupé is fast, fun and excellent value for money I used to love Opal Fruits as a kid. I would dance about the lounge with a mouthful of them, humming the theme tune to the advert. Then, in 1998, they changed the name to Starburst and [...]
Not convinced? October 7, 2013 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… AUDI S5 PRICE: £59,350 0-62MPH: 4.5 secs TOP SPEED: 155mph CO2 G/KM: 149g/km MPG COMBINED: 49.6mpg The VERDICT: DESIGN Four Stars PERFORMANCE Four Stars PRACTICALITY Four Stars VALUE FOR MONEY Four Stars MERCEDES C-CLASS COUPE PRICE: £38,315 0-62MPH: 6 secs TOP SPEED: 140mph CO2 G/KM: 164g/km MPG COMBINED: 40mpg The VERDICT: DESIGN Three Stars PERFORMANCE [...]
The new 911: the ultimate geek car September 23, 2013 This tech-heavy, street-legal racer will have petrol-heads panting with anticipation IT’S bonkers fast, isn’t it?”, says my co-driver as we climb out of the latest Porsche 911 Turbo S. We’ve been chasing Alex Riberas, one of Porsche’s junior drivers, around the race track at Bilster Berg, Germany, at appropriately blistering speeds. It’s a tricky circuit, [...]
Not convinced? September 23, 2013 TRY THESE INSTEAD Ferrari 458, £178,526 Ferrari’s most beautiful car in recent years is a step up price-wise (you can easily the spec the car to above £200,000), though you’ll be pleased to hear it comes with carbon ceramic brakes as standard. Powered by a 570bhp 4.5-litre V8 petrol engine, 0-62mph takes just 3.4 seconds [...]
Who said Volvos were boring? September 16, 2013 Volvo’s new V60 Plug-In Hybrid is proof that sensible and cool are not mutually exclusive THERE was a time when the Volvo estate was thought of as the most sensible car imaginable, a large, boxy family vehicle parked outside a semi-detached house on a suburban cul-de-sac awaiting its sole function; ferrying children about as safely [...]