Range Rover Evoque
25-04-2012 14:49The Range Rover Evoque - the smallest Range Rover ever produced - is one of those Marmite cars that divide opinions. You either love it or you hate it.

Read More

Honda Accord 2.2i DTEC Saloon
25-04-2012 14:48The Honda Accord just oozes quality. It's often an intangible feeling, but when you sit in this distinctive and roomy saloon you know you're in an exceptionally well built car.

Read More

Kia Optima
25-04-2012 14:48The Kia Optima - the Korean manufacturer's latest foray into the competitive mid-size saloon market - is taking the world by storm. It shot to the top of the Korean best seller list on launch, and demand in the US is so big that Kia has had to start building them there in a new factory in Georgia.

Read More

Fiat 500C
24-04-2012 09:00It may have been the depths of winter when I tested it, but Fiat’s convertible baby – the 500C – brought a whiff of summer to an otherwise dreary week.

Read More

Chrysler Ypsilon 875 Twin Air
24-04-2012 08:58The Chrysler Ypsilon supermini has a lot going for it. It has eye-catching design features, in particular a striking retro-styled front grille. It is highly specified, with lots of extras you only would expect to find on a larger car. It is ultra-economical and it squeezes a lot into just 3.8 metres. Oh, and it parks itself magically.

Read More

Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer
02-04-2012 13:20There always seems to have been a Vauxhall Astra about. In fact if you’re the owner of one of the first Astras you qualify for vintage car road tax. It’s been more than 25 years since the Astra first appeared on UK roads.

Read More

Seat Leon
05-03-2012 10:01The Seat Leon is a car that probably escapes a lot of people’s attention. It’s a modest car that doesn’t shout “Here I am” or stand out from a crowd.

Read More

Jaguar XF 2.2 diesel
27-01-2012 13:27The Jaguar XF is the real thing. It looks like a Jaguar, with sleek, coupe-style lines and classy design cues worthy of the Jaguar badge. More importantly it drives like a Jaguar, with responsive rear-wheel drive, and even the entry level models are unmistakably big cats.

Read More

Peugeot 508
27-01-2012 13:24The Peugeot 508 brings a new freshness to the executive fleet market. It’s modern and elegant with striking design and superb comfort. In fact it’s one of those cars which is difficult to fault.

Read More

Chevrolet Orlando
05-12-2011 12:15The first thing you notice about the Chevrolet Orlando is how long it is. Parked in a normal parking space, it seems to take up more than its fair share. But the benefit of its 4.65 metre length is an impressive amount of interior space.

Read More

Volvo V70 Drive SE
05-12-2011 12:12Volvo's V70 is one of the most comfortable cars I've driven. A long day of meetings around the East and West Midlands became all the more pleasurable when cosseted in white leather luxury in this superbly comfortable car. And my pleasure was increased when I saw that the fuel gauge of this frugal Volvo had hardly moved.

Read More

Volkswagen Amarok
07-11-2011 11:59The crew-cab pickup has moved from builders’ transport to fashion accessory in a few short years. What used to be at home on a building site now graces the drives of the most fashion conscious cool dude.

Read More

Subaru Legacy Tourer
07-11-2011 11:57German, French and Italian car makers better look out. There’s a big estate car on the block which could steal your clothing and sell at a snip.

Read More

Audi A5 Coupe
03-10-2011 10:56The beautifully-styled Audi A5 makes you think the company has been producing coupes for years. But when it was launched a couple of years back, Audi was still new to the coupe market.

Read More

Vauxhall Meriva
03-10-2011 10:53The Vauxhall Meriva brings quite a few new dimensions to family motoring. Rear hinged back doors and flexible internal seating and space have turned the Meriva into an extremely versatile car.

Read More

Volkswagen Jetta
29-09-2011 10:15Volkswagen’s medium-sized Jetta has just got bigger. The latest version of this often over-looked little brother to the Passat is now longer and wider, giving it a more elegant look, and more legroom for rear passengers.

Read More

Road test - Skoda Yeti 4x4
09-09-2011 10:38The last time I tested the Skoda Yeti I tried the two-wheel drive entry model and found it a bit schizophrenic. It looked like a rufty-tufty 4x4, but when I got it stuck in a ditch after a modest snowfall I realised it wasn’t. My fault for over-estimating its abilities.

Read More

Road Test - Kia Picanto
09-09-2011 10:33The newly-revised Kia Picanto is a small car that thinks it’s big. Although the second generation Picanto is slightly larger than its predecessor, when you’re inside it feels much bigger.

Read More

Road Test - Renault Laguna Sport Tourer
24-08-2011 13:29Renault has come a long way since it first broke into the upper medium sector nearly 18 years ago. The latest generation of Lagunas are have much sleeker, more sculptured lines than their somewhat staid predecessors, and are all the better for it.

Read More

Road Test - Peugeot 508 SW
29-07-2011 09:44The Peugeot 508 has broken the mould in the upper medium sector. This is a car that looks great, in particular its striking cat-like front end. And the estate version – or SW as Peugeot prefers to call it – looks even better.

Read More

Road Test - Alfa Giulietta 1.4 TB
08-07-2011 10:34The Alfa Giulietta is a clever mix of Italian style, performance and practicality, and it works well. From its name you may think this is aimed at the female market, but a car that performs this brilliantly will give any driver a lot of fun.

Read More

Road Test - Citroen DS3
08-07-2011 10:30Citroen’s new premium small hatchback – the attractively styled DS3 – has started scooping awards already. The supermini beat all comers to scoop the Top Gear Magazine Car of the Year award.

Read More

Road Test - Volkswagen Passat Estate 2.0 SE TDI
17-06-2011 15:26The Volkswagen Passat is now in its seventh iteration and just keeps getting better and better. Often overlooked in the past as “boring”, the latest Passat is anything but, setting new standards in the upper medium sector.

Read More

Road Test - Volvo V60 R-Design
17-06-2011 15:10The estate car always used to be the safe, conservative choice – a staid, solid and practical car for staid, solid and practical people.

Read More

Road Test - Range Rover 4.4 V8 Diesel Autobiography
17-06-2011 08:36If you’re going to join the exclusive Range Rover club you might as well do it in style. There are cheaper Range Rovers, but the Autobiography is £80,000-worth of unabashed luxury.

Read More

Road Test - Mazda 2
27-05-2011 10:42If the Mazda6 is an upper medium sector car and the Mazda3 is lower medium, then you’d expect the Mazda2 to be a small car. But it’s not. Or at least it doesn’t feel as if it is.

Read More

Jaguar XJ 3.0 Diesel
19-05-2011 14:10The new Jaguar XJ – launched last year - is simply stunning. In these days of sameness and mediocrity among so many cars, the XJ is a thing of beauty.

Read More

Road test - Mini Cooper ALL4 Countryman
20-04-2011 11:23It doesn’t look much like a Mini, and it looks even less like many people’s memories of a wooden-framed Mini Countryman – but I like it a lot.

Read More

Road Test - Audi A7 Sportback
15-04-2011 10:04A coupe was new territory for Audi until they launched the beautifully-styled Audi A5. Now they’ve given it large with the bigger, premium sector A7 Sportback.

Read More

Road test - Mitsubishi Shogun LWB Elegance 3.2 DI-DC
15-04-2011 10:02One thing’s for sure about the long wheel base Mitsubishi Shogun. You’ll never lose it in a car park.

Read More

Road Test - Audi Q7
15-04-2011 10:00The first thing you notice about Audi’s Q7 is just how big it is. This car, which was the first ever luxury large 4x4 from the German maker when it was launched a few years back, is huge.

Read More

Road test - Mazda 6 Estate
15-04-2011 09:56The award-winning Mazda6 has always been a good looking car, and since its launch a few years back more and more can be seen on our roads.

Read More

Road test - Fiat 500
17-01-2011 19:25Some cars just put a smile on your face. The Mini does it, so does the Volkswagen Beetle, and so does Fiat’s baby - the 500.

Read More

Road test - Honda Jazz 1.4Si
08-12-2010 08:32I’ve always liked the Honda Jazz, with its good looks and pleasant interior. And now it’s just got better with the addition of a sporty Si spec to enhance the range.

Read More

Road test - Mitsubishi Outlander
07-12-2010 21:09The anti-4x4 lobby will be hard pushed to criticise the excellent Mitsubishi Outlander. The four-wheel drive Outlander takes all their self-righteous arguments and demolishes them one by one (or should that be four by four?)

Read More

Road test - Nissan Pixo
25-10-2010 18:33With the cost of motoring going through the roof, plus the need to look after the planet, a lot of people are thinking small – and that’s where the Nissan Pixo comes in.

Read More

Road test - Volkswagen California
12-10-2010 22:11The Volkswagen California camper van – great grandchild of the iconic VW Combi – takes you into a tiny world. Tiny fridge, tiny wardrobe, tiny sink, tiny hob. In fact the one thing that isn’t tiny about this Lilliputian creation is the price tag.

Read More

Road test - Skoda Superb 1.8 TSI Estate
09-09-2010 18:00Just occasionally a car comes along that I honestly can’t fault. Not a thing wrong with it. The Skoda Superb Estate is just such a car.

Read More

Road test - BMW 740d
29-07-2010 16:16There are several superlatives you could use to describe the BMW 740d and all of them would be deserved. This car is simply magnificent – an awesome combination of style, performance and efficiency.

Read More

Road test - Peugeot 308CC
29-06-2010 19:17The Peugeot 308 has always looked sleek and sporty. But the Peugot 308CC sets new standards in the good looks stakes. Top up or top down, this car is a head turner.

Read More

Road test - Nissan 370Z
15-06-2010 07:47I know where you can buy a brand new Porsche for not much more than £30,000. Well it’s not really a Porsche. It’s a Nissan. But if you’re not obsessed with having the famous German badge on your car, this stunner is every bit as good looking – if not better – with stonking performance.

Read More

Honda CR-V
06-06-2010 18:53According to Honda’s publicity blurb, CR-V stands for Compact Recreational Vehicle. Which means the hyphen is a bit of a mystery. And that’s it. I can’t find anything else to criticise. Apart from a rogue hyphen this third generation of the CR-V is a very good car indeed

Read More

Road test - Chevrolet Cruze
16-05-2010 11:15The new Chevrolet Cruze is a fairly conservatively styled family saloon which is unlikely to turn heads. Unless, of course, you’re watching the British Touring Car championships in which the Cruze is certainly attracting attention.

Read More

Road test - Suzuki Swift
03-05-2010 20:40The so-called city car has finally come of age. Customer resistance to small cars is crumbling in the face of higher road tax for bigger cars and the unpredictable price of fuel.

Read More

Road test - Jaguar XF 3.0 diesel
26-04-2010 20:23Somehow Jaguars aren’t Jaguars unless they’ve got a punchy and purring engine under the bonnet. I was never quite sure about Jaguar’s Ford-inspired X-Type, although it has to be said they made a good job of it without doing too much lasting damage to the marque.

Read More

Road test - Audi A4 Allroad 3.0TDi
14-04-2010 17:29The Audi A4 Allroad Quattro is a car that can take the rough with the smooth. This excellent offering follows the lead set by its bigger brother – the A6 Allroad.

Read More

Road test- Dodge Journey
30-03-2010 13:57There are lots of multi-purpose vehicles on the market, so it’s getting harder to find one which stands out from the crowd. But the chunky Dodge Journey is just such a car.

Read More

Road test - Range Rover Sport
22-03-2010 21:15The Range Rover Sport has always been an attractive and slightly less expensive way to join the exclusive Range Rover club. And now it’s got better, with the addition of Land Rover’s superb 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine to the range.

Read More

Road test - Seat Ibiza Cupra
15-03-2010 11:59It’s hardly surprising that the new fifth-generation Seat Ibiza Cupra is quick and handles like a dream. The car has a great pedigree.

Read More

Road test - Volkswagen Tiguan
06-03-2010 11:50Volkswagen’s Tiguan is the company’s first offering the compact sports utility vehicle sector, and as you’d expect from the German manufacturer, it’s very good indeed.

Read More

Road test - Nissan Qashqai
03-03-2010 11:56Nissan’s oddly named crossover vehicle, the Qashqai is actually named after a nomadic tribe to be found in the mountains of south-west Iran.

Read More

Road test - Peugeot 3008 Crossover
01-03-2010 20:40Suddenly “crossover” vehicles are coming at us from all directions. And Peugeot – no slouches when it comes to pioneering motoring trends – has pitched in with the Peugeot 3008.

Read More

Road test - Skoda Yeti
18-02-2010 07:32It was sort of appropriate that I was driving along the snow-packed lanes of North Yorkshire in a vehicle named after the Abominable Snowman.

Read More

Road test - Fiat Qubo
09-02-2010 17:53You could never accuse Fiat of coming up with something conventional. And they’ve done it again with Qubo. This cube on wheels is well named, and it‘s packed with nice touches.

Read More

Road test - Vauxhall Insignia 2.0 CDTI Hatch
29-01-2010 07:50From Cresta to Victor to Cavalier to Vectra and now Insignia. One thing Vauxhall has always excelled at is upper medium family cars. The Insignia, voted 2009 Car of the Year, is no exception.

Read More

Road test - Citroen C3 Picasso
21-01-2010 18:21There’s something about Citroens which is unmistakably French. Slightly quirky looking, and idiosyncratic, with lots of little touches – largely good – which are just….well, different in a Gallic sort of way.

Read More

Road test - Land Rover Discovery 4
04-01-2010 19:00There’s something about Discoverys and Range Rovers which no other maker has managed to replicate. Maybe it’s the commanding driving position, or the high dashboard, or the armchair-comfortable front seats, or the powerful surge of noise and torque when you dip the throttle or a combination of all of those things. But no other 4x4s are quite like them.

Read More

Road test - BMW Z4 sDrive 23i
12-12-2009 11:53The excellent two-seater BMW Z4 has a tin top for the first time. The successful roadster has been given a two-piece electro-hydraulic hard top which can be raised or lowered in just 20 seconds.

Read More

Road test - Volvo V70
02-12-2009 18:35Volvo has come a long way since its “box on wheels” image of the past. The new generation of Volvos are have much softer, more sculptured lines than their bulky predecessors, and are all the better for it.

Read More

Road Test - Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TDI Quattro
24-11-2009 18:54The new Audi A4 Avant is so good it’s almost boring. Good looks, smooth ride, pinpoint handling, a frugal yet well-powered engine and a comfortable, roomy, well-specified interior all add up to everything you could want in a car of this size.

Read More

Road test - VW Jetta Bluemotion
08-11-2009 11:30The medium-sized Volkswagen Jetta just keeps getting better and better. Often overlooked as “boring”, the latest Jetta is anything but, setting new standards in the medium sector.

Read More

Road test - Alfa MiTo 1.4 Veloce
29-10-2009 08:06The Alfa MiTo is a cocktail. Everything Alfa Romeo has learned about sporting performance been mixed together to produce a compact car that looks good, performs brilliantly and is great fun to drive.

Read More

Road Test - Skoda Octavia SE 2.0 TDI
09-10-2009 16:09Skoda has certainly done enough no longer to be the butt of motoring jokes. And the latest Octavia has wiped the smile off the faces of a few more prestigious manufacturers. The new Octavia is a serious competitor to more established rivals - and it starts from not much more than £11,000.

Read More

Road Test - Chrysler 300C
29-09-2009 07:49The Chrysler 300C is an impressive car in more ways than one. This big, distinguished looking car is a real head turner, with its Bentley-like refined appearance, but it's also a pleasure to drive.

Read More

Road Test - Nissan X Trail 09
29-09-2009 07:46The wide range of 4x4 vehicles available today is mind-numbing. The choice used to be simple. Now there are all-wheel drive options across most sectors in all shapes and sizes.

Read More

Road Test - Volkswagen Passat CC GT 3.6 V6
11-09-2009 15:03It looks like a Mercedes. It sounds like a Mercedes. It drives like a Mercedes. - But it’s not a Mercedes. It’s a Volkswagen Passat.

Read More