Stylish, High Quality German Alternative. Beautifully Made With Sports-Car Road Holding. For: Quality, comfort, roadholding, not German Against: More expensive than Germans, not as quick, thirstier Infiniti’s web site refers to the start of the project in 1985…‘The story of Infiniti begins with the formation of a top-secret task force within Nissan. Its mission: to […]
Three box hatch which gets back to basic and will suit both young families and empty nesters. For – Very competitive price. Against – Some might find it dull and interior materials well below the rest of the SEAT range. Customers considering the new SEAT Toledo might become a little confused if they think it […]
Better value than ever. Lighter than before despite extra equipment Audi created the premium hatchback sector and its A3 is still the best, although new A-Class must be a worry For: Finely evolved styling protects residual values. Luxury class levels of quality fit and finish. Dynamics better than ever Against: I spent a long time trying […]
Third generation of Italian hill farmers’ transport of choice Full of clever technology that works For – the only 4 x 4 city car, brilliant off road and perfectly adequate on Against – the jury’s out on quality and reliability; now built in Italy not Poland The Panda 4 x 4 must surely be the smallest all-wheel […]
Bare-faced badge engineering at Volkswagen Group For – lots of room Against – looks too much like the SEAT clone; interior materials not up to other Skodas The SEAT Mii/Skoda Citigo/VW Up city cars are virtually identical and now the Skoda Rapid /SEAT Toledo are hard to tell apart. They are even built in the same […]
Stylish yet practical express with parsimonious economy Despite being based on Passat looks so much more ‘premium’ For – Performance, economy, superb refinement Against – No steering wheel paddles The CC is just so much more than a Passat with a lower roof The Volkswagen CC GT 2.0 TDI 170 Blue Motion Technology DSG I drive a […]
For – Great fun with hopefully Toyota’s renowned reliability Against – Unpleasant engine noise wearing on long journeys, drab interior At last Toyota has replaced the MR2 after a six-year hiatus. In Europe there hasn’t been a sporty Toyota since 2006 and the Supra actually finished in 1996. Some will buy a GT86 type of car purely […]
The sight of the FX in the mirror causes outside lane ‘hogs’ to move over Nissan faces an uphill battle to launch a new brand into saturated European premium market. For: Doesn’t look like a Chelsea tractor Against: Lags behind British and German rivals Nissan originally launched the Infiniti brand in 1989 to take on Honda’s […]
4×4 2.0 TDI CR 170 PS Another example of Skoda high quality, practicality Stunning performance from one of Volkswagen Group’s most powerful diesels. For – A refreshing take on the small SUV. Against – No automatic available on the 170 PS engine The Yeti that is reputed to roam the Himalayan region of Tibet may be a legend […]
Back to Basics On our camera infested, congested roads do we need transport any better than this? For – Remarkable performance and refinement for a city car Against – Looks too much like a VW Up! and a Skoda Citigo I can’t believe that even in its present badge engineering mood, Volkswagen could spin Bugatti, Lamborghini, Bentley […]
