Skoda’s roomy and frugal petrol-powered 1.0 turbo Octavia hatchback – small engine with big appeal. Road-tested by David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Combining a roomy mid-sized family hatchback with a small 1.0 litre three cylinder petrol engine could be a step too far in terms of dull performance and disappointing fuel economy. But not so with the latest Skoda Octavia five door … [Read more...]
Road Tests
Our in-depth appraisals of new cars available in the UK
New Audi Q2 – Road Test
Keith Ward assesses Audi’s latest Q2 SUV. TWO additions recently announced are set to lengthen the queue of “Q” models from Audi in increasingly popular high-stance SUV style. Audi reckon as many as half their best-ever global sales last year of 1.8 million were SUVs. Already on offer are the Q2, Q3, Q5 and Q7. Now we are promised a big, top-end Q8 next year (2018) followed by a compact Q4 in … [Read more...]
Latest Volvo XC60 – Road Test
New Volvo XC60 mid-sized SUV First Drive. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). When the first generation mid-sized XC60 was introduced in 2008 it didn’t take long for it to become Volvo’s best selling model range and the market leader in its class in Europe, as it was just at the time the SUV market overall was beginning to boom in terms of sales. Today with the introduction of the … [Read more...]
Ferrari California T 2+2 Cabriolet – Road Test
Ferrari’s California T 2+2 Cabriolet… Life in the (very) fast lane. Tested by Robin Roberts (Miles Better News Agency). If ever there was such a thing as a bargain Ferrari, then the California T is the model. The dominance of Ferrari in the sports car market has come under threat from a wide range of rivals in recent years, but this summer it nosed ahead again. In June its power plant … [Read more...]
Alfa Romeo Giulia, latest rear wheel drive model – Road Test
Alfa Romeo returns to form with the Giulia Sports Saloon… Test-driven by David Miles (Miles Better news Agency). £2,000 contribution for retail customers buying a new 67 plate model... The once famous Italian thoroughbred automotive brand of Alfa Romeo has suffered decades of falling sales in the UK due to indifferent models, reliability and body-rot issues. In recent years the brand has been … [Read more...]
Toyota C-HR 1.2 Dynamic Auto – Road Test
Robin Roberts (Miles Better News Agency) assesses Toyota’s C-HR 1.2T Dynamic auto... Few test cars turn heads like the Toyota C-HR. Its dramatic styling hints at something special and it is, for most parts. The latest Toyota offering in the compact SUV sector – where it was solely represented with the RAV4 – could not be more different to its stablemate. There is a good 11 model line-up in … [Read more...]
Cost-effective Dacia Duster – Road Test
Dacia’s Duster – with prices that will allow it to clean up in the SUV market... Assessed by David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Dacia, pronounced ‘dat-cha’, is a Romanian automotive brand that became wholly owned by Renault in 2004. But it wasn’t until mid-2012 that the first Dacia model from the new partnership, the mid-sized Duster five door mid-sized SUV, appeared in the UK, with sales … [Read more...]
Latest Audi A5 Cabriolet – Road Test
Audi’s A5 Cabriolet... ...test-driven by Robin Roberts (Miles Better News Agency). Audi know a thing or two about successful niche marketing, and the revised A5 Cabriolet is a brilliant example of the brand doing what it does best, but at a price. It’s not cheap but its very, very good and the range is extensive and comes with a lot of tempting options – which you have to very carefully pick … [Read more...]
Latest Toyota Yaris Hybrid – Road Test
Latest revised Toyota Yaris range includes the less taxing hybrid… Assessed by David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). The Yaris supermini sized hatchback, in three and five door forms, was first launched in 1999 and became European Car of the Year 2000. Now in its third generation five-door only form it has received a mid-life refresh. Actually it’s more than a refresh with 900 new parts, say … [Read more...]
Vauxhall Astra Elite diesel hatchback – Road Test
Robin Roberts (Miles Better News Agency) test drives the Vauxhall Astra Elite diesel hatch… You could be forgiven for wondering how conservative Vauxhall would emerge as one of Britain’s Brexit champions with its Astra. This family-focused C-segment, five-door hatch and sports tourer is now in its seventh generation and rolling off the Ellesmere Port production lines bound for British and … [Read more...]
Skoda Octavia SE Technology Estate – Road Test
Keith Ward test drives a spacious Octavia estate from Skoda… Keen to maintain its status as their best-selling model in the UK – the choice of almost 30 per cent of their customers – Skoda this Spring (2017) gave a mid-term facelift to the popular Octavia. It’s a familiar formula: outwardly a restyled front end (wider grille, re-shaped lights) and indoors an obligatory catch-up with the … [Read more...]
Latest and Outstandingly-economical Dacia Logan MCV – Road Test
2017 Dacia Logan MCV Runs on Air – Well Almost! By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Before I tell you anything about the 2017 Dacia brand, their sales, their low prices, I must explain the headline. My Dacia Logan MCV (Maximum Capacity Vehicle) family five door estate with a 1.5 Renault sourced dCi 90 hp turbodiesel engine returned an unbelievable 86.07mpg during my week long test driving … [Read more...]
Volkswagen up! ‘beats’ – Road Test
Volkswagen up! 'beats’ 1.0 TSI 90 3 door. Assessed by Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). The peoples’ car is certainly all things to all men and women looking for a city car and considering the Volkswagen up! Launched in the UK in 2012, the up! underwent a comprehensive revamp in 2016 and there is the promise of still more to come in 2018. Essentially, the up! range comprises 18 … [Read more...]
Latest Volvo V90 estate – Road Test
Sporty looking D5 Powerpulse and R-Design model added to the Volvo V90 estate range… By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Volvo has been producing big estate cars for over 60 years, having been established in 1927. And under their current ownership/partnership of the Chinese Geely Holding company since 2010, the premium Swedish brand now goes from strength to strength introducing high … [Read more...]
SEAT Leon ST estate – Road Test
The new SEAT Leon ST estate – Small engine but big on space… By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Launched in April this year the revised SEAT Leon range of SC three door coupé, five door hatchbacks and ST estates is available with nearly 70 derivates and prices ranging from £17,455 to nearly £34,500. It is supported by a wide range of petrol and diesel engine options from the diminutive … [Read more...]
Revised Renault Captur – Road Test
Updated Renault Captur Compact SUV wheeled out in the UK. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Whilst the large all-new Koleos SUV has just been launched in the UK, Renault’s first generation of SUVs, the compact Captur, has received a number of updates to keep it market-fresh. Its styling and equipment changes mirror those of the Koleos and the mid-sized Kadjar but the engine and … [Read more...]
New Peugeot 3008 – Road Test
New Peugeot 3008 – Road Test. Keith Ward puts Peugeot’s latest 3008 through its paces… AFTER the euphoria back at the start of the year over the annointing of the Peugeot 3008 as Europe’s 2017 Car of the Year, plaudits have continued to pile in. Recent baubles (to June) have included Best Mid-Sized SUV (Auto Express) and overall Car of the Year (Diesel Car). Peugeot themselves describe it as … [Read more...]
Vauxhall Crossland SUV – Road Test
New Vauxhall Crossland X – Yet another compact crossover on sale. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Such is the demand for compact B-segment five door Crossovers or SUVs as sales are booming, why just have one model range to offer when you can have two? That’s just what Vauxhall has done. They already have the highly successful Mokka X priced from £18,455 to £29,725, and now they … [Read more...]
Peugeot Traveller MPV – Road Test
The Peugeot Traveller MPV – When Bigger is Best By Robin Roberts (Miles Better News Agency) A good big one always beats a good small one, and few MPVs come bigger than the Peugeot Traveller. Launched to compete in the executive travel market but considerably undercut the longer established players, the Traveller is a serious MPV. There is a massive 27-model range in the Traveller series, … [Read more...]
Latest Suzuki Swift Road Test
Third generation Suzuki Swift now on sale in the U.K. David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) gives his opinion… The third generation Suzuki Swift range of five door ‘supermini’ sized five door hatchbacks went on sale in the UK in June this year at prices ranging from £10,999 to £15,849. The first generation Swift models in three and five door layouts went on sale in 2005 and have sold 5.4 … [Read more...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 9
- Next Page »
