THEGAYUK

Tag: Car Review

Our independent reviews on the best, smoothest, most economical and most reliable cars on the road and in the UK. From the world’s top manufacturers.

  • Can Am Spyder F3-S, Best thing out of Canada since Celine Dion

    Is it a car? Not really. Is it a motorbike? Definitely not. So what is it? Only the best thing to come out Canada since Celine Dion, the Can Am Spyder F3-S.

    Beneath the outlandish bodywork sits a grunty 1330cc 3 cylinder engine pushing out 115bhp through a 6 speed gearbox. While 115bhp is a bit underwhelming in a car, the Spyder weighs less than 500kgs complete with this particular rider. That translates to 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds or about the same as an Aston Martin V8 Vantage, happy days. Cranking the hand operated throttle open fully for the first time confirms there’s some lead in its pencil. Keep it pinned past 4500 rpm and things get plain silly. I’ve never driven or ridden anything that can overtake as quickly as this.

    To keep you safe with all this performance, Can Am have added their Vehicle Stability System (VSS). It knows when you do something stupid and then sorts it out with electronic witchcraft. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t suddenly become impervious to harm but at no point during the test did I feel any sense of impending doom. This included one near brown trouser moment involving a mountain road, a sheep and a hard stop from the far side of 60mph. Even with plenty of bumps the F3-S stopped perfectly straight and with plenty of time to spare. Brake fade was never an issue either. Having two wheels up front also means the Spyder won’t topple over under heavy cornering. 

    One thing you have to get used to quickly is being the centre of attention wherever you go. Sitting in traffic, cars travelling the opposite direction were slowing and stopping just to catch a better look while pedestrian’s heads spin round wherever you go. If the standard looks aren’t individual enough, there are a range of packages to customise the look of your machine. The test vehicle pictured has the ‘Muscle Attitude’ package bringing matt black stripes, Akrapovič silencer (particularly epic in tunnels), a small spoiler, additional lights and a couple of other trinkets.

    To ride/drive/pilot, the F3-S never fully feels like a bike due to the width and the fact you don’t lean it into a corner. It never fully feels like a car either due to the handlebars and riding position. What you do get is the feeling of openness you get on a bike but with a feeling of increased security thanks to the two front wheels and VSS. For cruising this is ideal as the great visibility coupled to the comfortable and fully adjustable riding position means you can ride for hours with surprising ease. Even after a day of riding on a mixture of dual carriageways, country lanes and mountain passes I still felt I could jump back in the saddle and do it all over again.

    Naturally there are some downsides. The VSS is barely noticeable 99% of the time but can be intrusive if you’re really on it. On track the brakes could come on abruptly and almost stop the F3-S if your corner entry was too ambitious. Wannabe drifters will be disappointed too, some wagging of the tail can be felt but never enough to warrant much more than a twitch of opposite lock before the traction control stepped in. If I’m nit-picking, the horn button was also too close to the indicators, causing the odd embarrassing honk in towns. It’s not cheap either, the RRP of the F3 starts at £15,999 while the F3-S model tested was £18,399 including the optional and very good semi-automatic gearbox.

    So, what to make of it then? To compare it directly to a car or bike seems a bit unfair as at the end of the day it is more of a weekend toy than serious transport solution. Take practicality out of it and the Spyder does start to make sense. At £18k, no other new vehicle will turn as many heads or be as crushingly rapid in a package that could be handled by a relative novice. As for the on limit handling and electronic intervention, I think it’s fair to say balls out is not the Spyder’s preferred pace. Back things off a little and it impresses with its combination of acceleration, comfort and stability. As a totally unique, well made, surefooted cruiser that just happens to be mind scrambling fast in a straight line, the Can Am Spyder F3-S is a hell of a machine.

  • USED CAR REVIEW: Mini One D: Fun, Ecomonical But Expensive

    For years, if you were after a premium supermini there was only one choice, BMW’s Mini. Launched a barely believable 14 years ago, the ‘New’ Mini was available in 3 main trim levels, One, Cooper and Cooper S.

    The majority of cars would leave the factory with a 1.6 petrol offering between 89 and 170 bhp, giving performance that ranged from reasonable to rapid. Power wasn’t the issue though, fuel economy was. It’s for this reason that I would suggest hunting out the much rarer first generation One D.

    Introduced in 2003 and produced up to 2006, the D came with a 1.4 litre turbocharged diesel engine good for 75 bhp and more importantly, over 50 mpg. This engine actually came from Toyota and was shared with the Yaris. As you would expect, this engine is virtually bulletproof and has the advantage of a chain driven cam. In layman’s terms, this means you avoid costly cambelt changes that are needed for most other cars. If 75bhp isn’t enough for you (0-60 takes almost 13 seconds) then look for a post 2005 car which gained another 20 bhp. The more powerful engine can be identified by a plastic engine cover that the lower powered model does without.

    If there’s one thing to remember, it’s that the Mini is not an overly practical car. There was no option of 5 doors, the boot is tiny and the rear seats are cramped. While long doors help make rear access a little easier, they are heavy and have no protective rubbing strips to save your paint. The interior is funky but the centre speedo is a pain to use and the toggle switches on the centre console easy to confuse.

    Behind the wheel, the One D has almost all of the qualities that make the petrol powered models so appealing. You sit almost sports car low behind a chunky leather steering wheel with the stick to the 6 speed gearbox within easy reach. Although the tractor noises coming from under the bonnet may seem a little out of place, the handling is pure Mini. Turn is excellent thanks to quick steering that provides ample feedback from the front tyres. The gearbox is a delight to use with well judged ratios and a shift action that feels mechanical and direct.

    The car I tested had stability control fitted which does an excellent job of keeping you on the straight and narrow, switch it off and you can feel the rear of the car helping you into and round corners although this never translates into full on oversteer unless you do something very silly. This leads to my main criticism, the chassis is almost too good for the power output of the car. Even on tyres that wouldn’t look out of place on a motorbike, you always get the feeling the car could take another 100 bhp or more. This is no surprise as the brakes and suspension are identical to that on a Cooper S which has another 100 bhp. Admittedly, the test car was the lower powered variant which doesn’t help, I think you’d have the same issue with the 95 bhp version though.

    It is of course running costs where the One D really shines. As mentioned, you can get well over 50 mpg without even trying and over 60 mpg if you have a particularly light right foot. Even someone as lead footed as me struggles to get less than 38 mpg around town which coupled to low(ish) road tax of £110 a year makes for a cheap to run car. Do check insurance quotes though, it’s in a much higher group than you might think. You’ll also find Mini’s are pretty expensive to buy, only high mileage cars dip below £2500 with the best nearing £5000 even at 9 years old. The good news is that Mini’s tend to hold on to this value and even the introduction of a new model doesn’t upset prices too much.

    Things to look out for are electrical gremlins, cars pulling to the left or right, shoddy gearchanges and noisy power steering. These issues seem to affect the older cars more although be wary of them on any test drive you might take. With the Mini being a premium product, they can be expensive to repair although a dealer should offer you a warranty if you are worried. The interior isn’t quite as well screwed together as you might think so expect the odd creak from the dashboard. The One was quite sparsely equipped as standard so look out for the Salt & Pepper packs which add alloy wheels, fog lights, rev counter and trip computer. Many other options were available so check specifications carefully. Find the right car and you’ll have a reliable, fun and stylish runaround that won’t break the bank.

     

    For: Fun to drive, economical & styling.

    Against: Expensive to buy, not overly practical & a bit slow.

  • The Week In Cars – Ferrari or Porsche?

    Porsche have shown us the hottest Cayman yet, the GT4. As suggested by spy shots, it gains a much more aggressive body kit with a fixed rear wing along with 20 inch wheels.

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  • Top Ten Motoring News This Week From Corsas To Teslas

    After complaints were made about an ‘ugly yellow car’, a local resident’s Vauxhall Corsa, ruining photographs of a Cotswolds’ village, Vauxhall have come up with an optional camouflage net for the car. Available in Flaming Yellow, Flame Red, Lime Green and Chilli Orange, they claim the bizarre accessory ‘has been designed specifically for use near National Trust premises and chocolate box Cotswold villages’. I think Vauxhall may be taking the p*ss somewhat.

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  • CLASSIC CAR REVIEW: BMW 840Ci

    Fancy a luxurious, distinctive and powerful GT car for less than the price of a new Ford Fiesta? The 840Ci could be the car for you.

     

    The 8-Series, or E31 for the BMW geeks out there, was launched in 1989 after a long and expensive development period that started in the mid 80’s. Although it replaced the 6-Series as the flagship coupe it was a lot more expensive, competing with cars such as the Porsche 928 and Mercedes SEC. It was launched initially with a 5.0 litre V12 with the option of a smaller V8 a few years later.

    The first thing you notice as you approach the car is the sheer size of it, this is a big luxury coupe that occupies a lot of road space. As you duck down into the low set cabin, you are greeted by huge multi adjustable leather seats along with more buttons and digital displays than you can shake a stick at. The cabin is of a high quality but very 90’s and Germanic (read very, very black), thankfully the interior is lifted in this example with yellow piping on the seats. The 8 may be a 4 seater but not a spacious one, I’m 5’ 4” and just about fit comfortably in the back.

    On turning the key you are treated to a deep chested V8 rumble, helped on this car by a full stainless steel exhaust which also releases a few more ponies. A manual gearbox was available but most, including this one, were automatics. As you shift into drive and get onto the road you realise that this is totally in keeping with the character of the car. Even on low profile rubber the ride is comfortable while the engine has plenty of low down torque to allow you to mooch around effortlessly if not discreetly. The combination of loud exhaust and even louder paint mean you’ll be getting plenty of stares from passers-by.

    If you want to up the ante, you can move the gearstick over to manual mode. Instead of the car gently slurring its way to as high a gear as possible, you can hold gears to let the engine rev. Do this and you reveal a whole different side to the 840. Suddenly this luxury coupe starts to feel a lot more interesting, going from feeling brisk to pretty bloody fast. On paper it’s slower than many a modern hot hatch (0-60 in around 6.5 seconds) but on the road it always feels plenty. You’ll also get a much better soundtrack thanks to that V8, the engine developing a much harder almost NASCAR style exhaust note as it approaches 6000 rpm.

    Flick a switch on the transmission tunnel and the dampers stiffen to give much tighter body control, sharper turn in and less roll around corners. Couple this to accurate steering and you’ll soon find yourself carrying more and more speed around bends, helped by the width of the delicious 3 piece BBS wheels. Don’t confuse this for a sports car though, the steering while precise is lacking in feedback and you always feel the not inconsiderable weight while braking and turning. This is not a B road blaster.

    Prices today start at less than £4000 although the very best can command over £20,000. The stunning yellow example you see here is a later V8 engined car with 4.4 litres giving 286 bhp. Although less powerful than the V12 models, the lighter weight means performance is very similar unless you find a super rare 850CSi which came with nearly 400 bhp. One big plus point of the V8 is that the engine is a lot less complicated and so cheaper to repair. A repair bill in excess of £1000 isn’t unheard of though, there’s plenty of complicated electronics to go wrong and the early 4.0 litre V8s can suffer from serious engine issues.

    The good news is that classic insurance is cheap and values are on the up. Buy one today and as long as you look after it, you’ll probably be able to sell it for as much or more than you paid. Choose carefully and you’ll have a handsome, fast and luxurious GT that can cover huge distances comfortably. I guarantee you’ll never get bored of playing with the pop up lights either.

  • CAR REVIEW | Ford Fiesta 2013 Econetic

    Ford has created an amazing car in its updated 2013 Fiesta range.

    The car which was first unleashed upon the world in 1976 has gone through a number of guises from essentially a cheap run-around, to mum’s best friend, a first timer’s to boy racer – The new Fiesta gives a nod to all of its predecessor and adds something new to the list – maturity. The new Fiesta is the baby car that grew up. It’s an extraordinary car, with tonnes of hidden extras that will leave you smiling.

    Since the launch of the Fiesta, Ford has sold over 15 million of the little car, but you won’t find much to link the original to the latest mach. Gone are the cheap looking fittings, the uncomfortable seat fabrics and the vastly unpowered engines and hideous pea green or insipid browns finishes. That’s all been replaced by sleek lines, fresh modern colours and a cabin that is as exciting as it is relaxing.

     

    The Drive

    The Fiesta delivers incredible power and economy for its class, we tested a Titanium Econetic 5 door 1.6 TDCi 95 PS in Copper Pulse – and we found it surprisingly zippy and at home in London traffic or on the motorway.

    The ride was smooth, agile and solid and the car almost wants you to chuck it around corners, with it’s crisp and clean steering. The ESP systems ensure that you won’t over or under steer – and keeps all four tyres safely in contact with the road, even in slippier environments.

    Ford has hidden a few neat tricks up the Fiesta’s sleeve – like the hill start assist, which ensures that you don’t roll back while waiting at the lights.

    On the version we tested the car also has a camera at the back, which turns on automatically when you select the reverse gear. A clever guidance graphic helps you park perfectly, every time

    The built in SatNav can calculate your route’s destination in 3 different types of journey: fast, most direct and eco. And some of our favourite features include: the easy to select Cruise Control, the auto engine stop, which helps the eco credentials as it switches off the engine at traffic lights and the Active City Stop – which makes sure you won’t bump into the car in front.

    My only complaint would be that at lower speeds, in the car we tested, you require a number of gear changes and you find that you’ll have to rev quite a bit to get the power you really want when coming out of country road corners, it really doesn’t enjoy sitting in 3rd or even 2nd where other cars might be quite happy – but this is a minor quibble as you remind yourself you’re driving a diesel.

    The Fitout.

    We have to say that we wholly approve of Ford’s attention to detail – the cabin feels huge up front- complete with LED mood lighting, this car feels a million miles away from a first timer’s car. It’s seductive lines and textures actually beg for tactility. The seats feel solid and allow you to maintain a good posture, ensuring that even after a long haul in the 2013 Fiesta you step out feeling alive.

     

    We loved the in car entertainment – especially on the version we tried out – which included Ford’s revolutionary SYNC system, which can play your phone’s music list, read texts, place phone calls and in an crisis situation can even call the emergency services – all via Bluetooth connection.

     

    The Fiesta comes in a 3 door and 5 door version, with plenty of room – although the longer legged of us, might struggle in the back – and the boot space is impressive, but not quite big enough for an all out camping trip to North Wales Pride.

     

    The positive

    Looks great in its class of car

    Safety features

    In car entertainment and extras

    Great responsive steering and suspension

     

    The Negative

    Legroom for back seats

    1.0 Eco Boost Diesel needs constant gear changes at lower speeds

    Pricier than other models in its class

     

    Conclusion

    All in all Ford’s updated Fiesta is a car we’ve fallen in love with. The small car that’s grown up.

     

    Options

    Petrol engine options – 1.25-litre (59bhp, 81bhp); 1.0-litre (79bhp, 99bhp, 123bhp); 1.6-litre (104bhp, automatic gearbox only). Diesel engine options – 1.5-litre (74bhp); 1.6-litre (94bhp).

    Transmission options: five-speed manual gearbox, or six-speed automated manual (1.6-litre 104bhp petrol only). Trim levels: Studio, Style, Zetec, Zetec S, Titanium, Titanium X, plus Econetic sub-models at Style, Zetec and Titanium level.