THEGAYUK

Tag: Four Star Car Review

Our four-star reviews for all motor vehicles, petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric

  • CAR REVIEW | Ford Fiesta Black Edition

    Firstly, the Ford Fiesta Black edition is almost exactly the same as the Red Edition, sparing opposite paint schemes. Whichever colour scheme you go for, they are both absolutely stunning cars. Evidently, as I own the Black Edition this is my favourite.

    The Fiesta Zetec S Black Edition has a bold, sculptured, aggressive look with contrast details that make sure you don’t get confused with any other Fiesta in the car park. Considering, since going on sale in 2008, the Fiesta has been the UK’s best selling car it is in no doubt that you need something to make you stand out. This special edition model composes the great styling of the standard Fiesta with a racy body kit, lowered suspension by 10mm, black 17” alloy wheels and red accents across the car from the grill surrounds, front splitter, mirror caps and roof all presented against Ford’s “Panther Black” paint. The Red Edition is exactly the same, sparing the paint scheme, where there is red it is black and where there is black there is red. The only other difference between the two is the price, the Black Edition is slightly more expensive then the red due to the black paint being a premium choice.

    The star piece of this car is the engine. In most other Fiesta models you can choose boring petrol or diesel engines, which are pretty standard, and nothing special. What is special, is Ford’s 1litre turbos, the “Ecoboost” engines. The standard 1litre turbo gives of an impressive 98bhp – nothing to scoff at. However, Ford have made the engine for the Black Edition pump out an amazing 138bhp, and what a sweet engine it it. Considering how small the engine is it loves to rev, makes a gorgeous thrumming noise and is pretty rapid.

    The Black Edition is almost the same as the standard Zetec, however, here we get some red accents throughout the cabin.

    Where the Black Edition is let down, as with all Fiestas, is the infotainment system, which is immensely dated and aged, where most rivalling cars get a colour touch screen Ford offers a rather analogue looking display, with lots of buttons.

    Another overlook on the Fiesta are the materials. Some of the plastics do feel cheap and scratchy, however considering that the Fiesta is churned out in obscene amounts we have to give credit were it’s due.

    The technology is very good. Considering the look of the bad infotainment system it does fairly well. There’s voice commands to control some of the functions as well as Bluetooth connectivity which lets you make calls, have texts read out, stream music and the car even calls the emergency services for you if you have an accident.

    Other features, which you’ll love to test are the hill hold assist, which holds the car for you for three seconds to allow you to move off without juggling controls and rolling back. The start/stop technology, helps to keep this car’s CO2 emissions low. This feature can be turned off via a button on the dashboard.

    For concerned parents, this Fiesta also comes with “My Key” which allows restrictions to be put on for anyone driving with the spare key. You get two keys, the master and the spare, with the master in the ignition you can set restrictions such as speeds and volume for the audio, it even tells you how many miles have driven with the key. As optional extras on the car you can have rear privacy glass, auto wipers and lights, rear parking sensors, heated seats, cruise control, automatic climate control, and active city stop. So this can be a car for anyone.

    The Black Edition sits in the range between the standard Fiesta and the Fiesta ST. I see this car as a stepping-stone into the true “hot hatch” market. It is faster and sportier than a standard fiesta without setting off alarm bells with the insurance company, as to them this is still a 1.0 Ecoboost Zetec with a body kit. What I appreciate about this car is its comfort. Compared to the shockingly hard suspension on the ST and bum numbing bucket seats this feels like a luxury limousine. Although the Black Edition is lowered and has 17” alloys, it makes almost no difference to the ride quality, only improving handling and driving fun.

    CREDIT: Ford/Newspress

    I live by a philosophy of “if you don’t look back at your car once it’s parked, you’ve got the wrong one”. And not a time goes by I don’t look back at mine and think how lucky I am. I can forgive all the little niggles about it, like the build quality and the infotainment system because when something puts a smile on your face like a Fiesta does, then its perfect no matter what.

    LOVE

    Punchy engine

    Sporty looks

    Great road handling

    Loathe

    Infotainment system

    Poor materials low in the cabin

    Fuel economy

    Lowdown

    Car: Ford Fiesta Black Edition 1.0 litre 140PS Ecoboost

    Price: £16,945 (starting price)

    MPG: 62.8mpg

    Power: 138bhp

    0-62: 9 seconds

    Top Speed: 125mph

    Co2: 104 (g/km)

    Find out more from Ford.

  • CAR REVIEW | The New Mazda MX5

    ★★★★ Mazda MX5 | Say Hello to the only car you’ll ever need.

    We had a customer come in recently with a car that had died due to a lack of oil pressure. To put it right would have cost a fair bit of money. She said that she had always wanted a Mazda MX5 and I replied to her “You’re a long time dead, go treat yourself” So she did. Next thing I knew she was pulling into the workshop with a 5-year-old MX5.

    Had I known that Mazda were due to relaunch the next generation MX5 I would have told her to save her money and buy the new one. It’s rather good. And that’s it. This review is over. However, the editor wants more words said about the subject of this test so I am forced to rattle on with some extra words.

    There are two responses you get when you mention an MX5. From those who have never driven any of the four generations of car saying they are just cars for the hairdresser and those who have had one who can enthuse about it until they really bore you so much you actually want to slam your fingers in a door. Here in its fourth incarnation it has become even more of a driver’s car with an appeal for everyone. Even grown-ups with a child are catered for with the passenger’s seat coming with ISO fixings for the baby seat. If you want a sports car, have a baby and are single, Mazda have catered for you. The church, on the other hand, may frown at you but what the hell, you have a removable roof that makes you closer to God.

    Opening the roof is like opening a can of Pepsi and just as quick. It takes literally seconds to fold the snug roof down as it is to put up. So simple in its operation that I do wonder why I see so many MX5’s with their roofs up? It’s almost draft free too. On the model I tested there was an occasional whistle around the door window but this is the price you pay for a car with no roof. That roof can also take one battering from the rain. One bad down pour experienced with the car revealed no weakness in keeping the water out.

    Speaking of wonders I liked the kit you get with it. You couldn’t call it palatial but Mazda has created a car that gets back to the basics of what makes a good sports car.

    The everything at finger-tip reach cockpit comes with hip hugging heated seat, power windows, mirrors and air conditioning. It also comprises a DAB stereo and CD player pumping out the sounds through a Bose speaker system.

    The heads up display for sat nav, stereo and car information is controlled by a single wheel knob with a few buttons placed around it on the transmission tunnel and in its operation it works well, though why it needs another volume control here when there is one on the steering wheel was beyond me. One annoyance I had with this was that there was no mute button on the wheel. A more logical place for it to be.

    On the road is where the MX5 wins you over again and again. With the 1500cc engine and weighing in a little more over the 1989 original, it proved to be sensational. 0-60 comes up in 8.3 seconds and taking it to 7000rpm enables you to get the best from the smooth as silk revving engine. The power mutes itself at the 7500rpm redline where there is no noise and no fuss. A quick change up and it’s pulling away again. Keep the engine above 4000rpm and it’s entertaining all the way until you reach 6th gear and then it cruises along. On the motorway, it was almost always necessary to drop it down 2 gears to get the best overtaking performance. Sixth gear is long legged. And this is where the MX5 again makes you wonder why all cars are not like this. It’s relaxing to drive around town. The exhaust is muffled except for a little rasp that excites the senses and yet when you need the power it’s there just a few gears down.

    What makes the MX5 a hoot to drive was its lazy traction control. Playing with it for fun it wouldn’t get too messy though it did allow for some tail happy sliding that makes you feel alive or will wake you up on the morning commute should the coffee fail you. Nine out of ten times you would have backed off before the car would have sorted you out. Turn it off and your senses are woken to full adrenaline shots coming at you from every gland around your body. Everything talks to you demanding inputs here there and everywhere. And then when you have to be normal again, the car behaves like a shopping shuttle. Its suspension is a tad too soft in places. Hard acceleration forces the light beams to illuminate the sky when the back bites in. That said, make it too hard and the car looses its everyday attraction. Not once during my testing did I wish for another car. The ride around town being compliant and there was no back breaking jolts experienced over speed bumps or small pot holes. If you have to have just one car in your fleet then make it the MX5.

    Taking a look at the rest of the MX5 range I would say you are doing an injustice to yourself if you opt for the 2000cc engine. Apart from being a second quicker to 60mph, the rest of the performance figures aren’t really anything to write home about. You do get a little more grunt in power but I doubt it’ll give you the same joyous feeling the 1500 gives. It also won’t rev to beyond 7000rpm. And for its greater power you pay dearly at the fuel pumps too.

    I wouldn’t call them problems but things I didn’t like about the much-acclaimed MX5 was the use of carbon fibre type trim on the doors. I do dislike this material and it was out of place on this model. I also don’t like the bonnet badge. Its overstated nature is overbearing for the beautifully sculpted front.

    Likes

    Ease of roof

    Ride

    Smiles per mile

    Loathes

    Carbon fibre trim

    Lane assist

    Bonnet badge

    The Lowdown

    Car – Mazda MX5 1.5i Sport Nav

    Price – £23,105

    MPG – 47.1mpg (combined)

    Power – 131bhp at 7000rpm

    0-62mph – 8.3 seconds

    Top Speed – 127mph

    Co2 – 139 (g/km)

  • CAR REVIEW | Seat Ibiza FR Red Edition 1.2 TSI

    ★★★★ Seat Ibiza FR Red Edition 1.2 TSI | I’ll say it now and get it out of the way. The Ibiza has just too much Volkswagen about it.

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  • CAR REVIEW | Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian

    I don’t know quite what I was expecting when l took delivery of the new and improved series 5 Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian pick-up.

    Visually you are made aware of its almost 5300mm in length. Its load bed length of 1470mm looked bigger than it actually was. The L200 range has come a long way since its launch in 1982 and the new model sees a subtle design change with some of the feminine curves replaced by straight lines making it look a little sturdier than the old model, while still being civilian friendly looking over the opposition from the likes of Nissan and Toyota. More importantly, there is now a city friendly tighter turning circle too. With 7 different guises of L200 pick-up available it is possible that every member of the family could find a pick-up to suit.

    The interior finish is rugged looking and the leather-covered seats are comfortable. All plastic surfaces practical and functional plastic of the hard variety that literally makes cleaning a wipe over. The fascia is laid out well and all the controls minus the heated front seat switches were within easy reach. The steering wheel housed controls for the stereo, phone and cruise control. It was all quite too civilised for what a pick-up should be. Thankfully l found some hard edge plastic under the switches on the steering wheel. An ideal edge for filing off that hard skin from a day’s graft on-site. This masculine touch was then ruined by the floor lighting. Nothing wrong with floor lighting l hear you say but the blue was just a touch 2000’s Lexus and even they don’t do it in blue anymore. Even more, Lexus was the pick-ups “Barbarian” signature illuminated in the kick plates.

     

    I developed a love/hate relationship with the inbuilt sat-nav and infotainment system. Its touch screen was easy to use for my thin fingers but having asked a real man we’ll call Dave to have a play, he moaned that its on-screen buttons were too compacted for his manly fingers. And the brightness of the screen at night was reminiscent to that of a Hollywood dashboard. So intense was the light l couldn’t use the sat-nav at night. The night option changed the colours making it harder to view quickly while on the move.

    On the road, this fully loaded pick-up will set you back £30,238.80 with no options available because it literally has everything thrown at it or for £2000 cheaper when bought with the manual gearbox. Traction control is quite essential in 2WD mode. The 2442cc in-line 4 16 valve DOHC turbo diesel MIVEC engine packs quite a thud in the back when needed.

    The price you pay for having a pickup that goes from 0-60mph in 11.8 seconds is that the 317 Ib.ft of torque at 2500rpm would spin the rear wheels without much provoking on moist surfaces. Select the 4WD and all the power was planted where you wanted it. Again on the road and over most surfaces it performed with car-like comfort and ability. The steering was nicely weighted more towards town driving ease with feedback of road ahead being well communicated through the thick-rimmed steering wheel. In 4WD mode, you could feel the front differential working via a slight rumble through the wheel.

    The engine could be heard if really pushed but in the normal day to day it was bearably audible from a cold start until fully warmed. All this power doesn’t come with an added fuel premium either and official figures suggest a respectable 43.5mpg giving a range of over 700 miles. With today’s fuel prices that’s quite commendable for a tank that’ll cost you about £80 to fill. 4WD’s have become greener and cleaner over the years and the Barbarian is one of the greenest.

    Remember that 5300mm in length l mentioned, in practice, it doesn’t feel that big on the road. Admittedly you will struggle to park it within a single bay at your local DIY store but the reverse camera and big mirrors make it an easy task. l am not the best at reversing anything bigger than a hatchback so the reverse camera was a nice addition and one of the best l have ever used. The lines that appear on the screen are just perfect for achieving your 10/10 parking space award. You shouldn’t find the Barbarian on that website where people park inconsiderately.

    I have to conclude that overall l was impressed by almost every aspect of the Barbarian. Its ease of driving, the quietness of the cabin, the way it was screwed together and even the engine bay was laid out in a simple logical layout. It was better than l thought it could and should be and if you were to have just one vehicle for work and play then this has to be high on the list. It’s car like applications such as one touch door handles, push start, full electric windows, climate control and cruise modes all add up to make this a civilised machine for not a lot of money when you consider what it can do and where you could go with it. l wasn’t able to trial its off-road ability so l have to take Mitsubishi’s word for it, though with its long established history and range packed full of 4WD models I’m pretty sure this could take you as far away from civilian life as you’d want to go on a weekend. Sadly the Barbarian being so civilised it’ll remind you all too soon that you have work on Monday.

    Pros

    Comfort
    Go anywhere ability
    More useful than you’d think

    Cons

    Blue LED lighting
    Dazzling sat-nav screen
    No hill descent control

    The Lowdown
    Car – Mitsubishi L200 Double cab Barbarian
    Price – £23,799.00 (£30,238.80 as tested)
    MPG – 43.5 mpg
    Power – bhp
    0-62mph – 10.5 seconds
    Top Speed – 109mph
    Co2 – 189g/km

  • CAR REVIEW | Volvo V60

    ★★★★ | Volvo V60

    Estates have taken a bit of a battering in the last few years.

    It seems that these days the default choice for those needing more room for cargo, dogs or dead bodies is a chunky crossover rather than a long-roofed car. All is not lost though, Volvo (who else?) is now offering a dash of off-road appeal to its V60 estate with this Cross Country model.

    So what does it take to make the Cross Country variant? First, the suspension is jacked up by 65mm, not a vast amount but enough to give a noticeably loftier viewpoint on the world. Next, Volvo add silver skidplate effect bumpers front and rear with matching side skirts. Finally, you get chunky mud and snow tyres beneath plastic wheel arch extensions. All-wheel drive is an option but only on the most powerful engine.

    While those changes may not sound like much, they do toughen up the V60 by a significant amount giving it a little more presence on the road. That the normal V60 is a pretty handsome thing doesn’t hurt at all. Inside feels very well put together and is attractive in a sober, Swedish kind of way. It may not immediately appeal but it proved to be a wonderfully calming, well-made environment in which to clock up the miles. This was helped by excellent seats with plenty of adjustment, clear instrumentation (especially with the optional TFT dials) and easy to follow sat-nav.

    Our test car came with keyless entry and start. As long as the key was on you, you could unlock the car with a tug of the door handle and fire up the engine with the push of a button. You could even lock it again without the key fob in your hand. Nice. Once I was inside and ready to set off, I did notice the gearstick seemed a little bit too far back in the cabin with the cupholders unhelpfully beneath your arm as you changed gear.

    On the road, the gearchange action itself was long but not unpleasant. Not that you had to stir the stick much, even with the lowest power engine the V60 CC proved surprisingly rapid. The 150hp unit may have been a little loud (although easily masked by a quality sound system) but had plenty of grunt; it always seemed faster than the 9.1 second sprint to 62mph suggested. Unfortunately thanks to those chunky tyres, there was a bit of torque steer and a fair amount of wheelspin even in second gear.

    Pushing the V60 CC around bends highlighted the issues with putting a car on stilts. Turning the car into a bend over a crest could unsettle the rear while it did float a little over bumps too. The steering was well weighted but lacking any real feedback. To be fair though, it’s unlikely you’d buy one of these for its handling prowess. In a relaxed cruise it proved effortlessly comfortable, refined and pretty economical too. Over my usual mixed route, I was averaging around 44mpg. It’s just a shame that rough road surfaces did make things get a little jiggly. Yes, you can call it that.

    I was also a little disappointed with the load space, or rather the lack of it. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty more than something like a Ford Focus hatchback but not anywhere near as much as you’d think for a car of this size. Unfortunately in giving the V60 its svelte shape at the rear, boot space has been sacrificed. At least the cargo bay is a decent shape with no lip. On the subject of negative points, while the V60 CC range starts at £30,000, you’re looking at around £35,000 for an AWD model.

    In summary, there’s a lot to like about the V60 Cross Country. The driving experience and high-quality interior combine to offer a relaxing experience while real world economy is more than acceptable. While you could argue that not offering AWD with all engines is a bit of an oversight, most people will buy these for the looks rather than for any off-road ability. Rivals may be cheaper but I doubt they’d feel quite this plush. Is it worth the premium? I think for many the answer will be yes.

     

    Loves

    Relaxing to drive

    Performance

    Looks

    Loathes

    Boot smaller than expected

    Lack of traction

    The Lowdown

    Car – Volvo V60 Cross Country D3 SE Nav

    Price – £30,995 (£35,545)

    Power – 150hp

    0-62mph – 9.1 seconds

    Top Speed – 127mph

    Co2 – 111g/km

  • CAR REVIEW: Alfa Romeo 4C

    If you’ve stopped staring at the picture and started reading, you might be wondering what the incredibly sexy automobile in front of you could be. ★★★★

    With something as low, lithe and purposeful as this, you might be expecting it to have a prancing horse on the badge and a price tag of over £150,000. What will surprise some of you is that this is, in fact, an Alfa Romeo with a starting price of not much more than £50,000.

    You may associate Alfa with a range of small hatchbacks but their history is full of sports and racing cars. The 4C featured here is the latest from the Italian marque and one that aims to bring excitement back to driving. While it may be a throwback in some respects – there’s not even any power assistance for the steering – it’s a thoroughly modern vehicle. Underneath the achingly beautiful body is a chassis made out of carbon fibre, the stuff they make Formula One cars out of.

    Fold yourself through the door opening and into the heavily winged driver’s seat and you’ll be just a few inches off the floor. The view out of the curved windscreen is dominated by the rising front wings and the plunging nose. Look in the door mirrors and you can see straight into the dramatic scoops that feed the engine and keep the intercooler chilled. As for the rear view mirror, you could just about see flashing blue lights approaching but not much else.
    The cabin itself is sparse with plenty of exposed carbon fibre, a TFT instrument cluster in front of you and not much else. You do get electric windows, air conditioning, a stereo and the option of leather seats but the luxuries stop there. For storage, there’s a compact glovebox with another small compartment in between the seats. Other than that, there’s just a pair of cupholders inside and a boot big enough for a couple of squishy bags. Practical it isn’t.
    Directly between the rear seats is the same 240bhp four cylinder 1750 TBi engine found in the Giulietta QV coupled to a six-speed semi-automatic gearbox with steering wheel mounted paddles. Those hoping for a manual gearbox should look elsewhere. While you might think that engine isn’t exotic or powerful enough given the mini-supercar looks, the reality is quite different. Thanks to the carbon construction, the 4C weighs less than a tonne.
    To put that into perspective, launch control helps the 4C get from 0-62mph in a mind-blowing 4.5 seconds. All you need to do is select ‘Dynamic’ mode on the three-way ‘DNA’ switch (‘Natural’ and ‘All Weather’ modes are also available), plant your left foot on the brake and flatten the throttle with your right foot. The revs rise to around 3,000 at which point you come off the brake. Assuming its dry, the 4C then finds amazing traction and hurls you towards the horizon while making some great noises.
    Not all aspects of driving this Alfa are quite as simple though. The unassisted steering is heavy at parking speeds and although it soon gets lighter, it constantly writhes about in your hands. While there’s no doubt it engages you in driving the car, the inexperienced will be intimated by the way it follows every little tramline and camber in the road. Although you soon learn that a little wandering is natural and grip the wheel less tightly, you can never relax in this car.
    The upshot of this comes in the shape of steering feel that shames almost every modern car I’ve driven. You always know what the front wheels are doing even as the limit of grip approaches while the speed of the rack helps catch any little slides you may encounter. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t a drift monster but it is very easy to unstick the rear tyres coming out of junctions for instance. In ‘Dynamic’ mode (even with the traction control on) you’ll find yourself having to feed in opposite lock before the computers sort things out. It might sound scary but it becomes good fun very quickly.
    Not that you have to be travelling quickly to have fun. On several occasions on familiar roads it felt like I was hammering along only to look at the speedo and see surprisingly low number. If you did want to make those numbers bigger (on a track of course), then you really need to concentrate and work hard. For many it’ll be too much effort especially when compared to the likes of a Porsche Cayman. For me, it was addictive in a way few cars are. It really is an adrenaline pump virtually all the time.
    Despite this, fuel consumption was astonishingly good. On one thirty mile plus journey, I was able to coax nearly 40mpg out of the 4C without having to try too hard and keeping pace with traffic at all times. Even driven hard, the average refused to drop below 25mpg. Thank the relatively small engine and tiny kerb weight for that. There aren’t many rivals that can match that real world fuel consumption, that’s for sure.
    Does this make the 4C a car you could have as your everyday car though? I would argue not. Although the sensory overload is great when you’re in the mood, a day behind the wheel left a friend and I tired and with headaches. Storage space is limited at best and it isn’t easy to get in and out of. I would also bet that while being the centre of attention wherever you go was great fun during my time with the 4C, it would get old quite quickly.
    Would I have one though? Without any shadow of a doubt; the 4C makes you feel alive like little else on the road.
    Loves
    Looks
    Acceleration
    Economy

    Loathes

    Loud

    Impractical

    Can be a handful

    The Lowdown 

    Car – Alfa Romeo 4C

    Price – £51,500

    Power – 240bhp

    0-62mph – 4.5 seconds

    Top Speed – 160mph

    Co2 – 157g/km

    Reviewed by Alan Taylor Jones / October 2015

  • CAR REVIEW | Vauxhall Corsa VXR – The Four Wheeled Hooligan. We Love It.

    ★★★★ | Vauxhall Corsa VXR

    The Vauxhall Corsa is a familiar sight on UK roads; no surprise considering it’s the second best-selling car of 2015 with over 57,000 having found homes this year.

    Although the majority of buyers will be drawn to the low purchase price, cheap running costs and smart (if inoffensive) looks, there’s a variant that adds something extra, excitement. Step forward the VXR.

    Originally launched back in 2007 and heavily reworked along with the rest of the Corsa range at the start of 2015, the VXR takes aim at cars such as the Fiesta ST and MINI Cooper S. Compared to these, it looks something of a bargain at just shy of £18,000. That may be slightly pricier than the ST but it offers more power and a level of standard equipment higher than the cheapest fast Ford. For serious driver’s there’s also the optional ‘Performance Pack’ that’s fitted to our test car.

    Regardless of options, the VXR comes with a muscular 205hp from the 1.6 litre turbocharged engine, enough for 0-62mph in a rapid 6.5 seconds. That’s almost half a second faster than the Fiesta ST and enough to make the VXR very entertaining. The engine is certainly effective but lacks the kind of aural fireworks that make for a truly great motor. It’s also some way behind rivals in terms of carbon emissions and economy. While I did manage 40mpg on a long run, my average for a week was nearer 35mpg. A heavy right foot can see this drop below 30.

    Still, it’s unlikely you’d buy a hot hatch for cheap running costs. Of more interest will be how it goes round bends, an area the Performance Pack really helps with. For £2400, you gain bigger Brembo brakes, stiffer suspension, larger wheels with sticky Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres and a race bred Drexler limited-slip differential.

    Opt for the pack and the first thing you’ll notice is the suspension; those after a comfortable life should look elsewhere. In day to day use the VXR is very stiffly sprung and can get a little bouncy at times. The pay-off is fine body control when you’re going for it with very little roll and a neutral balance, a good thing considering the vast reserves of grip the tyres serve up.

    For me it was the Drexler diff that made the biggest difference. Unlike electronic systems that simply slow a spinning wheel with a dab of brakes, this mechanical device prevents one wheel spinning by locking up making them spin together. Not only does this improve traction but it actively pulls the nose of the car into bends where a normal car would start understeering.

    Eventually the nose does run wide but the amount of speed you can carry up to that point is incredible. The VXR may be fast and great fun to throw around but it’s never the most talkative of companions, you’re much more likely to have the wheel writhing with torque steer than sending gentle messages about what the road surface is doing.

    Style wise, the VXR wants you to know how quick it is. There are gaping intakes and a chin spoiler up front, a faux diffuser and a couple of big exhaust pipes out back, side skirts, a big rear spoiler and 17 or 18” inch wheels barely hiding those big Brembo brakes. For real boy racers, there’s even a pack that adds carbon fibre effect flourishes to the grille and mirrors. If it were a person it would most definitely be wearing a tracksuit and chunky gold jewellery. It would be an attractive chav though.

    The interior is dominated by a pair of figure-hugging Recaro seats (leather is a £1045 option) that along with the chunky leather steering wheel really set the scene. A leather handbrake grip and gearstick gaiter are nice additions although the gearknob itself was a bit too big for my dainty hand. The upper half of the dashboard is nicely finished in soft touch plastics with piano black and chrome trim helping it seem quite upmarket at first.

    This illusion is somewhat undermined the first time you reach for the cheap feeling heater controls or feel the hard and scratchy black plastic that covers much of the doors and lower dash. This isn’t an expensive car however and you do get a lot of performance kit for your cash, with that in mind it’s just about acceptable.

    Those wanting their hot hatch to be as practical as possible should bear in mind the VXR is three door only, While that undoubtedly helps the looks, the heavily winged seats don’t lean forwards very far making rear entry tricky. Space in the back isn’t terrible though and the boot is far bigger than you’d get in a MINI too.

    To sum up, the Corsa VXR Performance Pack feels a bit like a four wheeled hooligan. The exterior styling is brash, it can be physical to drive and it’s a little rough around the edges inside too. On the flip side, it’s vast amounts of fun, fast and not too expensive either. If you’re so inclined, I think it would be an absolute riot on a track day and you’d probably surprise some more expensive metal too. Come and have a go if you think you’re ‘ard enough.

    Pros

    Exciting to drive
    Good value
    Looks like a hot hatch should

    Cons

    Coarse engine
    Expensive to run
    Could be more feelsome

    The Lowdown

    Car – Vauxhall Corsa VXR Performance Pack
    Price – £17,995 (£21,590 as tested)
    Power – 205hp
    0-60 – 6.5 seconds
    Top Speed – 143 mph
    Co2 – 174g/km

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    Reviewed by Alan Taylor-Jones

  • CAR REVIEW | Mazda CX 3

    Mazda are one of the latest manufacturers to produce a competitor for Nissan’s popular Juke crossover.  ★★★★

    Called the CX-3, it promises a more upmarket feel inside and out when compared to the little Nissan or the Renault Captur. Beneath the distinctive styling is the platform of the Mazda2 supermini albeit without that car’s smaller engines.

    While the CX-3 may be roughly the same length as the Mazda2, a more upright seating position gives noticeably more room front and rear along with a bigger boot. Even so, you wouldn’t want to cram three adults in the back for too long especially if they’re tall. Think of it as good for its size but bear in mind a similarly priced Skoda Yeti would give even more space inside.

    The Skoda wouldn’t have quite the same level of style as the Mazda though. While the Yeti doesn’t look bad, the CX-3 is a handsome little thing (even in refrigerator white) that avoids looking like its trying too hard to be different like some competitors. Those looks are carried through to the cabin which proved to be a very pleasant environment to be in. There’s a good selection of high quality plastics and leather effect materials but a few too many hard and scratchy surfaces considering the £17,000 plus price tag.

    The infotainment system is worth a mention though. The screen is touch sensitive but there’s also a rotary controller between the front seats similar to BMW’s iDrive system. It takes a little getting used to at first but proves much more accurate than prodding at a screen over bumpy roads. Menus are attractive and the sat-nav worked very well too; it all seemed a cut above systems from many rival manufacturers including premium brands.

    While an unusually large 2.0 litre petrol engine is available with two power outputs, I selected a 1.5 litre diesel to test. This 105hp unit will likely be the volume seller of the range thanks to its combination of punchy performance and the promise of over 70mpg in front wheel drive guise. Four wheel drive is available but you really need to ask whether the economy and emissions penalty is worth it. Unless you live out in the country or down the end of a farm track, I’d argue it isn’t.

    You might think 105hp isn’t a great deal of grunt but then the CX-3 doesn’t weigh a vast amount; this means 0-62mph takes just 10.1 seconds. It never feels fast but then it never wants for more power either. There’s plenty of grunt from low in the rev-range which makes for easy-going progress on motorways too. As with all cars these days, you won’t be matching the official fuel consumption figures but I still managed 50mpg over around 300 miles on a mixture of roads. I don’t hang about either.

    Unfortunately, handling proved to be a bit of a mixed bag. There’s a fair amount of body roll but it always feels keen and willing to entertain around corners. Over long undulations at speed it feels quite soft and wallowy which lulls you into thinking this will be a comfortable car. Unfortunately over more pronounced bumps and rough surfaces, it tends to fidget and bounce more than you’d expect. A Renault Captur would be more comfortable for sure although I still preferred the Mazda’s sense of fun. It could be better though.

    The Mazda CX-3 is a very likeable little car. I was impressed by the combination of real-world economy and performance on offer; it really was a surprise when compared to rivals. I also felt it looked great inside and out even though the colour did it no favours at all. Unfortunately it is expensive compared to rivals and doesn’t quite have the fit and finish inside to justify the price. I also felt the suspension setup seemed a little unfinished. The MX-5 shows Mazda can clearly make a car that handles, a little of that magic wouldn’t go amiss here. Even so, it’s still my favourite baby crossover.

    Pros

    Handling

    Styling

    Economy

    Cons

    Expensive compared to rivals

    Interior feels cheap in places

    Pricey

    The Lowdown

    Car – Mazda CX-3 1.5 2WD SE-L Nav Diesel

    Price – £20,995 (£21,535 as tested)

    Power – 105hp

    0-62mph – 10.1 seconds

    Top Speed – 110mph

    Co2 – 105g/km

  • CAR REVIEW | smart fortwo proxy

    This is the all new third generation smart fortwo. It may have grown a stubby snout and lost the one box shape of its predecessor but the contrasting ‘tridion’ safety cell and tiny 2.69-meter length scream smart. The big news is under the skin however, gone is the clunky automated manual ‘box having been replaced by a conventional five-speed manual or optional six-speed dual clutch auto. 

    While Mercedes’ other baby the A-Class may have gone all conventional, the fortwo retains a rear mounted three cylinder engine that powers the back wheels; it’s almost like half a Porsche 911. Length may have stayed the same but width is up by 110mm helping with stability and providing a more spacious cabin.

    Compared to its predecessors, the latest fortwo is something of a revelation to drive. Gone is the gearbox’s hesitancy meaning you no longer look (and feel) like a nodding dog as you accelerate. The manual gearbox is nothing special but it’s light, easy to use and no longer a source of constant frustration. Coupled with the most powerful 71hp version of the normally aspirated triple, it’s fine around town although runs out of puff easily on the open road. 0-62 takes an agonising 14.4 seconds while hills will often require a downchange or two especially at speed.

    Not helping is super-long gearing (second gear is good for 60mph!) which may be great for economy but kills performance. At least there’s a pleasing three cylinder thrum as the revs rise and smart claims 68.9mpg and 93g/km is possible. In practice the best I saw was a little over 40mpg according to the trip computer but to be fair, I live out in the country which is not the smart’s ideal operating environment. A 900cc turbocharged engine is available boasting 90hp and considerably more torque. This brings the 0-62 time down to around the ten second mark and should prove a much happier companion on A-roads and motorways.

    The steering may be variable but always seems a little too light apart from during low speed manoeuvres. It is at least accurate if lacking in feel. The extra width adds welcome stability on the motorway although does make it feel less wieldy around town. Decide to corner the smart hard and you are greeted with overprotective intervention from the electronics followed by plenty of understeer. Only over particularly bad bumps does the smart ever feel unsettled; something you can’t escape given the short wheelbase. The upshot is a tiny turning circle of just 6.95 meters.

    Ignoring the miniscule boot, space inside is generous and gives the impression that you’re in a much larger car (until you look in the rear view mirror). Interestingly, the dashboard is upholstered in a mesh fabric giving the nicely sculpted interior a distinctive look. Quite how you’d clean it after a coffee spillage is something I don’t even want to think about though.

    The optional seven-inch touchscreen proved simple to navigate, easy on the eye and responsive. Start to explore the furthest reaches of the dash and you do find questionable plastics although they are well hidden for the most part. There’s no doubt the smart’s cabin feels very contemporary and is a great place to spend time. It’s also really airy thanks to the white trim and panoramic roof that comes with the proxy model.

    To summarise, if we’re being sensible nearly £14,000 is a lot of money for a car that lacks the practicality of many of its rivals costing considerably less. If you don’t need four seats (or have a second car that does) then there’s no doubting the smart’s effectiveness in the city. Given that it’s now tolerable, even dare I say it fun to drive at times, it’s certainly much easier to recommend than either of its predecessors. Combine this with a great interior and bold exterior styling and you have a seriously appealing city car.

    PROS

    Manoeuvrability

    Easy to park

    Funky looks

    CONS

    Not enough grunt for motorways

    Tiny boot

    Expensive

    THE LOWDOWN

    Car – smart fortwo proxy 71hp

    Price – £11,820 (13,800 as tested)

    Power – 71hp

    0-60 – 14.4 seconds

    Top Speed – 94 mph

    Co2 – 93g/km

  • CAR REVIEW | Nissan Leaf Tekna

    If you see a modern electric car on the roads, there’s a very good chance it’ll be Nissan’s Leaf.  ★★★★

    First available back in 2010 with European sales starting a year later, over 180,000 have been sold in the last five years. With several major manufacturers releasing their own electric cars, is the Leaf still worth considering?

    One thing that hasn’t really changed in the last five years is the Leaf’s distinctive shape. If I’m being kind I’d say it reminded me a little of a Japanese Bullet Train although you do need to squint see the likeness. While not classically handsome, it’s distinctive and easy to recognise as an electric vehicle if you’re after a bit of social smugness.

    It also hides a very roomy interior, thanks in part to the packaging advantages you get with electric cars. With the battery mounted under the floor and the motor being compact, there’s a lot more room than you’d think possible in a car around the size of a Ford Focus.

    I liked the high mounted LCD display for speed as it was right in your line of sight even when looking at the road. There’s also another larger screen in the conventional location that shows charge levels and how quickly you’re draining the battery. A touchscreen in the centre of the dash takes care of the infotainment and proves easy to use if not as sharp to look at as other systems from rivals. Overall the interior is well put together but lacks the premium feel VW do so well.

    Rear seat passengers sit higher than those in the front so they can see out with both leg and headroom very good. The boot is large but disappointingly has a very high load lip; fine for light items but I wouldn’t want to wrestle anything too heavy up there. There’s a couple of canvas bags for the charging leads which hang either side of the boot which is nice but not as nice as a specific compartment as some electric cars have.

    Speaking of charging, you’ll probably want to know how long it takes and how many miles the battery is good for. According to Nissan, you can get over 120 miles out of a single charge but if we’re honest; this is quite tricky to achieve. You’ll need to drive at less than 40 mph with no heating, no air-con and a very gentle touch on the throttle. More realistic is around 80 miles (even I achieved it) if you don’t mind limiting your top speed to around 60 mph.

    Treat it like a petrol car with heavy throttle openings, air-con set to freeze and a good chunk of time spent at 70 mph and you’ll get even less. Still, the Leaf was never intended to be a long distance motorway car and to expect it to perform like one is unfair.

    For the vast majority of people on the vast majority of journeys the Leaf will have more than enough range. Once you do run out of juice, charging time depends heavily on the equipment you’re using. A rapid charger like you might find at motorway services can manage 80% charge in just 30 minutes however these are a lot more industrial than you might find at home.

    The quickest charger Nissan currently offer for home use takes around four hours, the standard offering around eight while plugging it into a normal plug socket will take an agonising twelve hours.

    In practice however, most people won’t use all of the charge in a single day while fast charge points are springing up all over the country. Even supermarkets are installing more and more of them whether you slum it in Asda or go posh in Waitrose.

    In the week I had the car, I never had less than twenty miles range when I parked up at a charger eliminating any range anxiety I might have had. Further helping this is Nissan’s ‘Carwings’ app which allows you to check charge levels remotely and even turn on the air-con from your smartphone. Impressive stuff.

    Those that enjoy driving will find the Leaf much better than they might expect. Compared to the Renault Zoe I tested recently, the suspension felt well set up offering good levels of comfort while still feeling pretty agile around bends. There was also none of the under-damped feeling you got from the French car – any body movement after a bump felt well controlled with no wallow.

    I never found myself yearning to go for a blast in the Leaf but neither was I ever unhappy with how it drove. Even acceleration is pretty brisk up to about 50 mph where it starts to tail off like most electric cars.

    All but lowly Visia trim get alloys, body coloured mirrors and privacy glass while the higher trims add bigger, snazzier wheels along with more and more toys. Although the top Tekna trim I tested was rammed with equipment including a punchy Bose stereo, incredibly handy around view monitor that gives a virtual bird’s eye view of the car and heated leather seats, most people would probably be happy with Acenta models that are £2000 less. The main consideration for many will be with regards to the battery; do you pay £5000 to own it outright or lease it on a monthly basis?

    Leasing may seem like a good option to protect yourself from potentially pricey battery replacement but they are proving very reliable. Some cab firms are reporting over 150,000 miles from the original pack with very little in the way of degradation while electric cars need much less in the way of servicing too.

    Although it may be five years old, the Leaf is still a compelling option not just for those after an electric car but a roomy hatchback too. While it naturally gives the kind of smooth, serene acceleration electric cars do so well, the Leaf also offers drivers a little bit of fun should the road get twisty. Apart from that high load lip, it’s very practical too while running costs will be minimal. Motoring doesn’t get more sensible than this.

    Pros

    Relaxing to drive

    Practical

    Peanuts to run

    Cons

    Variable range

    High load lip

    Top models pricey

    The Lowdown

    Car – Nissan Leaf Tekna

    Price – £25,960 on the road (after £5,000 government grant)

    Power – 110bhp

    0-60 – 10.2 seconds

    Top Speed – 94mph

  • 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.