Ben Oliver

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Reviews (42)

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Ford Focus FFV (2007) CAR review

Ben Oliver, 31 July 2007 09:30

Aren’t alternative fuel vehicles meant to look like escapees from Buck Rogers? They used to, but Ford has the right idea. The only difference between this and a conventional Focus is a tiny ‘FFV’ badge on its rump. That's if you strip away the OTT stickers from this promomtional test car, that is; ours wasn't for shrinking violets. It runs ...

Lexus RX400h (2007) CAR review

Ben Oliver, 31 July 2007 09:25

It’s the one SUV Red Ken can’t object to… Not quite. Full credit to Lexus for making the RX400h the first car in both the luxury and SUV sectors to have a hybrid powertrain; its impressive CO2 claim of just 192g/km gives it a low company-car tax band and the fact that it’s a hybrid makes it congestion-charge exempt. Others ...

Lexus GS450h (2007) CAR review

Ben Oliver, 29 June 2007 03:20

Looks like a limo, but I suppose if David Cameron has one, it must be green… We’re not sure how much Tory-boy’s ‘celebrity’ endorsement is worth, but the Lexus GS450h is probably the most technically advanced ‘green’ car currently available as a standard-production model. It’s a big executive saloon with a premium badge and is priced accordingly, from £38,068. But ...

Honda Civic IMA CAR (2007) review

2.5

Ben Oliver, 27 June 2007 12:44

The poor man’s Prius? The Civic IMA is certainly cheaper than the better-known Prius, starting from £16,300 to the Toyota’s £17,765. Its propulsion principle is the same; IMA stands for Integrated Motor Assist. Both cars are petrol-electric hybrids and use batteries to store the energy that would otherwise be lost during braking. That energy is then sent to an electric ...

Citroen C3 Stop & Start (2007) CAR review

4.5

Ben Oliver, 26 June 2007 12:21

That’s not the future of green motoring - it’s just a Citroen C3. Don’t be so dismissive. The lengthily titled Citroen C3 1.4i 16v Stop & Start SensoDrive five-door, is very much the present of green motoring, as it carries a smart little innovation that will cut your fuel bills. It could significantly improve city-centre air quality if more manufacturers ...

Ford Focus FCV (2007) CAR review

Ben Oliver, 25 June 2007 08:25

Why am I supposed to get excited about a last-generation Focus saloon? Partly because it has a spec-sheet that reads like a Porsche 911 GT3 RS – ultra-thin lightweight glass, bespoke parts in aluminium and magnesium, carbon fibre tank; in all, 150kgs of weight saving to compensate for the extra weight of the hydrogen fuel cell powering it, which Ford ...

Smart ForTwo 1.0 (2007) CAR review

Ben Oliver, 03 June 2007 02:36

So this is the car that will save Smart? Given that it’s now Smart’s only model, yes. The Roadster was canned at the end of 2004 and the ForFour last year, leaving only the original two-seat city car. It keeps the ForTwo name, despite no longer having to distinguish itself from its deceased bigger brother. Sales of the other two ...

Maserati Quattroporte Automatica (2007) CAR review

Ben Oliver, 19 January 2007 11:30

An auto box in a big luxury saloon? That’s hardly news… It is for Maserati. To mark the Quattroporte out as a very different, more sporting proposition to its mainly German rivals, it has only been offered with the Duo Select automated manual until now. Although it has an auto mode, it still uses a clutch and will never be ...

Nissan Qashqai 2.0 dCi (2007) CAR review

Ben Oliver, 17 January 2007 03:41

What’s this? A hatchback? An off-roader? A mini-MPV? None of the above. It’s a Nissan Qashqai, it replaces the Almera hatchback (if you can remember what that was) and, according to its maker, ‘it completely redefines driving in the modern, urban world’. In fact, it doesn’t, as you can probably guess, but it is the result of some bold thinking ...

Audi TT Roadster 2.0T (2006) CAR review

Ben Oliver, 11 December 2006 10:03

Why do I want to read about a roadster in this weather? Look out of your window. Yes, you’ll see stormclouds, flooded roads and possibly a tornado, but you’ll probably also see an Audi TT roadster. In eight years 48,000 of them have been sold to optimistic Brits determined to make the most of every moment of weak sunshine. Astonishingly, ...

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	Ford Escort Cosworth
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	Ford Focus RS Mk1
	Ford Focus RS Mk2
	Fiat Strada TC
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	Lancia Delta Integrale
	Nissan Sunny GTi-R
	Peugeot 106 Rallye
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	Renault 5 GT Turbo
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	Renaultsport Megane R26.R
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