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Ford S-Max 2.0 SCTi EcoBoost (2010) CAR review

Rated 3.5 out of 5

Tim Pollard, 08 March 2010 09:11

Ford’s S-Max MPV still seems a spring chicken, but it has in fact been on sale since 2006. Hence the 2010 facelifted S-Max you see here, ushering in a range of cosmetic tweaks (minor) and engineering upgrades (rather more significant). We’ve tested the all-new model, premiering Ford’s new global EcoBoost engines. Announced at the 2009 Detroit auto show, EcoBoost has ...

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Nissan Cube 1.6 Kaizen (2010) CAR review

Rated 3 out of 5

Jed Maxwell, 19 February 2010 10:00

It’s taken three generations, but Nissan’s funky Cube has finally made it Europe through official channels. But is it a case of style over substance? Hmm, this latest Nissan Cube looks slightly less, well, square. Yes, some of the earlier car’s styling edge has gone, in both senses, but it’s still a striking looking car and stands out a mile ...

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Audi A8 4.2 TDI SE (2010) CAR review

Rated 3.5 out of 5

Georg Kacher, 18 February 2010 09:00

I didn’t realise Audi was doing a long-wheelbase A4. Is there no niche left unexplored? A4? This is the new 2010 Audi A8, Ingolstadt’s technological flagship, a limo built around a supercar-style aluminium spaceframe and boasting the sort of toys that would make Inspector Gadget envious (and owners thankful that Lucas doesn’t do Audi’s electrics). But it’s an easy mistake ...

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VW Golf R (2010) first drive CAR review

Rated 3.5 out of 5

Chris Chilton, 15 February 2010 09:41

After reinventing the hot hatch as a V6 nearly 20 years ago, Volkswagen has ditched the concept and returned to its four pot roots. But is the new 2010 VW Golf R different enough from a GTi to justify a £30k price? So what was wrong with the old VW Golf R32? Not much, at least in terms of the ...

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Aston Martin Rapide (2010): the CAR review

Rated 3.5 out of 5

Jethro Bovingdon, 12 February 2010 09:00

brightcove.createExperiences(); brightcove.createExperiences(); This is Aston Martin being sensible. Well, relatively sensible. The new 2010 Rapide has four doors and four seats. But don’t fear, it still has a 5.9-litre V12 with 470bhp and will carry four occupants to 188mph. It still looks like an Aston, too. We really can’t think of a better looking four-door on the planet. But that ...

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VW Golf Bluemotion 1.6 TDI (2010) CAR review

Rated 4 out of 5

Glen Waddington, 01 February 2010 15:48

Eco-friendly cars are often grim, hair-shirted things that you suffer as penance for your emissions, even though they pump out less CO2 than their standard brethren. But the new VW Golf Bluemotion is none of that. It doesn’t look funny (it runs alloys and a lowered ride height), it’s not made of egg cartons inside (splash out £120 on leather ...

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Seat Exeo ST 2.0 TDI (2009) CAR review

Rated 4.5 out of 5

Ben Barry, 28 December 2009 23:11

If you’re shopping for a turbodiesel family estate, chances are the Seat Exeo ST has escaped your attention. Yet it’s well worth a look. Here's why. The Seat Exeo ST is just an old Audi A4 isn’t it? Pretty much. All the basics remain the same, while the styling is Luc Donckerwolke’d with new bumpers and lights front and rear, ...

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Rolls-Royce Ghost (2009) CAR review

Rated 3.5 out of 5

Chris Chilton (photography by Mark Fagelson), 10 December 2009 13:54

This is the new Rolls-Royce Ghost, a £192k British-built luxury limo. Find the majestic Rolls-Royce Phantom a bit gauche? Some potential owners do, says Rolls, so the smaller, more demure and slightly more affordable Ghost is the answer. Read on for CAR's verdict on the new Rolls-Royce Ghost. Demure? Surely the whole point of having a Rolls is to make ...

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Porsche Boxster Spyder (2010) CAR review

Rated 3.5 out of 5

Ben Pulman, 03 December 2009 18:00

Is the new Porsche Boxster Spyder the best Boxster you can buy, or the worst? Rather than being a stickers and stripes special edition, or an expensive limited-run like the 911 Sport Classic, the Spyder joins the Boxster range as a third model. And it features some clever weight saving tech that cleaves 80 kilos from the kerbweight – at ...

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BMW 316d ES (2009) CAR review

Rated 3 out of 5

Glen Waddington, 27 November 2009 09:53

In the summer we tested BMW’s eco-diesel in the baby 1-series, and pretty good it was too. But what happens when you slip a mean-sounding 114bhp under the snout of the bigger 3-series? Is £35 annual tax sufficient recompense? And is the 316d really capable of 62.8mpg? Okay, the economy thing first. How good is the new BMW 316d in ...

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