CAR Reviews

The new Vauxhall Astra VXR Nurburgring Edition costs over £1500 more than the standard – and already excellent – VXR. The changes seem limited to some new wheels and tyres, another 15bhp and endless...

The Brabus Bullit is for those people who look at fast German saloons and just see underpowered four-doors. If you want the Bullit, you’re the sort of person who reckons the Mercedes C63 AMG is...

The Mazda 2 was a breath of fresh air when it launched in 2007. Its clever design and careful reduction in mass pointed to a lighter, hence cleaner, and also more entertaining future for the segment.

The Seat Ibiza Ecomotive is one of the most smile-inducing cars I’ve driven this year. It’s not very powerful (79bhp) or expensive (£11k), but it does deliver a knock-out blow to your pocket – and...

Audi has just about the most bewildering array of transmissions of any car maker – and it’s about to get more confusing, with the launch of a twin-clutch version of the S5 coupe. We’ve just driven the...

The best car Mercedes makes? Surely it’s got to be the S320 CDI. The S-class absolutely dominates its market segment and, according to Merc, nearly 25 percent of all limos sold in the UK are the...

Plaudits for the Mercedes B-class were thin on the ground back in 2005 when the car first launched, pitched as a ‘Compact Sports Tourer’. To drive it was nothing of the sort – not as ‘compact’ or...

Luckily for the Mercedes A-class, its otherwise dull 2008 facelift has been saved from obscurity by interesting new engine and powertrain developments. Ignore the forgettable visual exterior and...

This is Volkswagen’s most powerful production Passat yet - the new R36, a car that trumps the last generation’s unloved W8 in the power stakes. Big deal, you might think, but bear with us. For £30,990...

Establishing whether or not a car is fun to drive is entirely subjective and what some might find an absolute blast, others may think is dull as ditch water. So the boys and girls at Fiat Powertrain...

Is there anything actually wrong with the Ford Mondeo? Sure, a few people may grumble about drive being sent to the front wheels, or the fact that the badge on the front is a blue oval and not a blue...

Along with its Kia Ceed kissing cousin, the Hyundai i30 has been quietly playing an important part in the Korean car industry’s plan to gain mainstream global acceptance. The hatchback has already...

Here’s the car Jaguar fans have been waiting for: the XKR-S, the fastest, hardest-looking XK so far. Available only in Ultimate Black as a limited run of 200 in right- or left-hand drive for...

The Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster was introduced only a year ago, but already it’s been revised, the headline stats being a V8 that’s been bored and stroked from 4.3 to 4.7-litres (new pistons,...

It might look exactly the same, but there's a new 4.7-litre V8 in this Aston Martin Vantage. The suspension, steering, interior and transmission  of the V8 Vantage has also been significantly revised.

Audi has given the A3 a mid-life facelift, and the revised 2.0-litre TDI engine heads the oil-burning line-up in 168bhp form. Audi promises this diesel A3 is cleaner and quieter than the car it...

With the new Brera S, Alfa Romeo is hoping to tempt proper enthusiast drivers back to the marque. The Brera is a car that has always tempted, but ultimately disappointed. So by turning to Prodrive,...

Pick the optimum combo for a compact exec and the Audi A4 3.0 TDI SE Quattro might spring to mind: V6 diesel grunt and smoothness, the handling promise of four-wheel drive, suave looks and finish and...

The Volkswagen Phaeton is overshadowed by the Audi A8 as VAG’s luxury car and, for some, that could be its allure. If you’re interested in space and comfort more than style and glamour, the Volkswagen...

Skoda’s Superb flagship has always been a leftfield option among mainstream motorway fodder. It had two difficult names to overcome, generic Volkswagen-esque styling, a lot of hand-me-down componentry...