http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/shared/handlers/rsshandler.ashx?N=4294780604+499&Ns=P_Publication_Date|1CAR Online | Reviews | Family cars RSS Feed(c) 2013, Bauer Media. All rights reserved.30This is the BMW 3-series GT, which starts from £28,835. Cast in the same (albeit smaller) mould as the unloved 5GT, the 3-seres Gran Turismo offers estate-beating versatility, but does it still drive like a proper BMW? We drove the...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/BMW-3-series-Gran-Turismo-2013-CAR-review/Wed, 22 May 2013 13:30:00 GMTReviewsNissan has updated its Qashqai crossover for 2013. On the new ‘360’ trim level which replaces the mid-range Ntec+ trim, the headline news is a 360-degree view parking camera. It’s a familiar car now, but does its age mean the...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Nissan-Qashqai-360-2013-CAR-review/Tue, 07 May 2013 14:50:00 GMTReviewsThe new third-generation Mazda 6 is the lightest, most frugal version of the Mondeo/Passat rival yet. Available in saloon or ‘Tourer’ estate bodystyles, it’s priced from £19,595 for an entry-level petrol model. We’ve driven the 2.2-litre diesel saloon in top-spec...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Mazda-6-22D-Sport-2013-CAR-review/Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:26:00 GMTReviewsCAR's already driven the new 2012 BMW 3-series in best-selling 320d diesel form (click here for our 3-series review). But now we've let our columnist Anthony ffrench-Constant loose in the petrol 328i. Read on for Anthony's off-beat blog review of the...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/BMW-328i-2012---CARs-BMW-3-series-review2/Thu, 07 Jun 2012 10:30:00 GMTReviewsFord’s Australian outpost has built its most powerful car ever: the Ford Performance Vehicles Boss 335 GT. That’s 335 kilowatts, by the way: 450bhp to you and me, from a supercharged five-litre V8 engine shoe-horned into the bodyshell of Ford’s...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Ford-FPV-Falcon-GT-2012-CAR-review/Mon, 07 May 2012 08:00:00 GMTReviewsThe DS5 is Citroën’s most innovative car since the 1970s. It’s a beautiful, five-seat family car that looks like the lovechild of an MPV and an estate, and it bloods Peugeot-Citroën’s unique diesel/hybrid powertrain. The result should be a hatchback...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Citroen-DS5-Hybrid4-2012-CAR-review/Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:00:00 GMTReviewsWhat factors contribute to the size of your typical family? Costs, contraception, the size of the family home, the fear of having an uneven-numbered odd-one-out, divorce? One of my overbearing concerns has always been the limiting effect a larger family...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Mercedes-R350-CDI-L-2011-CAR-review/Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:26:00 GMTReviewsPeugeot Citroen have been showing Hybrid4 concepts for three years now - and finally the wait is over. The new Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 is here - and we've driven it. UK sales start in November 2011. This is a significant...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Peugeot-3008-Hybrid4-2011-CAR-review/Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:00:00 GMTReviewsAmid all the repositioning of the Mercedes roster – the C-class Coupe is essentially the new CLK, but there's a E-class Coupe that uses C-class parts too – the C-class saloon remains a no-nonsense, reliable choice in the compact exec segment....http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Mercedes-C220-CDI-facelift-2011-CAR-review/Wed, 03 Aug 2011 11:00:00 GMTReviewsThe Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid is the 911 GT3 of the hybrid world: a more potent, focused, plug-in Prius, for the hardcore who want to sharpen their hybrid’s performance. Not by cutting the 0-62mph sprint, obviously, but by reducing the Prius’s...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Toyota-Prius-Plug-in-Hybrid-2011-CAR-Review/Tue, 17 May 2011 10:28:00 GMTReviews‘In these modern times where comfort and convenience are becoming more important than ultimate performance, the Peugeot 308 GT THP 200 ticks all the boxes,’ says the worrying press release. So did Peugeot itself once again choose not to affix...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Peugeot-308-GT-THP200/Fri, 13 May 2011 11:29:00 GMTReviewsSubaru ditched the hot saloon template for fast Imprezas in favour of a hot hatch version in 2008, but now it’s back. This four-door WRX STI doesn’t replace the hatch but joins it in the range in an effort to...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Subaru-WRX-STI-Type-UK-4-Door-2011-CAR-review/Fri, 25 Mar 2011 09:00:00 GMTReviewsSuzuki is evaluating the Kizashi for UK sale. This is the first D-sector, family car entrant from Suzuki, which has historically specialised in small cars and rugged, good-value SUVs. Can the Suzuki Kizashi really tempt us out of our Mondeos...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Suzuki-Kizashi-24-2011-CAR-review/Wed, 24 Nov 2010 10:20:00 GMTReviewsVolkswagen says the new 2011 Passat takes… Actually, can I just interrupt you there to say the Passat Mk7 isn't new, it’s a bloody facelift. New lights, new grille, Bob ist ihr onkel. Okay, so the new, seventh-gen VW Passat does use...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Volkswagen-Passat-20-TDI-170-Sport-2010-review/Fri, 05 Nov 2010 09:12:00 GMTReviewsNow here’s a leftfield choice if ever there was one. The Lexus IS-F is a pleasingly alternative performance saloon and one that’s consequently rare as hen’s teeth viewed alongside the BMW M3, Mercedes C63 AMG and Audi (R)S4 set. Is...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Lexus-IS-F-2010-new-CAR-review/Mon, 18 Oct 2010 10:33:00 GMTReviewsHere at CAR we’re big fans of the VW California, having run one on long-term test for 12 months. And now Volkswagen has facelifted the California, grafting on the latest family face, outfitting its interior with the latest multimedia systems,...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/VW-California-SE-20-BiTDi-2010-CAR-review/Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:45:00 GMTReviewsBefore we get too confused, I’d like to make just one thing clear: we’re not talking about the UK Ford Fusion here – the Fiesta on stilts that’s driven only by OAPs. No, this is the US Ford Fusion, the...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Ford-Fusion-Hybrid-2010-CAR-review/Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:06:00 GMTReviewsCAR drove the new Vauxhall Ampera Extended Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV) up the hillclimb at the 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed – and below you can watch a brief video review of the Ampera as Tim Pollard cruises back down....http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Vauxhall-Ampera-E-REV-2012-CAR-review/Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:11:00 GMTReviewsRenault - and partner firm Nissan - are leading the charge into electric cars and we've just tested the first conventional EV from La Regie: the new 2012 Fluence ZE. Left hand drive models land from June 2011 and right...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Renault-Fluence-ZE-electric-car-2012-prototype-review/Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:26:00 GMTReviewsWe're just back from driving the new Volvo S60 – we've now had a chance to drive the most popular diesels, the D3 and D5, as well as the range-topping T6 petrol. It's an important car for Volvo, the new...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Volvo-S60-D5-2010-CAR-review/Mon, 24 May 2010 13:42:00 GMTReviewsLong-term test goodbye – 24 December 2009 I’m afraid I’ve been a bit lax with the Lex, or at least in telling you about it. The IS-F actually disappeared from the CAR car park in the autumn, since when I’ve...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/Long-term-tests/Lexus-IS-F-long-term-test-review/Thu, 24 Dec 2009 10:00:00 GMTReviewsWhat’s this, has the VXR brand gone all sensible? Depends on how sensible you class a 321bhp family saloon that hits 60mph in 5.6sec and could top 170mph were it not for the killjoy limiter. But yes, the hottest Insignia...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Vauxhall-Insignia-VXR-2009-UK-CAR-review/Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:59:00 GMTReviewsOkay, so it’s a bit niche, but combining the lower-powered 3-series diesel with the ES trim pack and auto transmission makes for a brisk yet restful saloon. Could it be the perfect choice for motorway-bound user-choosers? Lower-powered diesel. Auto-box. Hmm…...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/BMW-318d-ES-auto/Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:21:00 GMTReviewsDon’t like it? Blame Nissan. Stung into action by the remarkable success of the Qashqai (which last year recorded a 7% increase in UK sales when the whole market was down 12%), Skoda clearly feel that making the fifth model...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Skoda-Yeti-20-TDI-2009-CAR-review/Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:20:00 GMTReviewsCAR is in Sweden to drive the new Toyota Prius – the new for 2009 petrol-electric hybrid car. Amazingly, Toyota is on its third-generation Prius while the rest of the world plays catch-up. But has it cracked the hybrid car...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Toyota-Prius-2009-hybrid--real-time-CAR-review-blog/Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:51:00 GMTReviewsRead the stats alone – 403bhp, 387lb ft, £50k, 0-62mph in 3.8sec – and it’s easy to dismiss the FQ-400 as being as out-of-step as an MP’s expenses claim. In fact, that’s just what I did – before I drove...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Mitsubish-Lanceri-Evo-X-FQ-400-2009-CAR-review/Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:00:00 GMTReviewsYou’d be forgiven for thinking that the family saloon shootout is a straight battle between that experienced gunslinger, the Ford Mondeo, and the new kid in town, the impressive Vauxhall Insignia. But waiting in the background is the Mazda 6...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Mazda-6-22D-Low-Power-2009-CAR-review/Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:47:00 GMTReviewsIt’s taken Volkswagen and Seat a while to trickle down their respective environment-focused Bluemotion and Ecomotive badges to their large MPVs, the Sharan and Alhambra. That tells you all you need to know about the pecking order at VAG. The...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/VW-Sharan-BluemotionSeat-Alhambra-Ecomotive-2009-CAR-review/Thu, 01 Jan 2009 09:00:00 GMTReviewsTo be taken seriously as a car firm these days it seems you need a low carbon dioxide model in your range. Volvo hasn’t had one up until now so it’s addressing that failing with three new models: eco versions...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Green-Cars/Search-Results/Drives/Volvo-S40-16-DRIVe-2009-CAR-review/Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:40:00 GMTReviewsMercedes has been a little slow off the mark with its environmental campaign, but hopes it range of new BlueEfficiency cars – spearheaded by the C180K BlueEfficiency on test here – will do for emissions, economy and public perceptions what...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Green-Cars/Search-Results/Drives/C-180-Kompressor-BlueEFFICIENCY-2008-CAR-review/Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMTReviewsThe new Mazda 6 diesel is bucking the current trend for downsizing. When every other manufacturer seems intent on reducing engine displacement through turbocharging, Mazda has replaced its 2.0-litre diesel with a 2.2-litre oil burner. The old 138bhp engine is...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Mazda-6-22D-Sport-2008-CAR-review/Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:01:00 GMTReviewsHas the Large Hadron Collider finally done its thing? Have I entered a time warp and gone back in time seven years? The reason I ask is that I’m driving what purports to be a new car but is, in...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/SEAT-Exeo-first-drive/Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:00:00 GMTReviewsThe new Audi S4 is either Ingolstadt’s idea of a bad joke or a stroke of genius. If you follow the former line of thought, then you’re from the camp that thinks the economy has jumped off a cliff, gone...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Audi-S4-saloon-2008-CAR-review/Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:30:00 GMTReviewsWe've just driven Mercedes-Benz's important new eco-specialist C-class: the – take a deep breath – C250 CDI Blue Efficiency Prime Edition. Putting the Transformers jokes to one side for a second, listen up because under the bonnet lies the beating...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Mercedes-Benz-C-250-CDI-Prime-Edtion-turbodiesel-saloon-CAR-review/Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:14:00 GMTReviewsLong-term test report - 7 October 2008.     So my Mercedes C-class has gone – and I will miss it like few other long-term cars. The C320 CDI really got under my skin. Its presence, its power and its ability to elevate...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/Long-term-tests/Mercedes-Benz-C320-CDI/Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:30:00 GMTReviewsThe segment in which Vauxhall’s new Insignia must compete may be shrinking, but it still constitutes a handsome ten percent of the total market. Clearly, GM sees this as justification to throw the kitchen sink at the Insignia, equipping it with a...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Vauxhall-Insignia-20-CDTI-2008-CAR-review-and-video/Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:01:00 GMTReviews  The Mercedes C63 AMG Performance Package costs £3210 and promises to turn the four-door saloon from Affalterbach into an M3 beater. For your money you get uprated brakes and suspension, a limited slip differential and a steering wheel trimmed...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Mercedes-C63-AMG-Performance-Package-2008-CAR-review/Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:00:00 GMTReviewsIt might have only been launched a year ago, but the Australian-built Vauxhall VXR8 has already been upgraded. The big news is the new LS3 engine. Seems the 6.0-litre V8 LS2 was a bit weedy at 411bhp and 405lb ft,...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Vauxhall-VXR8-facelift-CAR-review/Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:00:00 GMTReviewsIf you’ve already read what we’ve written about the revised 330d, you’ll know about the changes BMW has wrought on the 3-series. It looks a bit sharper, has a bit more presence, some new tech – particularly in terms of...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/BMW-335i-facelift-CAR-review/Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:00:00 GMTReviewsSince the current BMW 3-series was introduced it’s faced new competition from the Mercedes C-class and the Audi A4. BMW is fighting back with a revised version that benefits from refreshed looks and a few small but important tech tweaks....http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/BMW-330d-facelift-CAR-review/Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:07:00 GMTReviewsIf you want an Audi A4 2.0 TDI there’s no way I’m going to be able to talk you into buying a Ford Mondeo, even though it’s cheaper and much more engaging to drive. If you want an Audi, you’re...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Audi-A4-20-TDI-SE-CAR-review/Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:49:00 GMTReviewsPeugeot doesn’t really do facelifts. Look at any model over the years, and there is rarely any mid-life new radicalism. But even by these standards, the ‘new’ 407 is hard to spot. New bumpers include a 308-style rear diffuser. All...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Peugeot-407-16-HDi-CAR-review/Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:24:00 GMTReviewsThe X-type isn’t dead. It’s been given another facelift. Should we care? Well, while it can’t hold a candle to a 3-series or A4, it is now becoming the car it always should’ve been. This latest version has nearly 500...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Jaguar-X-Type-22D-CAR-review/Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:30:00 GMTReviewsThe Citroen C5 has certainly attracted its fair share of attention recently thanks to that annoying advertising campaign. However, despite marketing that’s brimming with premium Teutonic rhetoric, it’s actually a capable slightly off-beat addition to the Passat/Mondeo scrum in the...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Citroen-C5-Tourer-22-HDi-Exclusive-CAR-review/Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:25:00 GMTReviewsThe Rodius is a well established winner... In ugly car awards, that is. So let’s look at the method in the madness, instead. Yes, it’s huge – stretching to over five metres in length – and that yields mammoth space...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Ssangyong-Rodius-270-S-CAR-review/Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:37:00 GMTReviewsVolvo has joined the twin-clutch brigade with the arrival of this, the S40 2.0D with the Powershift transmission option. Powershift is Ford and Volvo’s take on the DSG idea that came to the fore with the Audi TT and Golf...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Volvo-S40-20D-SE-Powershift-CAR-review/Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:26:00 GMTReviewsThis 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 you get a 3.6-litre V6 churning...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Volkswagen-Passat-R36-CAR-review/Thu, 29 May 2008 12:09:00 GMTReviewsPick 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 a tempting equipment level....http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Audi-A4-30-TDI-SE-Quattro-car-review/Tue, 20 May 2008 11:09:00 GMTReviewsSkoda’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 and no real heritage to speak off. That didn't stop 12,500 brave...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Skoda-Superb-20-TDI-Elegance-driven/Fri, 16 May 2008 10:31:00 GMTReviewsThe Chevrolet Epica probably isn’t a car review you’ve been waiting for, but the real appeal lies in what dealers stick to the windscreen: £13,595. A typo? No, a price that buys you a base Epica. Really. A car longer...http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Chevrolet-Epicaroad-test/Thu, 15 May 2008 10:13:00 GMTReviews