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Saturday, 31st of July 2010

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RoadTestReports.co.uk features road tests on all the major cars and vans plus consumer car reviews and consumer van reviews from the people who actually drive the vehicles day in day out - you. The road tests include performance, ride & handling, build quality & reliability, safety & security, space & practicality and ownership & value.

Latest road tests

Volkswagen Passat Estate

Bluemotion 1.6 TDI - The Passat Estate is the unsung hero of the Volkswagen model range. A workhorse with unexceptional looks, its lack of glamour means its tailor-made for families who want something solid with an air of [...] read more

Volkswagen Golf

R 2010 - How do you make the hot even hotter? Easy, if you’re Volkswagen: you take the much-loved and hugely popular Golf GTI, increase the power, add four-wheel drive and – hey presto – you come up with the G [...] read more

Volkswagen Golf

2010 Bluemotion - The Volkswagen Golf, now on its sixth generation, has been a class leader in the small family segment ever since it was launched in 1974. It’s one of the cars that all new hatchbacks aspire to be. The [...] read more

Audi A8

L - Right between the end of a recession and the start of a new age of austerity, the car industry has decided to launch a number of luxury cars. After the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Bentley Mulsanne, we’ve se [...] read more

Fiat 500

TwinAir 85hp - The Fiat 500 of 1957 was an affordable and practical city runabout originally powered by a half-litre, 2-cyl engine. Fifty-three years on, the latest addition to the current 500 range pays homage to t [...] read more

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Featured Reviews

Syd Taylor, Staffordshire

Subaru Legacy Sports Tourer 2.0 diesel

Subaru produce some of the best-engineered cars available today. Almost over-engineered, it’s small wonder that they are renowned for their reliability and top quality. When it comes to customer satisfaction they are in a different league from products sold by the ’stack ’em high, sell ’em cheap’ dealership chains. Most are sold by the traditional small motor business - often family owned - where they live or die by the way they treat their customers. This marque is usually bought by motorists who know quality when they see it and who are not impressed by young shavers of salesmen who don’t know what a ’boxer’ engine is - but are happy to stitch you up with a finance agreement that doesn’t end until Doomsday. The new Legacy Tourer certainly boxes clever under the bonnet, with the new 4 cylinder 2.0 litre diesel horizontally-opposed ’boxer’ engine. It is certainly a connoisseur’s choice of motorcar - and at prices between £26,995 and £28,205 it’s no bargain: just good solid value. Subarus have never been marketed as real off-road motorcars even though all-wheel drive is standard; but the beauty of a truly practical vehicle like this is that it provides all-year-round mobility in the snow and ice of winter, combined with the kind of handling characteristics so desirable when the sun is out and those twisty roads are beckoning. So - forget any notions about ’Well it’s a 4x4 so it should go off-roading’. The Legacy Tourer simply doesn’t have the ground clearance: and neither should it have. It’s a splendid car that benefits from four-wheel drive through all the advantages of road-holding and ultimate safety. And talking of safety, there’s a huge benefit from the Cradle Mounted System for the engine and front suspension. In a heavy front impact the engine and gearbox are guided UNDER the cabin; improving occupants chances of survival. Inside the luxurious and stylish cabin there’s ’spot on’ logical and easy to understand and use, controls and instruments so you feel straightaway at ease. The multi adjustable front and rear reclining seats make the Legacy Tourer a most practical estate - not as voluminous as some: but then ’plenty’ is enough. If you need more, then buy a van. But what’s it like to drive? I hear you ask. Well, quite simply it feels like a solidly planted secure car with compliant suspension that ensures a comfortable ride: and it’s also surprisingly quiet and smooth - making for relaxed cruising at any speed. Ask any motor engineer and they’ll tell you that the horizontally opposed ’boxer’ engine configuration has many inherent benefits; not the least of which is good balance. The very short crank limits vibration - and, therefore, noise - so it makes this possibly the quietest 4cylinder diesel car around. It’s a fairly high revving diesel which some might find unusual, but that’s all to it’s advantage in letting you drive enthusiastically - enjoying not so much the torque (of which there is ample) but the 148bhp. The six-speed gearbox just feels solid and ubreakable with changes that are ’positive’ but without the super slickness you might find in some other Japanese marques. If you’re so inclined, you can make the most of the nicely balanced chassis, brilliant grip and overall dynamics by driving like Dr. Deranged up to warp factor three (120mph) - but you wouldn’t want to because the Lagacy’s strengths lie in the ’all round’ competence that makes such lunacy the last thing on your mind: this is a motorcar for Captain Sensible. So, if you appreciate quality that comes with a better class of concept and a real pedigree, a long drive in this carriage might deliver you to that happy palace of your dreams. You certainly won’t get bogged down with the common herd along the way thanks to 4x4 cleverness that will extricate you from any possible impediment. If Toad was your neighbour I’m sure he’d be hopping mad with envy and wanting one for himself because, in truth, it’s the only way to go. The ’4x4’ has been done many times before but never as well as this. Subaru has made the mould and bowled its rivals over.

Submitted: 14/07/2010 16:22:17

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Manny Domaot, Philippines

Hyundai Getz 1.1 litre gasoline

The car is quite good for budget and quality conscious buyers. It is fuel efficient at 18 km/liter in the highway. I have tried it at 140 km/hour and maybe can still reach 150 though I don’t have the nerve. The amenities are almost similar to other high-end cars, subject to financial capacity as the car is fitting-ready. These include safety airbags, electronic stability regulator, fog lamps, four audio speakers, seat adjusters, keyless entry and so many more. It has many organiser pockets topped by its spacious baggage compartment. The exterior and interior designs are attractive to both young and old. The only setback is the pick up speed. But as soon as it has gained momentum it overtakes most vehicles on the road. It can even outrun big trucks.

Submitted: 08/07/2010 14:37:01

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Syd Taylor, Staffordshire

Ford Ka Zetec

Ford’s KA concept was originally the most successful embodiment of the ’wheel at each corner’ principle since the legendary mould breaking Mini. Its egg shaped design quickly established it as a modern icon, enabling instant recognition, warm familiarity and ready appeal. Ford deserves credit for their boldness in going beyond what, to many, represented a perfect design - and if the origin of the word KA refers to an Egyptian spirit, to what extent have they ensured a smooth transition? The question is - does the spirit of the first KA transfer successfully to the remodelled modern version which shares the same platform as Fiat’s 500. It seems to be an inalienable rule of the universe that small cars have to get bigger and bigger. The new KA is no exception. However, Ford has managed to keep a tight rein on unnecessary expansion and I have to report that there’s no excess in its enhanced accessibility. There’s more room inside and more protection outside - but the whole profile is still commendably tight and looks just right. On first acquaintance one might be forgiven for thinking that the design solution has turned out to be something of a curate’s egg. Gone are the familiar contours: gone that sense of instant recognition. There are styling cues that owe more, perhaps, to contemporary tropes than to the initial KA concept. However, mild disappointment is quickly dispelled once the virtues of the restyling become evident - and for die hard stick-in-the-muds, enough of the old, much loved, KA remains for acquaintance to become rapid and rewarding, with styling statements that are very much NOW. For instance, the rear light binnacles are as strikingly noticeable as they’re intended to be. No-one is likely to ignore the fact that you’re braking or indicating unless they happen to be called Andy and are engaged in the process of exceeding the speed of sound. I was comforted by the sense of a tough outer shell and a cosy, secure interior: an interior moreover, that has a dash of funky fashionability likely to endear it to trendy owners. And for the driver, visibility is better than you’d expect, given the high waistline and aerodynamically conceived contours. The cabin is surprisingly practical and well trimmed. There’s a useful boot and seat backs fold down easily to give extra luggage volume when needed. The Zetec version tested - which costs an eye watering Å10, 860 (Yes. You did read it correctly. Å10860! - But thankfully, residuals are good.) Is everything an urban run-around should be, with the facility to transform itself into a compact, economical and smooth motorway package. And while Mother Dinosaur may not try to claim you as belonging to her nest, a passing pterodactyl might want to egg you on to the top speed of around 100mph. thanks to that delightfully enthusiastic, low polluting (emissions are so low that road tax is just Å35) 1.2 Duratec engine that - despite producing just 68bhp - revs enthusiastically and encourages you to play tunes on the slick shifting five speed gearbox, controlled by a stubby lever mounted on the centre console. All this combines with accurate steering and agile handling to give an involving driving experience to delight the young thrusting driver. If any car today embodies the spirit of fun, the new KA must surely come high on the list. Many KAs will, of course, be bought by sedate ’blue rinse matrons’ who will be charmed by the delightful colour schemes on offer, with colourful stripes aplenty and matching sharks teeth effect on the front grille - so I’m pleased to report that the ride quality is jolly composed and won’t upset their tummies. Whizzing along through a market town I noticed that while people did not instantly recognise it as a KA, they acknowledged it at once as a cute head turner. No farmer wanted to take me in a basket to market but many a hatchback driver wanted to swap seats. Ford certainly hasn’t played chicken with the new design and their courage is rewarded - for the new KA, in my view, is a cock-a-doodle-do of a cracker. After returning my road test vehicle, I happened to find myself attending a local séance in the evening and rapped out a few messages across the ether to my spirit guide - begging him to include one of these irresistible little cars in my next Easter egg or Christmas cracker or whatever. I don’t care: can I have one please?

Submitted: 22/06/2010 14:39:41

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