16 Long Term Test Cars on The Road Racing to The Hill

OURCARS.

2018 I The Best Cars as Your Choices 2

OURCARS.

SEAT ARONA FR

PEUGEOT 5008

AUDIRSS

TESLA MODEL S 85D

... r,

A... r_...,.

ii, . ------ · ... /

Two months into Arona ownership

and, as a daily driver, we're sold. But

can Wales help see off the fug of

pointlessness that dogs it?

After four months we know it's

practical family transport, but won't

it feel ungainly, heavy and slow in

this more driver-focused company?

Ours since late last year, the RS5

remains an enigma - it's good, but

is it good enough? Wet roads and a

long drive should help its cause.

This will be the Tesla's biggest

challenge in its six months with us:

an overnight trip to a part of the

country light on fast chargers.

Price as tested £21,270 Engine

1498cc 16v turbo 4-cyl, 148bhp,

1841b ft Transmission 6-spd

manual, fwd Performance 8.3sec

0-62mph, 127mph, 115g/km CO2

Miles this month 1382 Total 3878

Our mpg 37.7 Official mpg 55.4



4001b ft Transmission 6-spd auto,

fwd Performance 9.1sec 0-62mph,

131mph, 124g/km CO2 Miles this

month 1908 Total 7501 Our mpg

39.8 Official mpg 58.9


2894cc 24v turbo V6, 444bhp,


awd Performance 3.9sec 0-62mph,




Price as tested £57,510 (approved

used) Engine twin e-motors,

510bhp Transmission1-spd auto,


155mph, Og/km CO2 Miles this

month 527 Total 20,511 Our energy

consumption 392Wh/mile

SUZUKI SWIFT

BMW MS

KIA STINGER GT S

SKODA OCTAVIA vRS

It's spent 11 months impressing us

with its flickability and disappointing

us with its low-rent interior. Will

Wales change anything?

After making us almost explode

with pleasure when it arrived last

month, can the all-wheel-drive

saloon possibly keep it up?

After an encouraging first couple of

months, Snowdonia gives the Kia a

chance to show what it can do on

some proper driving roads.

Our vRS has spent five months

showing us that - like generations of

hot Skodas before it - it's a blend of

fun and function. But is that it?

Price astested £14,984 Engine




0-62mph, 121mph, 97g/km CO2

Miles this month 847 Total 10,858



4395cc 32v turbo V8, 591bhp,

5531b ft Gearbox 8-spd auto, awd

Performance 3.4sec 0-62mph,







rwd Performance 4.9sec 0-62mph,







fwd Performance 6.5sec 0-62mph,


month 1216 Total 11,766 Our mpg


JAGUAR XF

SPORTBRAKE

VAUXHALL INSIGNIA

COUNTRY TOURER

MERCEDES-AMG C43

HYUNDAI i30N

PERFORMANCE

Now five months into our time

with the Jag it's proved solid but

uninspiring. Still, that huge boot

should be great for getting lunch.

Championed by Ben Whitworth

when it debuted last month, but

will the Vauxhall estate survive

exposure to the rest of us?

- . ..

-

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.... - -

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Once Steve Moody clicked with

his C-Class coupe he wouldn't let

anyone else near it. Time for the rest

of us to finally get a drive.

T

lfl

Now in its fifth month with CAR,

there's been barely a dissenting

whisper. But will this outing reveal

its hidden flaws? {Spoiler: no.)


1999cc 16v turbodiesel 4-cyl, 178bhp,


rwd Performance 8.8sec 0-62mph,


month 1773 Total 9190 Our mpg 43

Official mpg 61.4


1956cc 16v diesel 4-cyl, 207bhp,



142mph, 39.8mpg, 188g/km CO2




2996cc 24v twin-turbo V6, 360bhp,






Price £28,550 Engine 1998cc

16v 4-cyl turbo, 271bhp, 2601b ft

Transmission 6-spd manual, fwd

Performance 6.1sec 0-62mph,

155mph, 163g/km CO2 Milesthis



MERCEDES E·CLASS

ALL-TERRAIN

VW ARTEON

VOLVO XC60

HONDA CIVIC TYPE R

Supremely practical, hugely

desirable, comfortable and sensible

- but the Mere hasn't faced any

challenging roads until now.

After four months chugging happily

around the Cotswolds, time for

Volvo's middle SUV to stretch its

legs and test its sat-nav.

Initial styling-related reservations

have disappeared over our six

months with the Type R. All we see

now is a very talented hot hatch.


2987cc 24v turbodiesel V6, 254bhp,








2361b ft Transmission 7-spd DSG

auto, fwd Performance 7.7sec

0-62mph, 149mph, 135g/km CO2

Miles this month 1186 Total1750



1969cc 16v turbodiesel 4-cyl,

187bhp, 2951b ft Trans 8-spd auto,









0-62mph, 169mph, 176g/km CO2




vw

ARTEON

Pretty

replacement for

the Passat

cc

--.......-_ -'-·

THE VOLVO'S TORQUE

BONUS IS NULLIFIED

BY ITS EXTRA WEIGHT

AND HEIGHT

•

VOLVO

XC60

Medium-sized

posh SUV

smugness

Ben will, in just

17 miles or so,

complete this

overtake

Arteon versus the SUV takeover

Families used to drive cars like the VW Arteon, being run by Ben Pulman.

Now they drive cars like Anthony's Volvo XC60. Progress?

HENEVERASELECTION OF cars gather

i11 a windblown lay by, their keys up for

grabs in a Tupperware box of opportunity,

some fobs will prove easier to purloin than

others. Unmissably bright though its paint

• is, such is the case with Ben Pulman's VW.

The M5's keys are nowhere to be seen; ever. The Arteon's are

always there. So I grab them.

The Phaeton was a great car. Quite why such a sublime

machine sank without trace is still baffling. (In 2014, VW sold

31 Phaetons in the UK. In 2015 ... eight.) But, in the context of a

mass manufacturer of 'people's cars' having des idees au dessous

de sa gare, it is entertaining to speculate on how the Lexus LS400

might have fared badged as a Toyota.

I mention this because, at a time wherein the top-heavy

SUV/crossover mould - ably personified by our Volvo XC6o -

do1ni11ates our auto1notive topography, Volkswagen is

having another stab at the original prestige saloon format in the

form of the Arteon. Happily, the Arteon is a much better fit in

the Volkswagen line-up than the ill-fated Phaeton. It's spacious

enough to allow the unfeasibly long Mr Pulman to sit comfortably

behind himself, comprehensively appointed and with no

W12 powerplant in sight. Lest we forget, as presented here, the

Arteon is also a cool nine grand less than the XC6o.

Followi11g Pul111an across fa1niliar yet endlessly enjoyable

Welsh roads, the sun quickly drying the tarmac just as soon as

the fast-moving cloud base stops throwing down rain, it strikes

that in the VW, for the money, you are well rewarded. Ben rightly

describes the Volvo's interior as 'lovely', but so, in a somewhat

more Teutonic fashion, is that of the VW. Indeed, so comfortable

and spacious is it that, but for the lack of evil-smelling dog

accommodation the ff-Cs would happily be prised from one to

t'other. Arteon estate, anyone?

Botl1 VW and Volvo major in suspension compliance focused

very much on. ride quality, a definite bonus from tl1e perspective

of other family members.

However, while the XC6o may still be hustled along at a

respectable lick, the torque bonus it enjoys over the Arteon is nullified

by extra weight and height. And when it comes to B -roads,

the perceptibly quicker, more responsive and agile latter actually

entertains while the farmer merely copes.

You'll have to take n1y word for all of this, though, because

garnering feedback from colleagues at our gathering proved a

tad tricky: 'Have you tried the Volvo or the VW yet?' 'No not yet

but I will WHO'S GOT THE Ms KEYS?' ►

ANTHONY FFRENCH-CONSTANT


OURCARS.

-

•

BMW MS

Brilliant. But

£103,000

brilliant?

-

'

'

KIA

STINGER

GT S

Korea's 4-series

Gran Coupe

Wlia s reel, rearwlieel

a rive anct

drinks fuel lil<e a

loaded i.ancaste?

JAGUAR

XF

Some space,

some pace,

some grace

_,

MERCEDES

E-CLASS ALL-

TERRAIN

The acceptable

face of SUV

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Six-cylinder leads

four, on the road

and in fact


Proof, were it

needed, that the

5008 did no real

off-roading (snapper

Al.ex did)

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THE ROAD RUNS UP

HIGH OVER BOGGY

MOORLAND IN WAVES

LIKE IT'S MELTED

---


- -

OURCARS.

THINGS WE ARGUED ABOUT

----

The point of the

VWArteon

Notoriously hardto-please

Ben Barry

put the Civic Type

R down just long

enough to take the

Arteon for a spin. And

20 minutes later it

was back, brakes hot

like an F1 car's after

Q3. The verdict? 'It's

just transport, isn't

it?' Ouch. But true.

While the Arteon's

fine lines promise

similarly fuzz-free

dynamics, the driving

experience actually

majors on languid

progress. Thrills

• are in short supply,

so frenzied Welsh

blats don't do the

VW any favours. But

with time, according

to its keeper Ben

Pulman, comes

understanding.

The XC60 is actually

better than the XC90

Nicer proportions,

less cash, less

intimidatingly massive

and nicer to drive -

how badly do you

need that third row of

seats?

The BMW MS being

just too big

Moaning about cars

getting bigger might

be nothing new, but

it's still entirely valid,

and narrow Welsh

roads make it a live

issue. The M5 is right

on the cusp of being

too wide at 1903mm;

the 5cm slimmer M2

makes for far fewer

cold sweats and

involuntary gasps.

Are Audis detached

on purpose?

Time and again we

wish Aud is - and

particularly RS Audis

- were more talkative,

less buttoned-up and

a little more alive.

Last month it was the

TT RS; this month

the RS5. But with the

livewire R8 RWS it's

become clear that,

when Audi wants to, it

can do it: ergo, most

of the time it doesn't

want to. Shame. RS5

RWS please.

Mercedes is on one

hell of a roll right now

Alright, so the All

Terrain didn't shine

here. But, by contrast

with the Audi RS5,

the C43 impressed

everybody. The

Mere range may

be confusing in its

breadth and variety,

but this is no

problem when so

many of its cars

work so well.

The hot hatch as

blunt instrument

Hot hatches used to

be about balance,

playfulness and just

enough power to

make life interesting.

You only need 130bhp

when most of the time

you're mucking about

with lift-off oversteer

and four-wheel drifts.

Now they're like

supercars: deadly

serious, insanely fast

and too grippy to get

out of shape unless

you're very brave or

very talented. ►

2018 I THE BEST CARS AS YOUR CHOICES 8

'You just don't get it, that's all'

Championed by their impassioned owners, the wider CAR jury is more

reserved about the Audi RS5, Hyundai i30N and Peugeot 5008

SUSPECTED MY lo11g-term part11er l1ad a drinking problem,

but a trip away to Wales confirmed it. The i30N glugs

fuel at the best of times, but after a pasting at the hands of the

CAR team it has an estimated eight miles left in the tank to

get back to base. Not ideal when the nearest petrol station is

13 miles away. Nursing it there is an adventure in itself: aircon

off, lift and coast, and Jake Groves following behind in his

Swift as emergency support. When we reach the Shell station in

Betws -y-Coed, the estimated range has been displaying

hyphens instead of numbers for some time and the needle's

wrapped around the bottom of the fuel gauge. But we make it.

Tl1at tl1e N ends the day running on vapours isn't a surprise;

demand for its keys runs high from the get-go. Ben Whitworth

returns particularly impressed: 'Feels

perfectly judged. I like the way the

engine doesn't just dump all its torque

in your lap at 2ooorpm; the mapping

cleverly meters it out, encouraging you

to wring the engine, rather tl1an drive

it like a diesel.' He adds: 'The steering's

weighty and direct, but not exactly fizzing

with feedback. Name me a 25obhpplus

front-drive hatch that is, though.'

If the i30N's so busy we should have

bought a fuel bowser, that's not the case

for Alex Tapley's 5008. A few venture

motorway drive I'd plump for the Pug.

Few are convinced the 5008's exterior

will age well, but hats off to Peugeot's

design studio for the bold interior, a

cabin that looks like it's gone straight

from a motor show concept car to the

street without being diluted. It's not a

paragon of ergonomic good practice,

and it could lear11 a thing or two from

the Audi about fit and finish-the 5008's

dash and door cards don't line up, as if

designed using different units of measbehind

its miniature octagonal steering wheel to drive it while

it's being deployed as a camera car, but few fancy jumping into

the big Peugeot purely for the fun of it. Tapley, who's no slouch,

reckons we're missing out. 'It's your loss,' he tuts, quietly. 'Get

the hang of it and there aren't many cars it can't keep up with.'

Maybe, but even Alex has to admit the Pug's lacking the legs

to bother Ben Miller's Audi, the steroidal, Hulk-green Audi RS5

squatting next to the 5008 at half its height. It's a funny one,

the RS5. In some ways, deeply appealing: wickedly fast, looks

a million dollars (if a tad fussy in detail) and unstoppable in

any weather-but still it leaves people cold. Wales should be the

RS5's natural habitat, and sometimes its adaptive dampers feel

right at home -Ben Oliver in particular reckons it strikes a nice

balance between shrugging off bumps and giving the driver a

THE

STEROIDAL,

HULK-GREEN

AUDI RS5

SQUATS NEXT

TO THE 5008

good connection with what's beneath them -yet at other times

it can feel flummoxed, alternating between washboard-firm

and beachball-bouncy. Titanically fast, though, as Oliver notes,

and he's a fan of the steering too: 'Okay, not a lot of feel, but really

well judged -fast and responsive off-centre, and very accurate.'

And Miller can't stop telling people how brilliant it was on the

lon.g drive over: 'So comfortable, so grippy and so, so fast when

you need to pass slower traffic.'

In contrast with the sometimes fidgety RS5, Peugeot l1as

judged the 5008's ride perfectly - taut and composed on the

M6, with enough pliancy to absorb big bumps subtly. There's

body roll on windier roads, inevitable in a car of this type, but

it handles tidily for a such a big bus. I'm not suggesting it's n1ore

fun than the RS5, but faced with a long

urement, and I swear the facia is higher on one side of the cabin

than the other. But likewise the son1bre RS5 interior could afford

to take a leaf out the 5008's brave design sketchbook-and

its chassis a leaf out of the i30N's driver engage1ne11t playbook.

Whitworth isn't convinced by the RS5 either: 'It feels confused

-not raw and rabid enough to be a real BMW M4 or Alfa

Giulia Quadrifoglio rival, and not special enough to be a wantone

GT. There's no emotional attachment, nothing that has me

mentally storing it in my fantasy garage when I eventually pick

the right lottery numbers.'

I'd far rather go for a good drive in tl1e i30N than the RS5,

but it's the 5008 I find myself warming to most. Practical and

striking, it deserves more attention than it gets. ►

JAMES TAYLOR

Everything that's_

great about

----- ..-. .

the -

5008 '. s design

stayed on the insid e

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OURCARS.

- PEUGEOT

5008

Big Peugeot, tiny

steering wheel

-

·t:

HYUNDAI

i30N

From nowhere

to hot hatch

genius

-

AUDIRS5

Not another

aloof RS,

surely?

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Few things in the

world can run an RS5

close on thirst. But the

i30N's one of them


OURCARS.

• • •

I

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VAUX HALL

INSIGNIA

Luton's only gone

and done an

Allroad

SKODA

OCTAVIA

vRS

Fuss-free speed

for the Joneses

HONDA

CIVIC TYPE R

Ugly and brilliant -

like Velcro


OURCARS.

Flash, fast, feasible

You like the finer things in life but you also like rear doors and a boot.

Chances are you're looking at one of these three

F THERE'S A connection it's real-world desirability; a heady

blend of space, practicality, affordability and, from two of our

three at least, a pretty compelling lick of speed.

Let's turn to young Master Moldrich's bewinged, blistered

and butchered Type R first. During the 48 hours in which we

turn swathes of Snowdonia into our private test track, everyone

hates the way the Civic looks but returns to base time and

again wearing toothpaste-advert smiles.

I think the Civic looks like a grotesque joke, inside and out,

but eventually I succumb to the i11evitable, take the Honda out

and wring it. It's good; if 3oobhp-plus front-drive hatches are

your thing, that is. Low-slung driving position, chunky and

tactile steering, brilliant gearshift, heroic brakes and superb

body co11trol - they all support tl1at ma11ic blown engine perfectly,

allowing the Civic to careen, scrabble and slither across

these punishingly sinewy Welsh roads with a level of driver

engagement that sweats your

palms and dries your mouth.

But good enough to excuse

its retina-scarring looks? Hell

no, though others are more

forgiving. 'I really don't know

what all the fuss is about,'

says Ben Miller, who's had

plenty of seat time in Curtis's

Civic. 'That said, I think the

Mercedes Unimog is a design

classic. The Civic is, however,

a sensational car to drive;

much of the precision, thrill

and speed of a 911 GT3 for a

fraction of the money. The new Renault Mega11e RS, when it

finally shows up, will have to be extraordinary.'

Chris Chilton's vRS 245 sits at the other end of the taste spectrum

to the Honda. Primer-like Meteor Grey paintwork and

flash alloys aside, it all looks and feels VW Group: crisp lines,

spacious accommodation, generous levels of equipment and an

intelligently configured dash layout. Very class-swot neat and

tidy; very Skoda.

And so it proves on the road. If the Civic is rash and brash,

then the fast Octavia is mature and controlled. Irrespective of

pace and road conditions, it always feels delightfully poised and

balanced. There's enough power and torque to ensure you cover

ground at indecent -if sub-Type R -rates but then the Skoda

never feels ragged or uncouth, even when you're squeezing

every last drop of go-faster juice from it. And on the roads that

varicose-vein their way between Ffestiniog and Bala much

squeezing is t1ndertaken.

Zesty engine, satiny gearshifts from the seven-speed DSG,

sound body control from the DCC adjustable dampers and

a ride quality just on this side of firm all work harmoniously

together. Pity the hefty steering isn't chattier, but that electronically

controlled LSD means you can sling the Octavia through

corners that would send open-diffed rivals into a wheel-turning

orgy of understeer, and into the sheep-speckled Welsh countryside.

It's a surprisingly compelling package.

If I said the same about my new long-term Insignia, you

might have to coax your eyebrows back down from the ceiling.

Bt1t in a very different way this big family estate - a veritable

rarity in our SUV-obsessed times -has plenty going for it.

The Vauxhall's playing to its core strengths when it wafts

me up from Chichester to Wales in the pre-dawn dark in highspeed,

low-stress comfort.

With LED lights scything

through the gloom, muscular

bi-turbo diesel ticking over

at a lazy 2ooorpm, adaptive

dampers on their plumpest

-

setting and the Bose audio

punching out Old Dominion,

we cover the 300 miles in four

hours dead.

And then when it arrives at

the other side of the country,

this load-lugger puts its best

dynamic foot forward and

makes a pretty good fist

of masquerading as something sporty. Sure, 110 one poured

themselves out of its driver's seat begging to hold on to the keys

for another B4391 strop -such unseemly fawning was reserved

for the Ms -but the combination of entertainingly high levels

of wet-weather grip from its savvy GKN-sourced Twinster

torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive layout, and surprisingly taut

body control meant it isn't the understeering blancmange most

expect. Needless to say, the return trip to the sun11y south coast

the following day was dispatched with equal ease.

So, the11 - a determinedly unhinged hot hatch, a convincing

and punchy estate, and a family car that's surprisingly

accomplished when the roads get interesting. Three seemi11gly

disparate cars united by embodying the best their makers have

to offer. Now, what's your poison? ►

BEN WHITWORTH


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TESLA

MODELS

The future! (With

caveats)

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MERCEDES

AMG C43

The perfect AMG!

(For most of us)

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OURCARS.

A rare shot of ttie

Swift not being

l)edalled hard oy

Mark Walton

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High-rise 'Beefa is

sooooo2018

SUZUKI

SWIFT

Not the Sport,

but surprisingly

sporty

Small. Perfectly formed?

Neat, lovable and good to drive, the only thing more fun

than an Arona on Welsh B-roads is a Suzuki Swift

HE TWO LEAST powerful, least expensive cars

here. But- hats off to the CAR extended familyneither

is neglected or looked dow11 upon.

In fact, both get a good amount of thumbs-ups.

Albeit son1e of that's inspired by the just-right

height of the Arona's boot when deployed as a

pic11ic table, or its easily accessed USB slots for phone chargi11g.

And at the end of the two days, Jake ends up back with his Swift

and I end up back with my Arona, without anybody attempting

to wrestle them from us.

We're both perfectly happy about that. Jake's always liked

tl1e Swift, and finds new ways to like it in Wales, where the

narrowness of many of the roads favours small cars. But the

speed of said roads -and tl1e excellence of some of the other cars

here -makes the steering seem slightly less sharp.

Mark Walton leads the cheerleading for the Swift. Yes, the

same Mark Walton who arrives in Wales

at 150mph in the Ms, sideways.

'I think the Swift's the real, unexpected

treat of this trip,' he tells n1e over a

refreshing Crunchie. 'Blasting around in

tl1e 592bhp BMW Ms is a bit like ta1ning

lions or walking a tightrope - there's

always an edge to the fun you have it in.

But in the Suzuki you can pedal along

joyfully, foot mashed to the floor, flat out

I THINK THE

SWIFT IS

THE REAL,

UNEXPECTED

TREAT OF

THIS TRIP

and completely fearless. The shape of the thin steering wheel in

your hand, the way it turns in so confidently, the fizzy engine -

it's all so much more lively and engaging than you expect. Not

entirely sure about the styling, but otherwise I really love it.'

Anthony ffrench-Constant's not quite so sold. 'Like so many

these days, it isn't half as good looking as the car it replaces; the

perils of feeling the need to facelift every 20 months whether it

needs it or not. And the interior detailing is poor - everything

seems to be at least partially obscured by everything else. For

all that, it's a blast to chuck around - takes me back to my first

car days. No power, so you learned to drive everywhere without

touching tl1e brakes in fear of how long it would take to rekindle

the speed scrubbed off.'

He's keener on the Arona: 'Phil McNamara told me tl1is is

the worst car Seat makes. In which case they really are on a roll

because I think it's pretty spiffing. Looks good, both inside and

out. Comfortable and nicely kitted out

with last-ge11eration VW tech that you

can still understand and use intuitively.

'I don't know what's under the bonnet

[the VW Group's fine 1.5 Eva four] but it

biffs along with alacrity. I haven't had so

much fun in something small and tall

since that wardrobe incident with the

Batman costume and the Swarfega .. .' ►

COLIN OVERLAND


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Possibly the only ___ _

time an Arona and a

Model Shave hunted

down a Civic Type R

The Snowdonia verdict: What two days in Wales revealed about 16 very different cars

SEAT PEUGEOT AUDI TESLA

ARONA FR 5008 RS& MODELS

A generic VW Quirkily designed Straddling the As a big saloon

.

Group compact spacious gran turismo and the Model S

crossover, but a crossover with a sports no man's scores highly, but

good one Gallic flavour land there are issues

SUZUKI

SWIFT

Affordable small

car from a long

line of dynamic

liveliness

BMW

MS

2018's version of

supercar-bashing

performance

from a big saloon

KIA

STINGER

A Korean car

playing the

German game

very well

SKODA

OCTAVIA vRS

A generic VW

Group fast estate

car, but a good

one

'

,-

Spritely engine, Ride quality, Fast, refined and Rapid, roomy and

practical

.

and cabin design, a top-notch cabin refined, and just

easygoing vast and versatile quality plain different

I t

Responsive,

engaging and

cha racterfu I

Astonishing.

Don't fear the

changes

Quick,

comfortable and

different

• •

Wonderful blend

of poise, power

and practicality

It's a heavier, Interior quality Thirsty, patchy Charging

costlier Ibiza not the best ride quality compromises

'

Impressed in OK to drive, Emotional The world is still

Wales with its wonderful to engagement just not quite ready

happy usability live with isn't there for Tesla

;I

Too much crude

cost-cutting

'

.

For a small, .

1nexpens1ve car

this is a lot of fun

Price, lack of an

estate version

They didn't

engineer

.

out the

passion

RS Audi any-

weather ability

without the cost

Steering takes

getting used to

Impressive

newcomer, but

it's no 440i

Steering could

be more talkative

•


.( I

JAGUAR XF

SPORTBRAKE

Family transport

with the promise

of dynamic

engagement

•

Roomy and

comfortable, with

a decent chassis

VAUXHALL

INSIGNIA

Largely

unprom1s1ng

combination of

ill-matched bits

Soaks up the

miles, happy to

attack the bends

MERCEDES-

AMO C43

Reined-in by

AMG standards,

pumped for a

Mercedes

Responsive,

easily accessible

performance

HYUNDAI

130N

Like the Stinger, a

great and sudden

departure from

the norm

All the stuff we

love about hot

hatches

MERCEDES

E·CLASS

4x4 practicality

without SUV

size and weight

.

compromises

Most of what

makes an E great,

and more rugged

vw VOLVO HONDA

ARTEON XC60 CIVIC TYPE R

Somewhere All the class of Hot hatch stakes

between a Jetta the XC90 but keep rising; Type

and a Conti GT, if in a better sized R badge means it

that helps package must be usable

• I •

Spacious, stylish, Delightfully Gearshift, body

well equipped, refined way to control, engine,

not slow get around steering ...

Oddly

.

lacking

.

1n magic

Not the sharpest

or cheapest

A bit restrained

for some tastes

Needs refilling

sometimes

On the wallowy

side

Dull engine Tall and heavy Distractingly

choice, pricey when pushed wrong styling

r

Makes more sense

on paper than on

Welsh hill roads

Go in with low

expectations,

. .

get

a nice surprise

• I

£48k C43 makes

the £63k RS5

look nuts

A driver's delight

chock full of

character

Regular E-Class is

the better buy for

most of us

• I

A lot more Lacking thrills, There's a beauty

fun than we but plenty to in tools this good

suspected compensate at their job


16 Long Term Test Cars on The Road Racing to The Hill

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