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Richard Pardon
My year in cars
18 of the best new cars we drove this year... and the worst
TheJournal.ie motoring correspondent Melanie May looks back at her 2016 in test drives.
THIS YEAR I have had the absolute pleasure of test-driving a lot of cars. Fifty-nine to be exact, with one more to go before the year is out.
They have ranged from a balls-out 610hp performance car to a 69hp supermini. They’ve ranged in price from €13,450 to €280,000, in seats from two to seven.
But which ones do I rate? Which were the most fun, most comfortable, most impressive? And which one did I have the hardest time handing back the keys? Read on to find out…
Most overpowering: Audi R8 V10 plus (from €263,000)
I took this monster out for a spin, literally, in Mondello Park. Audi’s most powerful production car to date got the better of me: I couldn’t handle the 610hp and 560Nm of torque and I spun out of control and into the grass.
Even though I managed to right the car and get back on the track no bother, I was still left a little shaken and spent the rest of the day in the passenger seat, where the ride in this super car was much more relaxing.
I found the BMW M4 (€100,890) much more enjoyable and easy to race around Mondello.
Most difficult to hand back: Bentley Flying Spur V8 (from €280,000)
Oh, this was one of my favourite cars of the year, but at nearly €300k it is completely unrealistic to recommend it… right?
Everything about it is exquisite, especially the handcrafted interior. However, this was also the car that prompted a male stranger to walk up to me and say: ‘That car is totally wasted on a woman’.
To this day I have no idea what he was taking about and I don’t care. He couldn’t stop admiring the car much, like many others who I drove by. It is a head turner with immense power; its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol sounds glorious and accelerates 2.4 tonnes of Bentley from 0 to 100km/h in little over five seconds. It leaves many supercars in the shade. This was the car I had the most difficulty handing back.
I must admit I also didn’t want to hand the keys back to the Audi A7 Competition Pack, which is priced from a much more reasonable €95,750. Expensive taste, I guess?
Most fun behind the wheel: MINI John Cooper Works (from €36,602)
This pocket rocket is super quick and it packs a powerful punch for such a little car. Not only does it look funky with its red roof and green paint job but the inside is bold and brave and bursting with personality. The drive is rapid, capable and enthusiastic and it is very easy to get carried away in it. It is also MINI’s most powerful model to date.
Special mention also goes to the SEAT Ibiza Cupra (€23,015), which is another great fun-to-drive small car.
Most comfortable car of the year: Skoda Kodiaq (prices TBC)
The new seven-seat Skoda Kodiaq is super comfy and after more than 1,110km in its seats I had no aches, pains or stiffness. This is also thanks to its Dynamic Chassis Control, which allows the driver to alter the characteristics of the suspension to suit their preferences.
Special mentions also go to the super comfy Audi A4 Avant (€38,200) and the Opel Astra Sports Tourer (€21,290).
Best car interior of the year: Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine (from €64,950)
The cabin of the XC90 is gorgeous. It is so different from other cars on the market. It feels sumptuous and looks luxurious and has some wonderful design flourishes. It is well thought out and is light, bright and airy. It makes you want to just keep on driving.
Special mention also goes to the Peugeot 508 RXH (€41,780), which has a great layout, superb fit and finish and feels very premium with plenty of soft leather and a panoramic roof.
Best hybrid: Lexus RX 450h (from €71,450)
I only got behind the wheel of four hybrids this year but the best one for me is the futuristic-looking Lexus RX 450h. It performs very well and is very capable on a variety of roads. It is very surefooted and composed and its cabin is quiet and relaxing. This is one SUV that really stands out from the crowd.
Special mention also goes to the Kia Niro (€30,595), which also has a very quiet cabin and is extremely comfortable to drive.
Most ridiculously priced car of the year: Ford Edge (from €55,700)
While I quite like the big, bold American SUV the €68,220 price tag that came with my test car is just daft. Even the entry price of €55,700 is still a lot for a Ford SUV and despite the high level of standard equipment it is priced a lot higher than many other established rivals.
The SUV pick-up SsangYong Korando Sports (€29,995) is also little on the pricey side for what it is.
‘Not’ the best car of the year: Alfa Romeo MiTo (from €22,016)
The main thing I dislike about the MiTo is the loud and gruff diesel engine. It just reverberates throughout the cabin non-stop. The fit and finish of the cabin also isn’t great, it’s a bit hard and scratchy.
On the plus side, it is, um, easy to park.
The ‘shut up and take my money’ car: Mazda MX-5 (from €27,995)
This car is just great in so many ways. Its super-cute looks, soft top, great engine and fantastic driving characteristics make it an all-round brilliant package. It suited my ‘spirited’ driving style and I just loved having the roof down, even in November. It is the car I would buy.
The second car I would buy is the Mazda2 – I think Mazda can do no wrong at the moment – as it is a great small car with a fab chassis and engine and is very engaging to drive. It also has a fabulous interior.
The most impressive car of the year: Volvo S90 (from €44,800)
The new Volvo S90 is gorgeous both inside and out. It is refined and is very comfortable to drive. It has some great new tech including Pilot Assist – which can take over many driving duties on a main road, from lane-keeping to active cruise control and even emergency braking. This is one super executive saloon to give the German manufacturers a run for their money.
As mentioned in last week’s review, the Skoda Kodiaq is also an impressive all-rounder and is sure to impress buyers when it arrives here in March.
The full list:
Presented in chronological test order…
- Volkswagen Touran (Irish launch)
- Skoda Fabia
- SEAT Ibiza FR
- SEAT Ibiza Van
- SsangYong Tivoli
- MINI John Cooper Works (Mondello on track test)
- Volkswagen Passat Estate
- Volkswagen Touran
- MINI Cooper S (Mondello obstacle course)
- BMW 118i
- BMW M4 (Mondello on track test)
- SEAT Ibiza
- SEAT Ibiza Cupra
- Audi TTS
- Audi A8 3.0TDI
- Audi A7 Competition
- Volkswagen Golf SV
- Volkswagen Sharan
- Volkswagen Jetta
- SsangYong Korando Sports
- Volkswagen Passat Alltrack
- Fiat 500
- Audi R8 V10 plus (Mondello on track test)
- Audi RS7 Performance (Mondello on track test)
- Mazda2
- BMW X5 xDrive40e
- Lexus RX 450h
- Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine
- Bentley Flying Spur
- Opel Astra Sports Tourer
- Volkswagen Tiguan launch
- Opel Mokka
- Volvo S90 (launch in Spain)
- SsangYong Tivoli automatic
- Dacia Duster (long distance Romania road trip)
- Opel Adam S
- Honda HR-V
- SsangYong Tivoli XLV
- Ford Fiesta Red Black
- Peugeot 308
- Ford Mustang 5.0
- SEAT Ateca
- Citroen Grand C4 Picasso (Irish launch)
- Peugeot 2008
- DS 3
- Mazda MX-5
- Peugeot 508 RXH
- Audi A4 Avant
- Opel Astra Sports Tourer
- Nissan Qashqai
- Ford Edge
- Ford Ka+ (launch in London)
- Alfa Romeo Mito
- Renault Megane GT Line Nav
- Kia Optima Sports Wagon
- Skoda Kodiaq (long distance European road trip)
- Kia Niro
- Citroen C3 (Irish launch)
- Nissan Pulsar
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