Although it glides smoothly over the appalling roads around my local town of Poole, the rear feels much more softly sprung than the front, giving the car a tendency to rock back and forth for a bit after hitting large bumps. It’s not unpleasant, but it does take a little bit of getting used to. The […]
Ora Funky Cat 2023 long-term test
Mileage: 3450 Life with an Ora Funky Cat: Month 4 Just one teensy part can stop a whole machine from working – 24 May Strange. I can’t get this 50kW CCS plug into the Funky Cat’s charging port. Let’s try the 43kW Type 2. Nope, same problem: it goes 90% of the way in but doesn’t […]
Alpina D3 S 2023 long-term test
Apparently, those high-speed, high-mile journeys play a big part in the popularity of Alpina’s diesel models in Germany (people will commute big distances rather than fly internally), while in Japan, traditionally a petrol rather than a diesel market, they think of them as we did in the early 2000s too. Dynamically, it’s impressive. Firm, certainly, […]
Kia Niro EV 2023 long-term test
That aside, our car is fully loaded and wants for little. Highlights include the leather-effect ‘vegan’ upholstery (made using Tencel fabric from eucalyptus trees), although I can’t work out if it really elevates the car while remaining durable or feels like a more upmarket version of a wipe-clean vinyl tablecloth from a child’s party. For now, […]
Skoda Enyaq Coupe vRS 2023 long-term test
Mileage: 7483 Back to the top It’s high time we had smarter info to help us find an empty, working charger – 12 April Such is the way with the UK’s charging infrastructure that I’ve had two vastly different experiences recently, one at Hopwood Park services just south of Birmingham and the other at Rugby […]
Volvo XC40 Recharge 2023 long-term test
With slots for four bikes (enough for a small family, whom an XC40 would suit nicely), this towbar-mounted rack from Thule comes in at £446. Not cheap, but as the £1250 towbar can be optioned and added to the monthly rental cost (£21 per month over four years directly from Volvo), it makes the pair a […]
Alpine A110 2023 long-term test
I hope to have many great drives in it, but I know already I’ll have many bloody awful ones, too, sitting in heavy traffic, or simply tedious ones droning down the motorway, because that’s life. How will such a tightly focused car fare? If it does well, it will prove you really don’t need to […]
Peugeot 308 SW 2023 long-term test
Our PHEV estate provided a welcome antidote to SUVs despite issues of its own Why we ran it: To see if an electrified estate like the Peugeot 308 SW still has a place in a world of crossover competitors Month 3 – Month 2 – Month 1 – Specs Life with a Peugeot 308 SW PHEV: Month 3 Our PHEV estate provided a welcome […]
BMW iX 2022 long-term test
There are almost too many cameras and sensors, particularly when I’m reversing into a space. It makes me a bit jumpy. Mileage: 3650 Back to the top Our editor is impressed by the iX’s efficiency – 14 September I’ve been very impressed with just how efficient the iX is. We’re still learning which mpkWh figures […]