Why do a lot of car enthusiasts love to hate the Toyota Prius? It could be because Priuses have never been in the list of most attractive cars. It could be because they aren’t performance-oriented in any way. Some enthusiasts feel that their owners become smug and feel superior to other drivers for driving a fuel-efficient car (as shown in this video). Then you’ve got the fact that owning one automatically gets you perks that other drivers don’t get, such as: low tax, free access to congestion charging zones, using carpool lanes at will, and special parking spaces. Some argue that this is unfair since the Prius does little to save the environment – especially if you consider the manufacturing process of its batteries. But having lived with the Prius Plug-in Hybrid for two weeks, I was surprised to find myself actually liking the car a lot, and it definitely proved itself to be a standout car.
The Ford Kuga (sold as Escape in North America) is one of those cars you don’t pay much attention to when they pass you by in the street, but that’s to be expected from most small family SUVs. However, spending two weeks with the Kuga has shown that it can be a nice car to live with, and you can always say that the rear looks similar to current Range Rover models (the taillights cut into the body panel like current Range Rovers). With a seemingly great demand for small SUVs, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that Ford won’t have trouble selling the Kuga, but the aim of this review is to find out what sets it apart from its list of strong competitors, such as the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.
A bright orange Ford Focus ST might sound a bit daring in terms of style, but in the metal it definitely works well. Actually, Ford calls it Tangerine Scream, and in the many years of being a car enthusiast, the only cars that I think look good in orange are old Mopar muscle cars like the Plymouth Superbird and mid-engined V12 Lamborghinis. I even think the lines are quite nice, and those dark-coloured 18-inch rims give it a nice sporty stance as well. Looking good, as we all know, is only half of what is required from a performance vehicle, it also has to deliver thrills. However, hot hatches have to deliver those thrills without breaking the bank, so it has to strike that crucial combination of affordability and being a fun car to drive. Luckily, I had over a week to find out if the Focus ST does just that.
Making a station wagon exciting will always be a hard task. Cars like the Audi RS4, Mercedes Benz C63 AMG, or Cadillac CTS-V are a few examples of exciting station wagons. But they do cost a lot of money, and if you remove their high-performing engines and suspension you’re left with regular family station wagons. The Kia Cee’d Sportswagon is yet another example of an inconspicuous station wagon, and while there’s nothing exciting about the way it looks, it has proved to be a rather nice car to live with.
There is no shortage of choice for SUVs these days, in fact you would be forgiven for thinking that the SUV market is overcrowded. With such a competitive market segment, this new facelifted Sorento will have to offer something special indeed for buyers to be persuaded to have one in their daily lives. Also, having driven the pre-facelift version on a Geneva-Paris-Geneva road trip, I was also keen to see what improvements Kia have made as well.
When Citroen released details on the DS5 late in 2011, I looked forward to driving it not least because Citroen have produced some of the most interesting cars in the motoring industry, but also because I thought it was a very good-looking car. The only problem is I initially had no idea what kind of a car it was – whether it was supposed to be a saloon, a station wagon, an MPV, or a crossover SUV. But if you look at it a bit more, you realize that it is more of a stylish, upscale hatchback. Whether it’s a niche market that promises Citroen plenty of success remains to be seen, but on first impression the DS5 definitely gives off a classy vibe.
The Toyota GT86 represents the return of something exciting in the Toyota brand’s model range in many years. Not only is it Toyota’s first rear-wheel drive sports coupe since production of the Supra ended in 2002, but it is being marketed as a Corolla Levin (AE86) reincarnation. The AE86 was without doubt one of the best affordable rear-wheel drive sports coupes of the 1980s, and with Japanese race car driver, Keiichi Tsuchiya, performing wonders on the race track and deserted mountain roads with one, the AE86 became a popular choice for enthusiasts, drifters, and tuners. So, if the new GT86 is to be anything like its predecessor, it will have to be affordable, rear-wheel drive, have potential for tuning, be lightweight, and – most importantly – be fun to drive.
Inconspicuous, yet it fits the description of what makes a standout car. First of all it carries the name of one of the highest-selling vehicles of all time – Honda Accord. Then there is the fact that it offers affordable motoring while being well-equipped. But most of all, the Honda Accord has solidified its reputation as one of the most reliable cars ever made – a reputation that even luxury cars costing many times more can’t match.
Test driving the new Kia Cee'd shows just how much progress the hatchback sector has made in recent years. But, does the Cee'd succeed in luring customers away from its competitors?The small hatchback sector is very competitive, especially with the likes of the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo being as good as they are. However, Kia's new Rio is now armed with fresh good looks and plenty of standard hi-tech features. I find out if it is as good as it looks.
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