Soldato
As I am working as a vehicle mover, I thought I would do a one line review for every car I drive, giving a few thoughts. These should not be seen as anything other than thoughts to bear in mind when you test them. You may not agree, but they are my opinions of how they were to live with for 100 miles or more.
I will add each vehicle I drive, when I drive it.
Mercedes GL350 AMG Sport D Auto - Palace on wheels, 4 hour drive felt like sitting at home in the armchair, how do you turn traffic announcements off?
Mercedes A180 1.5d Man - Comfortable but forever changing gear, gutless in Eco, great in sport, very economical in sport, faultless stop start, argh, TA again.
BMW 123d Convertible Auto - Great car, firm ride, tramlines on the big alloys, great economy and power, proper quick diesel!
Fiat 500 Man - Great looks, nasty gutless drive who is overtaking me now?
Ford Galaxy Diesel Auto - Great Kit, good engine pulls hard, good economy, handles remarkably well for a big bus.
Mercedes A180 1.5d Auto - Comfortable, Economical, Great smooth Auto, feels quicker than manual as always in the right gear, right where's the manual, TA is driving me nuts.
Mercedes C250D Auto - Quick, comfortable, huge alloys are hella noisy on the Concrete M25.
Audi A5 Sline Coupe Diesel Man - Quick, Amazing adaptive cruise control. right up until someone pulled across in front of me, stop start wont restart the engine and stopped it while I was rolling 3 times, turning it off. Comfortablish, crap ergonomics, why do I need to reach back for window switches?
BMW Z4 Sdrive M Auto - Not as quick as I thought, Probably the only 2 seater sports car I could fit in, sounds awesome, scary on icy roads, but not as scary as it might have been, a hoot.
BMW 430D Msport Auto - Love the controls, love the way it drives, seat not quite right for me, bolster hurts my thigh, quick, economical, like the red led showing cruise speed, a real pleasure to drive.
Fiat 500x Multiair Manual - Stupid switches for lights, Eco Mode is sloppy and dull, Sport mode is pretty damn good. Electric handbrake works like it should, not like the dumbass Qashqai one and auto releases. Kinda loving this.
Nissan Qashqai 1.5d Manual - A really really accomplished criossover. Not going to set the world on fire but amazing economy, great equipment and very comfortable and relaxing drive, very impressed.
Nissan Juke 1.5d Manual - Ugly from the front, but comfortable and good kit, brisk but not astounding, economical and confidence inspiring handling for such a tall car.
Vauxhall Insignia SE 2.0D 170 - Biggest Surprise ever, VX seem to have shaken off all the dodginess, good grip and handling, very quick for a rep mile muncher, good economy, and actually a very nice place to be for a non-prestige car, tiny rear window.
Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 Man 2011 - Kill me now, how can anyone drive one of these dogs?
Mini one 1.6 Manual - Quite possibly the best FWD small car I have driven. Kart like steering, phenomenal grip on ditchfinder tyres, want a Cooper S to try! Good round town and great in the twisties.
Audi A3 2.0D Sline Man - Same poor ergonomics as the A5, same dodgy Stop Start as the A5, can't get comfortable, good grip and power.
VW Golf 2.0D Auto - How can VW manage to get everything right that the A3 get's wrong? Great comfort and ergonomics, good grip and power, much nicer over a distance, doesn't look as good as the A3 but feels better. Stop Start on the auto works fine.
VW Golf 1.4 TSI DSG Bluemotion - Quite possibly the most accomplished small car I have ever driven. Couple the DSG, ACC and Auto Hold and you can drive a traffic jam with only a touch on the gas when you need to move off https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm6zUzv5Ul4
Toyota Prius - Losing the will to live, why is there a huge queue behind me, only 50mpg for this misery? S'ok round town in EV I guess?
Mitsubishi ASX-H 2.2d Manual - Good engine but otherwise dull as dishwater, what idiot specced manual transmission?
2007 Mazda MX5 1.8i - I am 6'5" So someone is having a laugh giving me this to drive! 242 miles, back is aching.neck is aching, but worth it, such fun to drive on the A/B roads
2015 BMW X5 4.0D XDrive Auto - 5 hours of driving and a damn nice place to be, started getinng a bit "get outta my bloomin way you moron" Guess that comes with being in a Big Bimmer, christ how do you turn this lane warning haptic feedback off, feels like I have Parkinsons driving through these 50mph roadworks narrow lanes.
2015 Ford Focus 1.0 Ecoboost - Better in every way over the fiesta, better kit, better comfort, and the engine seems much better, 43mpg at *cough* motorway speeds
2011 BMW 640i Cabiolet Auto - If you have to finish your day at midnight, driving on empty roads, this is a great way to do it
31mpg with spirited driving from a 3l Turbo inline 6, really? Why are you trying to race me in your Leon Cupra FR? bubye now!
2016 Skoda Yeti Outdoor 1.2 TSI Manual - Like a Golf only taller and not quite as nice as a result.
2016 Hyundai i30 1.4 Petrol Manual - VERY comfortable for my 6'5" those Koreans have really got it sussed, great equipment, cruise control a little random on the +/- buttons, but otherwise a good car for many people.
2015 Ford Focus 1.5 Diesel Manual - 150 miles so far, 60mpg great ICE and phone integration, good performance, good ride and handling, no wonder the guys on OCUK recommend the Focus so highly! Look forward to seeing how it does on the 400 mile run to East Kilbride on Friday.
2016 Jaguar 2.2td Sportbreak - Not as comfortable as similar vehicles (for me) Lovely Drive, quick when needed, nice ride and handling despite the silly size alloys, the self opening vents, popup gear selecter are nice features, feels a lot more special than other vehicles in it's class, Adaptive Cruise works but not as good as the VAG system.
2016 Ford Fiesta ST Mountune - Holy Crap this is a fun car. Overtaking so easy, gearing, power curve perfect, THAT SOUND! Dash a bit tacky, ditto seats, but what a great way to cross country B-Road! Traction superb, like a limpet, would have one of these over a Focus ST any day of the week!
2016 Ford Focus ST Diesel - All the back shattering ride and none of the performance. Good in gear acceleration but forever up and down the box, gotta be desperate for an economical ST to take this over the petrol version, £26k? Really? I'd have the £20k Petrol Fiesta anyday over this.
2012 BMW 2.0D 3 series Auto - 40k miler drives like new, fast, economical (68mpg indicated), this is a really really good saloon car. Really chuckable and confidence inspiring. A pleasure to drive, seat digs into my thighs, with more time I am sure I could sort that.
2011 Audi A6 SLine Diesel DSG - (this was a trade in going to auction with some accident damage on the offside) Decent car, DSG is a pleasure, quick for a luxobarge, 45mpg not bad, doesn't like this road, weaving all over the place, feels unstable on these uneven roads, different class, but I miss the BMW on this road.
2016 BMW 330E Hybrid Auto - Wow, this is the best Hybrid I have ever driven by a million miles. 60mph on a 70 mile run, Smooth as silk, Electric only to 50 mph, few stints in electric only at 60mph. Motor cut on every downhill with great charging. After driving diesels all the time, this was a breath of fresh air, literally. If your journey is under 7 miles a day around town/under 60 mph, this will use zero fuel guaranteed. Have driven Outlander PHEV, X5 Hybrid (also excellent) Many Prius, and this is soooo much nicer.
2015 Fiesta ST, Corsa VXR, Mini Cooper S, Citroen DS3R. Lucky enough to drive these back to back last week, My Running order would be 1st Fiesta ST, 2nd Mini Cooper S, 3rd Citroen DS3R (due to price) 4th Corsa VXR. So pretty much agreed with Auto Express on that one
That's it for now, will add some more when I can
I will add each vehicle I drive, when I drive it.
Mercedes GL350 AMG Sport D Auto - Palace on wheels, 4 hour drive felt like sitting at home in the armchair, how do you turn traffic announcements off?
Mercedes A180 1.5d Man - Comfortable but forever changing gear, gutless in Eco, great in sport, very economical in sport, faultless stop start, argh, TA again.
BMW 123d Convertible Auto - Great car, firm ride, tramlines on the big alloys, great economy and power, proper quick diesel!
Fiat 500 Man - Great looks, nasty gutless drive who is overtaking me now?
Ford Galaxy Diesel Auto - Great Kit, good engine pulls hard, good economy, handles remarkably well for a big bus.
Mercedes A180 1.5d Auto - Comfortable, Economical, Great smooth Auto, feels quicker than manual as always in the right gear, right where's the manual, TA is driving me nuts.
Mercedes C250D Auto - Quick, comfortable, huge alloys are hella noisy on the Concrete M25.
Audi A5 Sline Coupe Diesel Man - Quick, Amazing adaptive cruise control. right up until someone pulled across in front of me, stop start wont restart the engine and stopped it while I was rolling 3 times, turning it off. Comfortablish, crap ergonomics, why do I need to reach back for window switches?
BMW Z4 Sdrive M Auto - Not as quick as I thought, Probably the only 2 seater sports car I could fit in, sounds awesome, scary on icy roads, but not as scary as it might have been, a hoot.
BMW 430D Msport Auto - Love the controls, love the way it drives, seat not quite right for me, bolster hurts my thigh, quick, economical, like the red led showing cruise speed, a real pleasure to drive.
Fiat 500x Multiair Manual - Stupid switches for lights, Eco Mode is sloppy and dull, Sport mode is pretty damn good. Electric handbrake works like it should, not like the dumbass Qashqai one and auto releases. Kinda loving this.
Nissan Qashqai 1.5d Manual - A really really accomplished criossover. Not going to set the world on fire but amazing economy, great equipment and very comfortable and relaxing drive, very impressed.
Nissan Juke 1.5d Manual - Ugly from the front, but comfortable and good kit, brisk but not astounding, economical and confidence inspiring handling for such a tall car.
Vauxhall Insignia SE 2.0D 170 - Biggest Surprise ever, VX seem to have shaken off all the dodginess, good grip and handling, very quick for a rep mile muncher, good economy, and actually a very nice place to be for a non-prestige car, tiny rear window.
Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 Man 2011 - Kill me now, how can anyone drive one of these dogs?
Mini one 1.6 Manual - Quite possibly the best FWD small car I have driven. Kart like steering, phenomenal grip on ditchfinder tyres, want a Cooper S to try! Good round town and great in the twisties.
Audi A3 2.0D Sline Man - Same poor ergonomics as the A5, same dodgy Stop Start as the A5, can't get comfortable, good grip and power.
VW Golf 2.0D Auto - How can VW manage to get everything right that the A3 get's wrong? Great comfort and ergonomics, good grip and power, much nicer over a distance, doesn't look as good as the A3 but feels better. Stop Start on the auto works fine.
VW Golf 1.4 TSI DSG Bluemotion - Quite possibly the most accomplished small car I have ever driven. Couple the DSG, ACC and Auto Hold and you can drive a traffic jam with only a touch on the gas when you need to move off https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm6zUzv5Ul4
Toyota Prius - Losing the will to live, why is there a huge queue behind me, only 50mpg for this misery? S'ok round town in EV I guess?
Mitsubishi ASX-H 2.2d Manual - Good engine but otherwise dull as dishwater, what idiot specced manual transmission?
2007 Mazda MX5 1.8i - I am 6'5" So someone is having a laugh giving me this to drive! 242 miles, back is aching.neck is aching, but worth it, such fun to drive on the A/B roads
2015 BMW X5 4.0D XDrive Auto - 5 hours of driving and a damn nice place to be, started getinng a bit "get outta my bloomin way you moron" Guess that comes with being in a Big Bimmer, christ how do you turn this lane warning haptic feedback off, feels like I have Parkinsons driving through these 50mph roadworks narrow lanes.
2015 Ford Focus 1.0 Ecoboost - Better in every way over the fiesta, better kit, better comfort, and the engine seems much better, 43mpg at *cough* motorway speeds
2011 BMW 640i Cabiolet Auto - If you have to finish your day at midnight, driving on empty roads, this is a great way to do it
31mpg with spirited driving from a 3l Turbo inline 6, really? Why are you trying to race me in your Leon Cupra FR? bubye now!2016 Skoda Yeti Outdoor 1.2 TSI Manual - Like a Golf only taller and not quite as nice as a result.
2016 Hyundai i30 1.4 Petrol Manual - VERY comfortable for my 6'5" those Koreans have really got it sussed, great equipment, cruise control a little random on the +/- buttons, but otherwise a good car for many people.
2015 Ford Focus 1.5 Diesel Manual - 150 miles so far, 60mpg great ICE and phone integration, good performance, good ride and handling, no wonder the guys on OCUK recommend the Focus so highly! Look forward to seeing how it does on the 400 mile run to East Kilbride on Friday.
2016 Jaguar 2.2td Sportbreak - Not as comfortable as similar vehicles (for me) Lovely Drive, quick when needed, nice ride and handling despite the silly size alloys, the self opening vents, popup gear selecter are nice features, feels a lot more special than other vehicles in it's class, Adaptive Cruise works but not as good as the VAG system.
2016 Ford Fiesta ST Mountune - Holy Crap this is a fun car. Overtaking so easy, gearing, power curve perfect, THAT SOUND! Dash a bit tacky, ditto seats, but what a great way to cross country B-Road! Traction superb, like a limpet, would have one of these over a Focus ST any day of the week!
2016 Ford Focus ST Diesel - All the back shattering ride and none of the performance. Good in gear acceleration but forever up and down the box, gotta be desperate for an economical ST to take this over the petrol version, £26k? Really? I'd have the £20k Petrol Fiesta anyday over this.
2012 BMW 2.0D 3 series Auto - 40k miler drives like new, fast, economical (68mpg indicated), this is a really really good saloon car. Really chuckable and confidence inspiring. A pleasure to drive, seat digs into my thighs, with more time I am sure I could sort that.
2011 Audi A6 SLine Diesel DSG - (this was a trade in going to auction with some accident damage on the offside) Decent car, DSG is a pleasure, quick for a luxobarge, 45mpg not bad, doesn't like this road, weaving all over the place, feels unstable on these uneven roads, different class, but I miss the BMW on this road.
2016 BMW 330E Hybrid Auto - Wow, this is the best Hybrid I have ever driven by a million miles. 60mph on a 70 mile run, Smooth as silk, Electric only to 50 mph, few stints in electric only at 60mph. Motor cut on every downhill with great charging. After driving diesels all the time, this was a breath of fresh air, literally. If your journey is under 7 miles a day around town/under 60 mph, this will use zero fuel guaranteed. Have driven Outlander PHEV, X5 Hybrid (also excellent) Many Prius, and this is soooo much nicer.
2015 Fiesta ST, Corsa VXR, Mini Cooper S, Citroen DS3R. Lucky enough to drive these back to back last week, My Running order would be 1st Fiesta ST, 2nd Mini Cooper S, 3rd Citroen DS3R (due to price) 4th Corsa VXR. So pretty much agreed with Auto Express on that one
That's it for now, will add some more when I can
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