50 best road tests of 2011: 1-5

Jaguar XF vs rivals
Imperial War Museum North, Manchester (August)

The Jaguar XF is a serial group test 
winner, former Auto Express Car of 
the Year and one of the most popular British-built models on our roads – so we had high hopes for the revised car in one of the biggest summer tests. Only it wasn’t facing any ordinary rivals…

The new entry-level four-cylinder 
diesel XF had a really tough task on 
its hands as it met the might of Audi’s new A6 and the class-leading BMW 
5 Series, plus Mercedes’ finest E-Class.



While the E220 CDI SE was instantly relegated to fourth place thanks to its dated design and lacklustre dynamics, any of the remaining three executives could have taken the title. In the end, the auto-only Jag was too polluting to win, and the gold medal was handed 
to the beautifully crafted new A6.

Tester's notes
Ross Pinnock, Road test editor

Every Auto Express road test is important – but some are more important than others, and the arrival of the latest Jaguar XF in August was a biggie... You see, executive car options are small and we know all the key contenders intimately.  

In the UK the Jaguar outsells its rivals, but this year marked the arrival of a new entry-level 2.2-litre diesel, aimed squarely at company car buyers. And this is an area in which its rivals excel. 

Our photoshoot took place at the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester, and the building’s mixture of curved edges and sharp folds formed an eye-catching backdrop. 

As we surveyed the new BBC premises on the opposite side of the quay on a muggy summer’s evening, we found ourselves torn. This was a classic head versus heart decision. The Jaguar was the clear winner for desirability, but simply wasn’t as clean, efficient or affordable as its rivals... In the end, that’s what determined a really close outcome.

Maserati GranTurismo vs Jaguar XKR-S
Blyton Park Driving Centre, Lincs (September)

Back in September we found ourselves struggling to pick a favourite when we introduced the hottest Jaguar XK ever produced to the hardcore Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale.

Blistering pace was a given, but what each model did with its raw speed was quite different.

While the XKR-S was a fine all-round GT, it lacked its rival’s edgy character and extreme dynamics. We were looking for thrills here, so the GranTurismo emerged victorious.

Test top 10s
Most expensive cars tested in 2011

BMW 1 Series vs rivals
Firstsite arts centre, Colchester, Essex (October)

Is the latest BMW 1 Series good enough to tempt buyers out of their mainstream models? That was the question we set out to answer when we pitched the new compact hatch against its closest rivals...

The VW Golf and Ford Focus made it a three-way contest after topping a 20-car rundown of the best family hatchbacks.

In the finale the petrol 116i won the day, but we’ll have to test the big-selling diesel to see if it’s a genuine class leader.

Volkswagen Polo GTI vs rivals
Moto Arena, Silverstone, Northants (February)

What better way to banish the January blues than to sample the latest magical mixture of a VW badge and the letters G, T and I?

The Polo GTI has never served up the same chemistry as its Golf sibling, and when we brought it together with the Skoda Fabia vRS and feisty Citroen DS3 DSport on the tight turns of Silverstone’s indoor kart circuit, the Polo struggled to justify its hefty price premium.

While we loved the Fabia’s mix of excitement and value, the DS3 was the winner on the day thanks to its style and dynamic quality.

Toyota Verso-S vs rivals   
Arc shopping centre, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk (March)

When any new model is launched, its maker has an eye on the top of the class. However, when we took Toyota’s Verso-S to one of the most modern shopping centres in Europe, it failed to match the car park appeal of its rivals.

The Toyota didn’t measure up. It looked costly and wasn’t as practical as a supermini-MPV should be.

Embarrassingly for the new car, it finished in fourth place behind the Kia Venga and Nissan Note, as Hyundai’s ix20 sealed a famous victory.