Road tests

Time was when Japanese manufacturers were reluctant to build diesel engines for their cars. But strong European sales mean they can no longer ignore o…

Entry-level performance cars often leave drivers feeling a bit short-changed. While they may be fun, their budget price can mean there's a significant…

There's no secret to the Xsara Picasso's sales success - its price. While the Citroen lacks the driver appeal of Ford's Focus C-MAX, the safety of Ren…

It might have been around for more than three years, but the Mercedes Sports Coupe is still a rare sight on British roads. Could this be because it fa…

Now the entire C-Class range has been given a sporty makeover, Mercedes has decided to offer a muscular flagship version. With a 5.4-litre 367bhp engi…

The Le Mans quattro is to Audi what the Enzo is to Ferrari - a road car that's based on a world championship-winning racer. With some justification, A…

Although the VW Sharan and Ford Galaxy are basically the same vehicle, UK buyers have always preferred the blue oval machine. However, things could be…

Dear Mr Harris, at last you can stop writing us letters. Ever since Nissan's Cube first appeared in Auto Express, we've had scores of readers asking w…

When the Daewoo brand launched in the UK nine years ago, it was a success because the cars were easy to buy and run, thanks to a no-nonsense purchase …

There are certain things we take for granted in the executive saloon market: BMW and Mercedes build rear-wheel-drive cars, while Audi goes for front-d…

Americans haven't got the best environmental credentials, so it could come as a surprise to learn Lotus's Elise has never been allowed there because i…

Brushed Alcantara and leather bucket seats might look great in the showroom, but it's a well known fact that luxury trim and hide are no match for a y…

According to the English dictionary, Verso means the flip-side of a coin. By that reckoning, the new Avensis Verso should be wildly entertaining, dram…

As late arrivals go, Jaguar's long-awaited entry into the estate car market leaves Britain's notoriously unpredictable railway system looking punctual…

With BMW upsetting the traditionalists with its outrageous approach to styling, it looks as though rivals are treading a softer design path, hoping to…

It takes a while to realise just how refined the Audi A8 W12 really is. It's not when you first turn the key and hear the faint rumble ahead of you, o…

It's a fair bet that practicality is much lower down a convertible buyer's list of priorities than characterful styling. Small boots and cramped rear …

A five-year warranty and three years' free servicing until the end of next month already make the Hyundai Getz an attractive proposition for those loo…

Sporty SEAT's have acquired a cult following over recent years, with the Cupra badge a byword for performance and value.

For a company that makes so much of its engineering skills, Audi's approach to the science of car building is not as straightforward as you might imag…

Just as people book holidays in the sun to cheer themselves up in the middle of winter, car buyers rush to order drop-tops to be ready for the first s…

Small cars are big business for Citroen, and with a vast array of engines and trims across three models - the C2, C3 and C3 Pluriel - there's somethin…

If you see a particularly smug-looking Clio driver, the chances are that the car has a diesel engine under the bonnet.

Buying a Maserati has always been an emotional decision - it's a matter of the heart versus the head. Although very few car makers produce models that…

Peugeot has decided to improve its conventional automatic and launched the only car in its class with a Tiptronic function.

What happens when you cross an MPV with an SUV? That's a question Nissan's designers pondered in an ideas session a couple of years ago. The answer, t…

The Honda S2000 has always been schizophrenic. If you took last year's model on a test track, you'd think it was a well balanced, perfectly planted an…

There was a time when a small car with a three-figure power output could be considered a hot hatch. The Peugeot 205 GTi, for example, mustered a mere …

The Panda has returned to Britain. No, not the bamboo-chewing variety, but Fiat's latest incarnation of its urban runabout. Famed for making affordabl…

In the city, one car is streets ahead in the style race. Sales have been slow, but Audi's high-fashion A2 has long been the obvious choice for downsiz…

Overkill is a big problem in the motor industry. People drive around in sports cars capable of 150mph when the speed limit is only 70mph.

Want to fill a car showroom with eager buyers? Then introduce an ultra-affordable entry-level machine to bring punters on to the forecourt.

Most new car buyers' wishlist reads something like this - bargain price, cheap to run, gutsy performance and plenty of space. Impossible? Well, SEAT c…

Could this be the end of Hyundai's image as a budget manufacturer? With Lexus looks and a luxurious cabin, this is the Equus, the car that shows just …

With Christmas still fresh in your mind, have a think about how enthusiastic you'd have been if your presents had come in a brown paper bag. There's n…

It might not seem like it, but Peugeot's big-selling 307 hasn't had it all its own way of late. Although acclaimed by Auto Express, and crowned Europe…