Car group tests

Car group tests

The UK's most popular cars head-to-head against their key rivals...

If you really want to know how a car performs against its key rivals, this is the place to find out. The Auto Express group test is an automotive institution decades in the making that gets right to the heart of the questions that car buyers want answered. 

While our in-depth reviews and long-term tests are usually done with the car in isolation, albeit by experienced journalists with detailed prior experience of hundreds of other cars, the group test puts two or three direct rivals head-to-head in the same place, on the same roads and in the same conditions. There is nowhere to hide. 

As a means of slimming down your car buying shortlist these exhaustive tests are great. We drive the cars over long distances, interrogate the control systems, load and unload the interiors, and take our own precise measurements to make comparisons easier. Sometimes there’s an obvious winner but often what emerges is a picture of two cars with qualities that would suit different kinds of buyer - a picture that only becomes clear after this kind of detailed side-by-side testing. 

Our team brings you at least one two- or three-car group test every week, building up a clear picture of the cars we rate and those that we don’t... 

Scroll down to find all our group test pages… 

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More on Car group tests

Audi Q3 vs Range Rover Evoque

Audi Q3 vs Range Rover Evoque

Can a raft of updates thrust the Audi Q3 to the top of the cut-throat crossover class and take the wind out of the Evoque’s sails?
Car group tests
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MINI JCW vs Vauxhall Corsa VXR & Ford Fiesta ST
MINI JCW vs Vauxhall Corsa VXR & Ford Fiesta ST

MINI JCW vs Vauxhall Corsa VXR & Ford Fiesta ST

228bhp MINI JCW has raised the temperature in the hot hatch market, but can it see off Vauxhall and Ford rivals?
Car group tests
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Flex appeal: Kia Venga vs Ford B-MAX & Nissan Note
Kia Venga vs Ford B-MAX & Nissan Note

Flex appeal: Kia Venga vs Ford B-MAX & Nissan Note

Is the revised Kia Venga versatile enough to beat supermini-MPV class rivals from Nissan and Ford?
Car group tests
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Alpina XD3 Biturbo vs Porsche Macan S Diesel
Alpina XD3 vs Porsche Macan S Diesel

Alpina XD3 Biturbo vs Porsche Macan S Diesel

Muscular diesel SUVs from Alpina and Porsche blend rugged looks with sports car pace. Which is better?
Car group tests
1 Jun 2015
BMW 1 Series vs VW Golf & Mazda 3
BMW 1 Series vs VW Golf and Mazda 3

BMW 1 Series vs VW Golf & Mazda 3

Is the BMW 116d ED the best compact hatch for business and family buyers? We find out as it takes on VW and Mazda
Car group tests
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Volvo XC90 vs Land Rover Discovery: first UK test
Volvo XC90 vs Land Rover Discovery

Volvo XC90 vs Land Rover Discovery: first UK test

We see if Volvo’s hi-tech new XC90 can go straight to the top of the seven-seater SUV class as it meets capable Land Rover Discovery
Car group tests
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Peugeot 208
Peugeot 208 PureTech 110 front

Peugeot 208

Car group tests
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Audi A1
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Audi A1

Car group tests
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Kia Picanto vs Renault Twingo & Hyundai i10
Kia Picanto vs Renault Twingo & Hyundai i10

Kia Picanto vs Renault Twingo & Hyundai i10

We see if Kia’s new Picanto can stand tall as the king of the urban jungle as it meets Renault and Hyundai rivals
Car group tests
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Vauxhall Adam Grand Slam vs VW Polo BlueGT

Vauxhall Adam Grand Slam vs VW Polo BlueGT

Vauxhall’s fastest Adam yet, the 148bhp Grand Slam, takes on the VW Polo BlueGT in a battle for warm hatch honours
Car group tests
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Mercedes-AMG GT S vs Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS
Mercedes-AMG GT S vs Porsche Carrera 4 GTS

Mercedes-AMG GT S vs Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS

New Mercedes-AMG GT meets Porsche 911 on some of Britain’s best driving roads
Car group tests
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Suzuki Vitara vs Citroen C4 Cactus & Renault Captur
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Suzuki Vitara vs Citroen C4 Cactus & Renault Captur

Suzuki’s Vitara has transformed from basic 4x4 to cute compact SUV. We see how it fares against the Citroen C4 Cactus and Renault Captur
Car group tests
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Honda CR-V vs Mazda CX-5 vs Ford Kuga
Honda CR-V vs Mazda CX-5 vs Ford Kuga - header

Honda CR-V vs Mazda CX-5 vs Ford Kuga

Has a facelift breathed life into the Honda CR-V? We find out as it meets the Mazda CX-5 and Ford Kuga
Car group tests
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SEAT Leon X-Perience vs Skoda Octavia Scout
SEAT Leon X-Perience vs Skoda Octavia Scout

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SEAT is the latest brand to enter the rugged estate club with the Leon X-Perience. Can it go further than the Skoda Octavia Scout?
Car group tests
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Don’t need a full-fat hot hatch? We try three warmed-up models with both pace and comfort
Car group tests
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Lexus NX vs Audi Q5

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Lexus has fitted the NX with a turbocharged petrol engine in the pursuit of performance SUV perfection. Can it beat the Q5?
Car group tests
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Suzuki Celerio vs Toyota Aygo & Skoda Citigo

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New Suzuki Celerio offers mix of space, kit and value. Can it beat the Toyota Aygo and Skoda Citigo?
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Subaru Outback vs Skoda Superb Outdoor

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New Subaru Outback offers a practical estate alternative to an SUV. Can it leave Skoda’s Superb Outdoor trailing in the mud?
Car group tests
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Range Rover Sport SVR vs Porsche Cayenne Turbo & Audi RS6
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Range Rover Sport SVR vs Porsche Cayenne Turbo & Audi RS6

New Range Rover Sport SVR blasts in with 542bhp, but is it a match for the Porsche Cayenne Turbo? Or even the Audi RS6?
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VW Polo GTI vs MINI Cooper S & Peugeot 208 GTi
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VW Polo GTI vs MINI Cooper S & Peugeot 208 GTi

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Car group tests
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Skoda Fabia Estate vs Nissan Note
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Lexus RC F vs BMW M4
Lexus RC F vs BMW M4

Lexus RC F vs BMW M4

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Mazda 2 vs VW Polo & Ford Fiesta
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