Road Test Review – November

Sleepless nights on our mega mileage marathon
Our team didn’t get a lot of sleep in November. Not only was road tester James Disdale tackling a 3,000-mile cross-Europe drive, but Owen Mildenhall made the long trip from London to Edinburgh to try one of the most important new Vauxhalls of the decade.

The Insignia had a mountain to climb, as Ford’s Mondeo had proved itself as a family car with star quality throughout 2008. What’s more, for buyers who rate desirability over space, Honda’s Accord is appealing. These two rivals met one of the first examples of the Vauxhall to turn a wheel on UK soil.

We covered more than 1,000 miles making our decision – so you’d expect us to have reached a verdict by the time we got back to our London office. Oh no... The insomnia continued even when we were back in our own beds – would the Vauxhall or Ford take top honours? The Mondeo was more practical and better to drive, yet the Insignia cost less and offered superb motorway refinement. In the end, we felt that the Ford was the stronger family car, which is why it came out on top.

The big surprise of the month arrived in the shape of a Renault with plastic windows! It sounds absurd, but the Mégane R26.R blew us away with its pace and handling. If only it had been launched earlier in the year, it would have created a stir in our Performance Car of the Year ranking (Issue 1,035).

Family car battle
Vauxhall Insignia vs Ford Mondeo vs Honda Accord (Issue 1,037). As a replacement for the long-serving Vectra, Vauxhall’s brand new Insignia is sure to cover monster motorway mileages. That’s why the test team here at Auto Express jumped at the chance to drive one 1,000 miles around the UK, taking in the entire length of the M1 in the process.

The Luton manufacturer has done a fine job of recreating its popular family car, yet we reckon that practicality has been pushed too far from the top of the priority list. The Insignia offers a more complete package than Honda’s Accord, but it’s the blue oval’s Mondeo that still rules the roost. Will the Insignia estate redress the balance in 2009? We can’t wait to find out.

Hot hatch group
Renaultsport Mégane R26.R, Honda Civic Type R Champ’ship White, VW Golf GTI Pirelli, Ford Focus Mountune (Issue 1,040). Our final visit of the year to Lincolnshire’s Cadwell Park race circuit proved to be a real treat. Four car manufacturers had made various tweaks to their hot hatches to try and notch up a few more sales, but one model was a cut above the rest. Watch the video here.

While Honda’s Civic Type R Championship White was superb, Renaultsport’s Mégane R26.R was truly sensational. In fact, we went as far as to name it the best-handling hot hatch the French firm has ever produced.

Supermini shoot-out
Honda Jazz vs Ford Fiesta vs Nissan Note (Issue 1,038). The original Jazz was a design masterpiece. Its successor builds on that with larger dimensions and more powerful engines, but gives away ground to rivals in terms of style and desirability. We ranked it behind Ford’s Fiesta, but ahead of the Nissan Note.

Estates duel
Audi A6 Avant vs Chrysler 300C Touring (Issue 1,038). A twin test with a difference saw Audi’s revised A6 Avant take on our very own Chrysler 300C Touring long-termer. Road tester Ross Pinnock had become almost unfeasibly attached to his big American steed, so could he be tempted by a more modern German competitor? The downside was a compromise in engine size and equipment.

Even Ross had to concede that the Audi was undoubtedly the more sensible option – yet if he had let his heart rule his head he would probably have stuck with the Chrysler…

Tester’s notes - Q5’s Spanish inquisition...
How far will we go to bring you an exclusive group test? Well, in the Q5’s case, over 3,000 miles in only four days! When the firm announced it was to launch its Q5 in Granada, Spain, we arranged a welcoming committee in the form of a Volvo XC60 and Land Rover Freelander. Early on a bitter November day, driver Tom Reynolds and I set out on our 1,200-mile journey to the sun.

In the final reckoning, the Audi won the day ahead of the Land Rover and Volvo – although, with its highly comfortable seats and thumping sound system, the Swede proved a great long-distance cruiser. Spain proved a fabulous photo location, too, thanks to the mountains and blue skies. The amazing scenery even made up for having to sleep on the Volvo’s back seat, following a fruitless late-night search for hotel rooms on the return journey!
James Disdale
Road tester