Skip advert
Advertisement

Brake time

BMW X6, Mazda 5, Mercedes S320 CDI, Vauxhall Insignia, Ford Ka, MINI JCW (Issue 1,064)

Brake test

Road tester Owen Mildenhall ate a hearty breakfast before tucking into one of the most dramatic shoot-outs of 2009, flinging the best-stopping cars we had driven all year through a rigorous braking and ESP test. It involved a combined emergency stop and lane change from 70mph. The surprise overall winner
from a variety of sectors was BMW’s incredible X6 SUV.

Advertisement - Article continues below

However, spare a thought for intrepid road tester James Disdale. He put in the most dazzling performance of the day by sitting alongside Owen for every run, holding on to our timing gear...

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

RRP £29,820Avg. savings £5,308 off RRP*Used from £10,195
Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen Tiguan

RRP £38,030Avg. savings £3,560 off RRP*Used from £20,799
Omoda 5

Omoda 5

RRP £23,990Avg. savings £1,429 off RRP*
Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £15,255Avg. savings £1,912 off RRP*Used from £7,299
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Ford Puma is UK’s best-selling car once again and Brits prove their love for petrol power
Ford Puma - front corner left turn

Ford Puma is UK’s best-selling car once again and Brits prove their love for petrol power

More than 2,000,000 new cars were sold in the UK last year – the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic
News
6 Jan 2026
It’s clear that all buyers want are affordable and desirable cars
Affordable cars - opinion

It’s clear that all buyers want are affordable and desirable cars

Manufacturers like BYD, Jaecoo and Renault are building affordable cars people actually want to buy, and it’s backed up by sales data
Opinion
5 Jan 2026
New electric Mercedes S-Class will replace the EQS… eventually
Mercedes EQS - front tracking

New electric Mercedes S-Class will replace the EQS… eventually

The next iteration of the S-Class will give its affluent customers the choice of combustion or electric power
News
5 Jan 2026