Best long-term car tests 2025: the daily drivers we miss most
The best way to get to know a car inside out is to live with it, and our long-term fleet allows us to do just that
What’s the best way to properly test a new car that comes on sale? To live with it day-to-day of course, and that’s exactly what we do when it comes to our long-term test fleet. Over the past 12 months the Auto Express team has put a wide variety of cars to the test, and below we’ve rounded-up the very best long-term test cars of 2025.
Some of our cars have been treated to a holiday to see how they perform with a family and a boot full of luggage, while others have just been put through their paces on the school run each and every day. It’s this real-world experience that shows a new car in all of its glory, or reveals niggles and frustrations that a potential buyer would have to live with.
So whether you’re looking for an EV, SUV or MPV, read on to get an idea of what life would be like with some of our favourites…
Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB
Steve Walker, Head of digital content
Is it a campervan? That’s the thing people ask you most when you drive a Volkswagen ID. Buzz – and people really do like to ask you stuff about this car. The answer was no, but that didn’t take the shine off my time with VW’s massive MPV in the slightest, and the Buzz did indeed come into its own on holidays and camping trips.
Used - available now
2019 Land Rover
Discovery Sport
112,880 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L
Cash £7,994
2021 BMW
3 Series
87,974 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £14,750
2018 Land Rover
Discovery
87,500 milesAutomaticDiesel3.0L
Cash £19,994
2016 Kia
Sportage
157,000 milesManualDiesel1.7L
Cash £5,495As someone who subscribes to the holiday packing policy of “if it fits, you might as well take it with you”, the long-wheelbase Volkswagen’s 1,340-litre boot with the third-row seats folded down felt like an open invitation. It’s amazing how much you can get inside and even I didn’t get close to its capacity. It’s a first-rate long-distance car, too, with a high, comfortable driving position and smooth ride on good surfaces.
Charging will be a concern for buyers considering an ID. Buzz to use in this way, but we were able to get 250 miles out of our fully loaded van, so you could reach most places in the UK with one charging stop.
All in all, the ID. Buzz is a fantastic utility vehicle – and who needs a campervan when you can carry the motherload of camping equipment in the back?
Read our full Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB long-term test here...
Audi A3
Sarah Perks, Director of content & publishing
I like to keep a low profile – I prefer to let our excellent writers, photographers and web team take the limelight instead – but that was easier said than done when I took custody of a bright yellow Audi A3 Sportback in the spring. ‘Monty’, so named because said lurid hue was called Python yellow, certainly stood out, and I never lost him in a supermarket car park.
The colour really suited the car’s sporty looks, and I was also impressed by the tech on board, with a fine balance between touchscreen controls and physical switches, and an excellent Sonos sound system. Not so good was the slightly claustrophobic black interior trim – a panoramic roof would be an ideal addition to brighten things up inside.
Read our full Audi A3 Sportback 35 TFSI long-term test here...
Ineos Grenadier
Dean Gibson, Senior test editor
It was an easy choice to pick my long-term highlight, because I only ran one car for more than a month. The Ineos Grenadier divides opinion, especially when it comes to how the steering wheel is connected to the front axle, so we wanted to see how it fared as an ownership proposition.
While the huge turning circle was frustrating, spending longer at the wheel meant I became accustomed to the slow rack, and I really enjoyed the fact that the Grenadier was a car that you have to put effort into driving. It certainly didn’t spoil the long-distance journeys I made to Scotland, Kent and Wales while I had it.
The latter trip played to two of the Grenadier’s strengths, the first being its unstoppable off-road ability. The Strata Florida is one of the UK’s most challenging off-road routes, but the Ineos took it in its stride. The triple diff locks weren’t even needed to negotiate steep slopes and adverse cambers, while all-terrain tyres provided lots of grip. It was a thoroughly enjoyable trip, while the flight deck-style cabin and extra-hot heated seats offered a decent level of comfort.
And the Grenadier’s other strength? While it’s no Range Rover on-road, it was far comfier than I expected, and the BMW diesel engine delivered effortless pace. The Grenadier won me over.
Read our full Ineos Grenadier Trialmaster long-term test here...
Cupra Terrarmar
Darren Wilson, Creative director
The most fun I’ve had with a long-term test car this year was doing this photoshoot with my grandchildren Zack (5) and Hope (3). We swapped the streets of Gotham for Croydon, having christened our Cupra Terramar ‘The Batmobile’ on account of the large bat-like puddle lights sporting the Cupra logo that appear at night. Not to mention the swoopy grey exterior styling and deep-red interior lightbar. It certainly looks cool and caught their imagination.
Style wise I think the Terramar is a step up from its Volkswagen and Skoda siblings. I’m still enjoying the petrol performance, plus the ride and practicality of an SUV that actually feels part of the family. But it would be unfair not to mention the Volvo EC40, which I ran for the first half of 2025. It was hands down the best EV that I’ve driven in terms of my family’s requirements. With a super-functional infotainment and zero range anxiety, it was an absolute joy to live with.
Read our full Cupra Terramar V2 long-term test here...
Volkswagen ID.7
Phil McNamara, Editor-at-large
Is range anxiety still a thing? I’d run four big electric SUVs and struggled to coax 200 miles out of any of them, then up rocked Volkswagen’s ID.7 Tourer Pro S Match. With its large 86kWh battery, more aerodynamic bodystyle and VW’s next-generation APP550 electric motor claimed to boost efficiency, big mileages looked distinctly possible.
The car’s first long-distance test was a family trip to Blackpool in mid-March. At the outset, the Volkswagen’s trip computer predicted a 312-mile range. The M1 was sticky in places, but the M6 more fluid, which allowed the ID.7 to showcase its cruising capability: pillowy ride, quiet cockpit, useful stop/go cruise control.
The highly practical VW nailed the 219-mile trek to the Lancashire seaside town with a pleasing 3.7 miles per kWh efficiency and almost 30 per cent charge still remaining. But this was no one-off: it was the same story on a longer run in the Volkswagen to another seaside destination: Llandudno in north Wales.
And the ID.7’s finest hour was the journey back from Nissan’s factory in Sunderland: 257 miles at an average of 66mph, and 31 miles left in the battery at the end. With a gentler right foot and a bit more bravery on my part, 300 miles was probably in the ID.7’s locker. Unlike range anxiety.
Read our full Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer Pro S Match long-term test here...
Vauxhall Grandland
Tom Jervis, Consumer reporter
Taking that first giant leap into electric car ownership can be rather daunting and despite having run EVs over the past couple of years for shorter periods, in March I took that leap for myself when I was handed the keys to our Vauxhall Grandland Electric long-term test car.
While the first few weeks were expensive because I relied heavily on public EV chargers, I was soon set up with a home wallbox. This reduced the cost of plugging in drastically and made the Grandland remarkably economical to run. The 72kWh battery pack provided a real-world range of around 260 miles, which catered for the majority of longer round trips.
Read our full Vauxhall Grandland Electric GS long-term test here...
Dacia Duster
Andy Pringle, Chief-sub-editor
Life with a Dacia Duster was a series of episodes when it confounded my expectations – but one in particular sticks in my mind. Pushing the car well beyond its comfort zone, we used it for a trip to visit friends in Northumberland.
A hybrid compact SUV that focuses on urban economy isn’t ideal for a 650-mile round trip. But as the picture above shows, everyone was jumping for joy when we arrived. This was the longest journey we’d ever undertaken in the Duster, but from the word go, the signs were positive. For a start, everything that the three of us wanted to take fitted in the car.
Plus even at £26k, our Duster had Apple CarPlay to stream music and audiobooks from my phone. To cap it all, the hybrid powertrain proved its worth at higher speeds. A full tank gave a range of well over 500 miles, and we returned more than 52mpg.
Read our full Dacia Duster Journey Hybrid long-term test here...
Honda Civic Type R
Steve Sutcliffe, Special contributor
It was a grey day up at Anglesey circuit, and the journey there had been long and not much fun – involving the M23, M25, M40 and M6 followed by a further two hours across the top of Wales on the A55. But the moment the light at the end of the pit lane went green and I started driving the Honda Civic Type R in its more natural habitat, all the tedium of the weather and trip evaporated.
And for a morning I just enjoyed the car for what it is: one of the quickest, best handling, most involving front-wheel-drive cars there has ever been, and possibly ever will be; this could be the very last Type R of any kind.
Read our full Honda Civic Type R long-term test here...
MINI JCW
Alastair Crooks, Senior news reporter
While Steve Sutcliffe had a great time at Anglesey in his Honda Civic Type R (above), if there’s a track in the UK that would play to the MINI JCW’s strengths, it’s the twisty Curborough Sprint Course in Staffordshire. I’ve been around there a few times in my own cars, so I was eager to see how the MINI would get on.
The turbocharged four-cylinder with its 228bhp and 380Nm felt like more than enough for the circuit’s confines – where I was only nudging 90mph at the finish line. The steering, which is weighty yet almost overactive on the road, felt much more appropriate for darting into those tight bends. Not so good was the gearbox, which was slow to shift even when using the awkwardly-positioned manual paddles behind the wheel.
On the road the MINI JCW feels like a frantic thing – especially if you switch into its John Cooper Works ‘Go Kart’ mode. The car’s ride is extremely firm, and the engine, while perfectly capable, isn’t the most rewarding unit.
It felt more at home around Curborough and I’m glad I went early on in my six-month stint at the helm of MINI’s rambunctious little hot hatch, so I could more easily forgive its foibles during my ensuing months with the car.
Read our full MINI JCW long-term test here...
Renault 5
Ellis Hyde, News reporter
“You don’t want to know how the sausage gets made” is a phrase I totally agree with when it comes to certain fast food. However, I frankly couldn’t say yes fast enough when I was offered the opportunity to visit the factory in Douai, France, where the new Renault 5 is made and pick up my long-termer.
Not only was I fascinated by just about everything I saw during my tour of Renault’s ElectriCity plant – including the fact the original Renault 5 was built in the same facility. The 260-mile journey back home to Hertfordshire was the perfect opportunity to get to know ‘Sparky’, as I christened the brilliant little hatchback.
I hadn’t driven the reborn Renault 5 before, but I was immediately impressed by how refined and mature the electric supermini felt on a motorway, and what huge fun it was to drive on a twisty back road.
The magnificent Pop Yellow! paint attracted plenty of admiring looks from fellow road users, and I loved that bursts of the same vibrant hue were inside on the simply excellent R5 Turbo-inspired seats. Honestly, the Renault 5 exceeded all my expectations.
Read our full Renault 5 E-Tech Iconic long-term test here...
BMW 530e
Richard Ingram, Deputy editor
The EV versus PHEV argument will rage into 2026 and beyond, but this year I got my boxing gloves out to argue that plug-in hybrids are a worthy (and necessary) stepping-stone to our desired zero-emission future.
It was a point that came to the fore when I took possession of a BMW 530e Touring in January. I wasn’t sure how life with a PHEV might pan out, but within weeks I was converted. The 5 Series, with its reliable 60-mile electric range, offered far more than just an EV-lite experience.
I could cover almost all of my driving without using any unleaded, with the back-up of the petrol engine when I went further afield. At the time, I was averaging 67mpg – with an eDrive share of almost 60 per cent – but that increased to 78mpg over six months and 7,000 miles. I saved a fortune in fuel – and all without an ounce of range anxiety.
Read our full BMW 530e Touring long-term test here...
Honda e:Ny1
Pete Baiden, Web producer
My time with the Honda e:Ny1 can be best described as love-hate. There were elements I really liked about Honda’s first electric SUV, such as the massive touchscreen that had so many useful features, but it undoubtedly suffered from an Achilles’ heel: efficiency.
During my six months over the winter with the e:Ny1, I regularly struggled to achieve more than 2.0 miles per kWh, meaning range was limited to around 100 miles. Not great for a modern EV with a battery in excess of 60kWh.
But then e:Ny1 started to thrive in the warmer spring conditions. Suddenly I was getting range figures and efficiency that make an EV far more appealing. I know EVs always improve in the milder weather, but I’ve never seen such a turnaround.
Read our full Honda e:Ny1 Advance long-term test here...
Range Rover Sport
Paul Barker, Editor
The Range Rover Sport was perfect for the Barkers’ summer run halfway down the French coast. We covered more than 1,000 miles with all our kit in the boot, a roofbox and a bike rack, so a fuel economy figure of just under 30mpg was reasonable, bearing in mind this is a high-performance PHEV capable of 0-62mph in less than five seconds.
But the car’s supreme comfort – whether it was high-speed toll-road blasts across France or winding country roads to reach the beach – is the Range Rover’s biggest strength, and passengers front and rear were transported in style.
Read our full Range Rover Sport P550e Autobiography long-term test here...
Cupra Tavascan
Dawn Grant, Picture editor
When I got the keys to the Cupra Tavascan I was immediately taken with its stylish looks. But after living with it for seven months I came to realise there was a lot more to the coupé-SUV than its classy appearance.
It proved to be practical, with the swooping roofline not impacting on the square boot space, which impressively swallowed various loads from old carpets to large items of household rubbish.
While there were some annoying quirks and a strange soft spot during braking, my husband and I were sad to hand the keys back, because overall the driving experience was enjoyable and the Cupra’s seats were extremely comfortable.
Read our full Cupra Tavascan V1 long-term test here...
Polestar 4
Jordan Katsianis, Senior staff writer
It’s not every day that you get to experience the growth of a multi-national car brand in real time, but that’s what we got from Polestar. I’ve enjoyed every minute with ‘my’ Polestar 4, but was excited to have a sneak preview of the new Polestar 5, and see how much progress the firm is making.
I wasn’t disappointed. The Polestar 5 isn’t just great to drive, but shows a clear line of improvement over previous models, including our 4. But it’s not just about objective gains, but also the evolution of the brand and what it can offer customers.
As someone without dogs or kids, the chance to spend long spells with a car doesn’t just reveal whether the rear seats are useful or the boot practical, but to get under the skin of a brand and find out what really makes it different from its rivals. Sometimes this doesn’t yield much, but our time with the Polestar 4, and the chance to see it in context of what’s coming next, revealed why Polestar is a manufacturer worth paying attention to.
Read our full Polestar 4 Dual Motor long-term test here...
Peugeot 5008
Pete Gibson, Senior photographer
The first big test of our fleet cars is the same as if you were spending your own cash on them. Does the car live up to the job, or the feel of the car you ordered? The Peugeot 5008 was quickly assessed on both when I photographed a twin test for the mag.
The shoot took place near Lambourn, Berks, a few hours from my Essex base – a location that meant a drive on motorways and some sweeping B-roads. The 5008 proved to be powerful enough and, given the hybrid powertrain, quick enough for a large SUV.
Inside, the new i-Cockpit design had a feel and quality found on more premium brands and once I’d got used to the various screens, the system was pretty good. So after its first day in the office, did the Peugeot live up to my expectations? Yes, it did, and the quality and space surprised me. Since then it’s fitted into snapper life fine.
Read our full Peugeot 5008 Hybrid GT long-term test here...
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Great leasing deals on our long termers
Renault 5
Dacia Duster
Vauxhall Grandland
Audi A3
Cupra Tavascan
Peugeot 5008
Polestar 4
Volkswagen ID. Buzz
BMW 5 Series
Volkswagen Id.7
Cupra Terramar
