Long-term tests

Long-term tests

Every Auto Express long-term test, ever...

The Auto Express long-term test is a rigorous examination of a car’s design, engineering and practicality in real world conditions - often accompanied by some slightly silly photos of our experts with their cars. 

Our team lives with each car for a period of around six months, subjecting each to the trials and tribulations of our own daily routines. School runs, shopping trips, commutes, days out, family holidays, visits to the rubbish dump; we live with these cars so you can understand what it would be like to. 

And, of course, we’re car journalists so we regularly go above and beyond the typical use patterns for our long-term test cars. Track and off-road driving, in suitable models, gives a further insight into their qualities. So do the big mileages we cover on roads of all types right around the UK and across Europe, not to mention the photographic and video shoots.  

If you’re in the market to buy a new car, the Auto Express long-term test reports provide an invaluable insight into what your own life might be like as the owner. In combination with our in-depth reviews and group tests, these pages form the most comprehensive evaluation of new cars you’ll find anywhere. 

Over thousands of miles of testing, our experts really get under the skin of all the most popular models on the market and if you have specific questions about the cars we’re running now or have run in the past, we’re here to help… 

What’s on fleet?

Cars we’re reporting on now plus recent long-term test fleet arrivals and departures 

Scroll down for all our long-term test reports...

New & used car deals

Audi A3

Audi A3

RRP £26,295Avg. savings £3,219 off RRP*Used from £10,695
Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £38,140Avg. savings £3,019 off RRP*Used from £10,195
Toyota Yaris Cross

Toyota Yaris Cross

RRP £26,495Avg. savings £1,655 off RRP*Used from £15,700
Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £16,160Avg. savings £2,873 off RRP*Used from £9,000
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
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More on Long-term tests

Ford Mondeo TDCi Estate: 14,500 miles

Ford Mondeo TDCi Estate: 14,500 miles

FOURTH REPORT: A date with a dealer’s laptop has worked wonders on our big family carrier...
Long-term tests
11 Sep 2009
Suzuki Alto: 4,700 miles

Suzuki Alto: 4,700 miles

SECOND REPORT: It’s the chequebook challenge – will our man be tempted to swap his commuting city car for a quad bike?
Long-term tests
4 Sep 2009
Toyota Avensis Tourer: 9,156 miles

Toyota Avensis Tourer: 9,156 miles

Final REPORT: Sharp to look at, easy to live with... and that’s just the car! Estate is a great load carrier, too, as our family man can testify
Long-term tests
4 Sep 2009
Citroen C-Crosser: 11,018 miles

Citroen C-Crosser: 11,018 miles

Fourth report: Life’s a beach as our SUV heads on a family holiday!
Long-term tests
28 Aug 2009
Peugeot 308 CC: 6,647 miles

Peugeot 308 CC: 6,647 miles

First report: Coupé-cabrio is a welcome addition to fleet in the late summer sunshine.
Long-term tests
28 Aug 2009
Hyundai i30: 3,257 miles

Hyundai i30: 3,257 miles

Second report: Family hatch has been missed after a busy few weeks on test duty
Long-term tests
21 Aug 2009
Toyota iQ: 8,186 miles

Toyota iQ: 8,186 miles

Fourth Report: A summer break for our city car saw it stretch itself on country A-roads
Long-term tests
14 Aug 2009
Daihatsu Materia: 21,230 miles

Daihatsu Materia: 21,230 miles

Fourth Report: Summer’s here, and our supermini has been mixing with the holiday traffic.
Long-term tests
14 Aug 2009
Audi TT TDI: 1,816 miles

Audi TT TDI: 1,816 miles

Second report: How attention-grabbing diesel coupé guarantees celebrity status
Long-term tests
7 Aug 2009
Skoda Superb: 19,231 miles

Skoda Superb: 19,231 miles

Fourth report: Whether we’re driving or being driven, family car is a star of our fleet..
Long-term tests
7 Aug 2009
VW Tiguan: 7,939 miles

VW Tiguan: 7,939 miles

Second Report: It’s not the biggest, but our SUV can swallow the kitchen sink!
Long-term tests
31 Jul 2009
Ford Focus RS: 5,450 miles

Ford Focus RS: 5,450 miles

SECOND REPORT: The lowdown on how we managed to find a fix for Ford’s ‘high’ and mighty hot hatch
Long-term tests
31 Jul 2009
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Mini JCW: 2,656 miles

Mini JCW: 2,656 miles

Second report: Our flagship hatch meets its racing cousin – so how does it compare?
Long-term tests
24 Jul 2009
Honda Insight: 1,485 miles

Honda Insight: 1,485 miles

SECOND REPORT: It’s back to the workshop for our hybrid after an unfortunate scrape!
Long-term tests
17 Jul 2009
Mazda 2: 1,588 miles

Mazda 2: 1,588 miles

First REPORT: Baby turns heads with garish paintjob. But is its beauty more than skin deep?
Long-term tests
17 Jul 2009
Suzuki Alto: 2,802 miles

Suzuki Alto: 2,802 miles

Second report: Mystery noise means it’s back to the drawing board for our city slicker.
Long-term tests
10 Jul 2009
Toyota Avensis Tourer: 7,215 Miles

Toyota Avensis Tourer: 7,215 Miles

Third report: It’s a tale of three Toyotas, as we rate our diesel estate against other variants in the family car range.
Long-term tests
10 Jul 2009
Peugeot Partner Tepee: 5,860 miles

Peugeot Partner Tepee: 5,860 miles

Final report: People carrier is pitched into battle for a camping trip. Does it uphold scout’s honour?
Long-term tests
2 Jul 2009
Ford Mondeo: 11,101 miles

Ford Mondeo: 11,101 miles

Third report: Our estate becomes a grand tourer as we travel the length of Britain – and France, too!
Long-term tests
2 Jul 2009
Hyundai i30: 1,167 miles

Hyundai i30: 1,167 miles

First report: Eco-friendly diesel is proving a hit in our new hatch
Long-term tests
26 Jun 2009
Toyota iQ: 5,304 Miles

Toyota iQ: 5,304 Miles

Third report: Tiny runabout is a hit in the city – but it is also proving a bit of an all-rounder
Long-term tests
26 Jun 2009
Citroen C-Crosser 2009 - long-term test

Citroen C-Crosser 2009 - long-term test

Third report: Our compact SUV is really getting into shape.
Long-term tests
22 Jun 2009
Daihatsu Materia

Daihatsu Materia

Third report: Has first set of bills taken edge off supermini?
Long-term tests
22 Jun 2009