Let’s get something important out the way. The diesel Mini is no where near as good as the Cooper, S or even the One. But a small diesel will never (well maybe not never) be as good as a petrol equivalent so that’s not a fair comparison. Importantly,...

Skoda has been getting a lot of good press in the past few years. As a manufacturer it has topped customer the JD Power and Top Gear satisfaction surveys, and the Octavia has won a variety of "car of the year" accolades all over Europe.

But...

Portable in-car satnav systems have come a long way in a short time. Budget models have shown particular improvement. Garmin's woeful Streetpilot, launched a couple of years back, would have forever put many off buying a budget model again.

I used to own a 307. It was without doubt the worst car I have owned and coupled with the experience I have had in testing a multitude of French cars, it convinced me once and for all that our Gallic cousins are as good at making cars as they are at making...

When I first drove the Z4 a few years back, I really loved it. Its challenging looks won me over, it's supremely quick and its roof mechanism is first rate. The Coupe is essentially unchanged dynamically so I wasn't expecting much difference.

The CR-V has always been a cracking machine, offering a truly car-like driving experience with the ride height and practicality of a 4x4. The last version added great styling, high levels of comfort and relatively low running costs.

Unfortunately,...

I'll make something clear up front: I'm currently working out what company car I can afford to run, and I was close to discounting the Accord Tourer because it's just out of my budget range. Since having one on test, I’ve decided there are some things...

I own a 1989 BMW 320i Touring. I love it, despite its foibles. Sitting at the helm somehow makes you feel that little bit special. Sitting in the cabin of the latest 3 Series Touring gives me more of the same. It’s great how BMW has a sense of heritage...

I’ve never really understood why anyone would buy a BMW X3. It’s by no means a bad car – far from it, in fact. Sure, early ones looked a bit funny, the ride was unforgivably choppy and the interior had been built by Romanian peasants earning three potatoes...

If you ever feel the need to buy a car with seven seats, it’s time to take yourself to the shed, put some Cure on the stereo and blow yourself away with a homemade pipe bomb.

Yes, life is over for you, but if you want to carry on with your...

Even though the old (new) Mini was a blast, it always failed the acid test, which for almost any car is the answer to the following question: "Would I buy one?"

Gloriously, the new (new) Mini - which looks almost exactly like the old (new)...

Chrysler, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge ... no, we’re not on the long straight highways that criss-cross the USA. We’re on sedate country lanes in Berkshire, Cheshire, Somerset and Lancashire.

The Americans are invading. In a country once...

Remember the old car sticker, usually stuck in the rear window of a banged up old Rover that read: "My other car’s a Porsche"?

That was back in the day when the Porsche badge meant rich, ostentatious and exclusive. These days, Porsche means...

Peugeot did it first, and now everyone seems to be having a crack. No, we're not talking about building cars that fall apart in a brisk wind, but the current fascination with churning out hard-roof drop-tops – or coupe-cabriolets as they are known – based...