Audi

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Saturday – One Man Went to Mow

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A Q5’s isn’t cheap to buy compared to SUV rivals but as well as Audi quality, you are getting one very big car. I’ve just squeezed a huge lawn mower in the boot and it didn’t eat into rear seat space one bit.

The back seats are massive too. The Q5 really can carry five adults in comfort, with acres of leg space and excellent headroom as well. With or without lawn mower in situ. Lower the back seats and luggage space is almost trebled. You can also spec up the car with a folding front seat.

The cabin itself is a delight. A mix of quality leather and soft plastics which should make any school run a pleasure.

And the high driving position gives excellent, all-round visibility, one reason why people opt for SUVs in the first place. I have to give the sat nav system a mention too – quite possibly the easiest unit I’ve tried in ages. Still can’t my iPhone to synch with the Bluetooth though…

 

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Friday – Bourton-under-the-Water

q1.jpgWell, almost but I couldn’t resist the headline… The cream tea capital of the Cotswolds is now my local town! Imagine that – scones, jam and clotted cream whenever I need them in a hurry.

The river across the green has been on the verge of breaking its banks for the last couple of weeks. I was glad to take delivery of the Q5 because extra ground clearance and four-wheel drive ability is a must around these parts at the moment.

I think I’ve surprised myself by liking the Q5 more than I expected. It doesn’t have the aggressive, sinister look of big brother Q7 (Clarkson said the Q7 was a car you could nail to a church wall to fend off evil spirits…) but it’s a typical Audi alright. Well-built, practical and very capable.

The start mechanism is driving me slightly nuts, especially removing the key when the car is switched off. It refuses to come out and I am constantly restarting the car when actually, I just want to get out!

Still, I think it will be tough to find any major issues with the Q5. It’d no looker but another Audi that does exactly what it says on the tin. And that’s a very expensive tin too…

 

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Thursday – Audi Q5

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I’m not going to lie – I think the Q5 doesn’t look different enough to distinguish it from the rest of the SUVs out there at the moment. That said, I have always had a strong desire to drive one.

It’s just the sort of car you want to deliver your little ones to classes on time – indeed I’ve seen a couple on the school run through my village, where four-wheel drive is advisable and ice roads the norm.

With no ‘little ones’ to ferry about the place, the back seats have been dropped to make way for my mutt and I can actually enjoy the 245bhp TDI engine to the full.

I always try and ‘guess the price’ of the car when it arrives on my driveway. I guessed at £30,000. In fact, the S-line model is over £39,000! Is it worth it? Find out by joining us this week at carcouture….

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Tuesday – A Sophisticated Lion

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No offence to Peugeot but I never thought I would claim a Peugeot could be sophisticated. They’ve built some incredible hot hatchbacks over the years but sophisticated? No.

Before I drove the RCZ for the first time last year, I would have put it in the bling category – plenty of flash but not much substance.

There is, however, a lot more to the RCZ than meets the eye. The devil is in the detail and after sitting in the cabin for ten minutes, it’s quite clear that this is a luxuriously equipped, well built car with all the trimmings.

Does it compete with an Audi TT? I think it does. The original TT was a masterclass in design – the latest model borrows to many parts from across the range. The unique, design-led feel of the first model has gone.

In that respect, the RCZ wins hands down. It’s better on the inside and, some will think, prettier on the outside too. However, the ride and handling aren’t as good as the Audi and the premium brand TT badge alone will be enough to sway most buyers.

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Thursday – Fine Tuning

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What is it about the Veloster that’s missing? All week I’ve been trying to put my finger on it. Maybe the lack of power, the okay steering, or the trim materials that are way behind an Audi TT perhaps?

It’s hard to find a major fault with this Hyundai but there are a lot of niggling issues which, when added together, make this feel like a car that falls just short.

And that’s a shame because the edgy styling, both inside and out, suggest the Veloster is going to be a lot better than it actually is. I really wanted it to be a great car but it needs some work to compete with key rivals in the coupe sector.

People just love to stare at the Veloster and you can understand why. However, it’s only when you live with it for a week that the realities of ownership appear.

I wanted to love the Hyundai – it deserves to be loved – but it’s a car that needs some fine tuning to find a place in my heart.

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Friday – Ugly Betty?

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I’m not sure the great British car-buying public really understand Subaru. Seriously, the company has carved out such a niche for itself that there are still a long of people out there who are still uncertain about the brand.

In a search for a family-friendly SUV, they either pay a premium for an image-conscious BMW or Audi all-wheel drive, or they go for a cheaper, pseudo 4×4 from Nissan or Renault that looks the part but will be left in the dirt when set against a Subaru.

Hopefully over the next seven days we can try and persuade you that despite the Ugly Betty looks, the Forester should definitely be on your list of options. It may not be as pretty as an X3 or a Q5 but it will prove ultra reliable, practical, brilliant off-road and kind of cool, in a slightly alternative type of way.

I’ve just driven our XC back from Heathrow. It has excellent road manners, takes a corner well and is surprisingly good fun on a twisty A-road. It may look a Plain Jane but the Forester is worthy of being regarded as much more than just a farmer’s car for carrying damp Border Collies.

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Thursday – Last Throws of Summer?

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Jessica and I have been discussing the Cascada a lot this week. It would be easy to just compare the Vauxhall to premium brand cabriolets from the likes of BMW and Audi.

However, at £24,000, the Cascada is a much cheaper alternative and for the money, it does provide comfortable soft-top motoring for four people.

We have been blessed with great weather over the last seven days but in the depths of winter, I wonder if the Cascada would prove to be equally as likeable? I suspect not.

If you are an ‘enthusiastic’ driver, then there is no doubt you should be looking to spend your wages elsewhere because the 1.4 engine and notchy gearbox are disappointing.

It’s sadly a poor relation to the VW Golf Cabriolet but the Cascada should be on your test drive list if you are already looking at cars like the Peugeot 308 CC, or the Renault Megane C-C.

 

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Monday – Stormy Weather

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Jeremy Thunder and lightning are sweeping across Wiltshire today but after a wonderful July it’s going to be flooding next for sure.  The Discovery is the perfect machine for this type of weather – as I discovered in Northern Ireland six years ago.

Driving back from the Mountains of Mourne in appalling weather, I came across a family who were stranded in flood water which was lapping up around the side of their Mondeo. I was in a V8 petrol Discovery 3, drinking fuel at 14mpg! However, I was very glad to be in the Land Rover because a guy in an Audi allroad seemed to be going under in his own rescue attempt too.

We managed to pull the Mondeo out but the car was a write-off, with water pouring out of the doors when we reached safety. The allroad survived but the owner was a bit miffed his 4×4 hadn’t lived up to expectations…

I know people who own off-road vehicles and never, ever go further than a muddy field at a party. Having driven across Mongolia twice in a Discovery, I can tell you there are few cars that will get you anywhere AND is such comfort.

 

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Tuesday – Knuckles

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Jessica Well done Peugeot for creating a hybrid diesel, it must be the way forward. The problems of battery weight and power storage are still areas where everyone is looking for answers but without getting these cars into the mainstream it will be slow progress.

The RXH is a lot of car. It even feels weighty and the steering adds to the mood as it requires more than the usual amount of effort to turn the wheel.  Furthermore, the gears seem to be very ponderous, which again is something drivers don’t expect with modern cars.

The beautiful dashboard is laid out with many buttons and safety gadgets, all offering a range of noises and alarms. There’s certainly enough here to give Volvo a run for its money!

The 508 has a sporty and well designed speedo, while a range of clearly laid out options for the transmission allowing a sense of choice  and ultimately, control.

For a family estate though which is clearly aiming to compete with the Audi estates and possibly Mercedes it is a handsome car with well designed seats, a considered external and internal aesthetic, plus a sense of presence.

And I’m not sure if it’s mothers who will potentially be driving this car but they will need to have sensible short nails! I had some awkward moments trying to open the central arm rest via a side-mounted button. In the end it became a fumbld knuckle job!

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Thursday – Think Electric

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Jeremy It doesn’t matter what you think of pure electric cars, hybrid models are popping up all over the place at the moment. There’s no escaping the rash of new models coming onto the market, nipping away at our conscious over environmental issues and offering the opportunity to save money at the filling station.

All that technology costs though and hybrid cars are more to buy than their petrol or diesel counterparts. Just one look at the price tag of the RXH for example and you know it’s not going to be a major seller for Peugeot. What is does do is highlight how far the technology has come and presents a very real alternative to some of the premium band 4×4 estates out there.

Driving the 508 today I love the fact that it looks so different to the familiar Audi, BMW and Mercedes estates on the road. It has a unique look and that in itself counts for a lot. The questions is, is it worth the premium you pay for the RXH’s hybrid power unit and will the car suffer from  poor residuals if you sell it in three years time?

It’s probably too early to answer both of those questions but on image alone, I’d say the RXH is definitely worth a look. Yes, it is a Peugeot and not a German premium brand but the quality and attention to detail in this car are quite exceptional. I’m looking forward to many hundreds of miles getting to know the RXH, seeing how the economy fares in real-life conditions – and working out what all the buttons do (I’ve not seen a car with this complicated a dashboard for a long time!).