Audi A1 Test drive. If you have lots of cash to spend on a small posh hachback that won't fall apart and will hold its resale value...dadah! The Audi A1
Before I begin, I think it’s only fair to tell you that my feelings toward the Vauxhall brand have never been one of admiration, generally due to the fact that I associated the car giant with the Vectra. Since its release in 1995, it felt like the uninspired choice of transport that flooded our motorways shifting sales reps across the country. So naturally, when I heard that Vauxhall were stopping its production, I didn’t lose any sleep.
It emerged soon after the manufacturer was to release something new - the Insignia. Admittedly, I wasn’t all that excited about the prospect - until I saw it. I almost did a double-take; it looked so different, inspired even. It was as if the designers at Vauxhall had suddenly slipped out of a thirteen-year coma.
With a fresh approach, it seems that Vauxhall have taken a huge step forward in styling. The Insignia’s sleek lines, low-slung roofline and eye catching looks are enough to beat most rivals like the Renault Laguna, Citroen C5, and the Ford Mondeo standing still. Even the griffin badge has been remodelled.
But as we all know, looks aren’t everything at the end of the day, and I was eager (if not a little sceptical) to find out if this was really something special from Vauxhall, so I felt obligated to take it for a spin.
For me, Toyota is a brand that has always been a bit like a filler track on a less-than-spectacular album. It comes down to personal preference, but I've never seen the Tokyo car giant produce something that has amazed me... until now.
The smallest thing to come out of Japan since the Tamagotchi, the Toyota iQ emerges at a time when everybody is cutting down their emissions and going ‘green' to save money, and with a Co2 output of just 99kgm means it's tax exempt. All sounds like it's got the green light, but then there's the price. A whopping £10,495 could be enough to deter the determined money-saver and send them over to the obvious rival, the (far cheaper) Smart ForTwo.That would be a mistake; the £3,000 price difference is plenty justified.
Before I begin, I think it’s only fair to tell you that my feelings toward the Vauxhall brand have never been one of admiration, generally due to the fact that I associated the car giant with the Vectra. Since its release in 1995, it felt like the uninspired choice of transport that flooded our motorways shifting sales reps across the country. So naturally, when I heard that Vauxhall were stopping its production, I didn’t lose any sleep.
For me, Toyota is a brand that has always been a bit like a filler track on a less-than-spectacular album. It comes down to personal preference, but I've never seen the Tokyo car giant produce something that has amazed me... until now.
