Car reviews
Test drive
Crash tests
ACURA
ALFA-ROMEO
ASTON MARTIN
AUDI
BENTLEY
BMW
Auto trader's top 10 cars of 2008
Auto Trader's top ten cars of 2008
Andy Goodwin celebrates the ten best cars road tested by the Auto Trader team in 2008.
The variety and quality of cars launched in 2008 has been fantastic, and bringing together ten which stand out is no easy feat.
So, after much discussion and several bruised shins; here are the cars which stopped us in our tracks and garnered our most positive reviews in this brilliant year.
1st PlaceFord Fiesta
You only have to drive the Ford Fiesta to the end of the street to know it’s one of the finest superminis ever created. It’s a genuine delight to drive, it’s cheap and it should be all the car most of us ever need. Which is handy, because it’s also one of the least polluting motors on the road.
We said:
“Out on the open road the Fiesta feels as poised and precise as you could ever want, putting some more overtly sporting machinery to shame.”
“It’s clear there is a new leader in the supermini class, which will be more than able to accommodate drivers from the class above and enjoy strong sales to carry the Fiesta brand into the next decade.”
2nd PlaceMazda 2 three-door
We wish superminis always looked as good as the Mazda 2. Happily its pin sharp styling is backed up with fine handling too. Mazda engineers went to impressive lengths to keep the weight of the Mazda 2 low and it really shows in its performance and low running costs. The latest three-door is even more handsome and dynamic.
We said:
“The 2 has gone from a run-of-the-mill motor to the top of the ranks thanks to its lightweight body, great looks and excellent handling. Beating the stunning Audi R8 supercar to be named 2008 World Car of the Year increased its credentials and it’s helping Mazda to record European sales over the past 12 months.”
3rd PlaceVolkswagen Scirocco
Don’t believe people who say the Scirocco is a Volkswagen Golf in a dress – it’s a fully-fledged new model in our books. And what a stunner it is, in both the way it looks and the way it dissects a British road.
We said:
“Its head-turning looks, value for money, practicality, badge kudos and handling should make it not only top of the £20k coupe class, but allow it to steal sales from the hot hatch market and even tempt buyers out of more expensive cars like the Audi TT.”
4th PlaceFiat 500
In ten years we will be celebrating the Fiat 500 as the car which saved the struggling Italian car maker. Its incredible sales success is largely down to its hugely appealing looks, which have made it the ultimate fashion accessory for discerning fashionista.
We said:
“The Fiat 500 is a remarkable city car. Its dimensions mean it can thread through crowded streets with ease, and is possibly one of the most simple cars to parallel park thanks to its short overhangs.”
5th PlaceKia Pro_cee’d
The silly name is pretty much the only thing we don’t like about the Kia Pro_cee’d. It’s a great looking car with fine engines and an attainable starting price of £11,795. You also get an amazing seven-year, 100,000 mile warranty.
We said:
“It’s got a great chassis, which is begging for a genuine hot hatch engine to match its looks.”
6th PlaceAudi TT TDI
A diesel sports car? In sixth place? Yes, the Audi TT TDI is brilliant. Sure it might not make your spine tingle like the 3.2-litre V6 does, but it can return 51.4mpg just in normal, everyday driving. In the real world of motorways and commutes it will save you heaps of money while it impresses you with its grunt.
We said:
“If the Audi TT missed the mark with its driving dynamics, it would still sell thanks to its stunning looks. But the fact it can mix it with the very best drivers' cars on sale should guarantee it shortlist status on any coupe buyers' shopping list.”
7th PlaceVauxhall Insignia
Vauxhall chose to drop the Vectra badge and call its new saloon the Insignia. We can see why, it’s a huge leap forward in design which bears no resemblance to its predecessor. The rakish coupe shape is attractive and expensive-looking and the number of engines and gadgets on offer is vast.
We said:
“From the huge chrome grille, with its restyled Vauxhall badge, through its coupe-like side profile to a sweeping rear with integrated spoiler, reminiscent from some angles of a BMW 6 Series, the Insignia is a striking car.”
8th PlaceRenault Laguna GT
We like the Renault Laguna GT because it’s a quirky, interesting car. Its rear wheels are able to steer in unison with the front wheels, helping the Laguna GT to turn more tightly at low speeds and remain more stable at high speeds.
We said:
“Renault is confident the Laguna GT is a unique offering – it is certainly the only active rear-steer car in its class, and the only car to offer something genuinely sporting since the demise of the Ford Mondeo ST and Mazda 6 MPS.”
9th PlaceFord Kuga
The Ford Kuga has all the benefits of an SUV with hardly any of the pitfalls. Nice, high driving position? Check. Wobbly handling? Not a bit of it. Good performance? Yes. Horrendous fuel bills? No worse than a family saloon.
We said:
“It corners better than you would expect from a good-sized five-seater SUV and goes well beyond the capabilities of a simple people-shifter. But it still meets the SUV requirement of ensuring a comfortable journey for driver and occupants with a good-quality ride and minimal engine and road noise.”
10th PlaceBMW X6
BMW has a brave marketing team, that’s for sure. Trying to sell a big-engined SUV bruiser in today’s world is not for the feint hearted. And yet, just about every time I take to the M6 motorway I’m left in the wake of a new BMW X6. It’s a technological tour de force which makes no excuses for its size and consumptions.
We said:
“What BMW has done with the X6 is to defy logic, convention and belief and produce a car you never knew you wanted. The BMW X6 is a car which correlates – perhaps more than any other Beemer – to the claim of being “the ultimate driving machine”.
Check out this video of our favourite car of 2008 - the Ford Fiesta.
Andy Goodwin celebrates the ten best cars road tested by the Auto Trader team in 2008.
The variety and quality of cars launched in 2008 has been fantastic, and bringing together ten which stand out is no easy feat.
So, after much discussion and several bruised shins; here are the cars which stopped us in our tracks and garnered our most positive reviews in this brilliant year.
1st PlaceFord Fiesta
You only have to drive the Ford Fiesta to the end of the street to know it’s one of the finest superminis ever created. It’s a genuine delight to drive, it’s cheap and it should be all the car most of us ever need. Which is handy, because it’s also one of the least polluting motors on the road.
We said:
“Out on the open road the Fiesta feels as poised and precise as you could ever want, putting some more overtly sporting machinery to shame.”
“It’s clear there is a new leader in the supermini class, which will be more than able to accommodate drivers from the class above and enjoy strong sales to carry the Fiesta brand into the next decade.”
2nd PlaceMazda 2 three-door
We wish superminis always looked as good as the Mazda 2. Happily its pin sharp styling is backed up with fine handling too. Mazda engineers went to impressive lengths to keep the weight of the Mazda 2 low and it really shows in its performance and low running costs. The latest three-door is even more handsome and dynamic.
We said:
“The 2 has gone from a run-of-the-mill motor to the top of the ranks thanks to its lightweight body, great looks and excellent handling. Beating the stunning Audi R8 supercar to be named 2008 World Car of the Year increased its credentials and it’s helping Mazda to record European sales over the past 12 months.”
3rd PlaceVolkswagen Scirocco
Don’t believe people who say the Scirocco is a Volkswagen Golf in a dress – it’s a fully-fledged new model in our books. And what a stunner it is, in both the way it looks and the way it dissects a British road.
We said:
“Its head-turning looks, value for money, practicality, badge kudos and handling should make it not only top of the £20k coupe class, but allow it to steal sales from the hot hatch market and even tempt buyers out of more expensive cars like the Audi TT.”
4th PlaceFiat 500
In ten years we will be celebrating the Fiat 500 as the car which saved the struggling Italian car maker. Its incredible sales success is largely down to its hugely appealing looks, which have made it the ultimate fashion accessory for discerning fashionista.
We said:
“The Fiat 500 is a remarkable city car. Its dimensions mean it can thread through crowded streets with ease, and is possibly one of the most simple cars to parallel park thanks to its short overhangs.”
5th PlaceKia Pro_cee’d
The silly name is pretty much the only thing we don’t like about the Kia Pro_cee’d. It’s a great looking car with fine engines and an attainable starting price of £11,795. You also get an amazing seven-year, 100,000 mile warranty.
We said:
“It’s got a great chassis, which is begging for a genuine hot hatch engine to match its looks.”
6th PlaceAudi TT TDI
A diesel sports car? In sixth place? Yes, the Audi TT TDI is brilliant. Sure it might not make your spine tingle like the 3.2-litre V6 does, but it can return 51.4mpg just in normal, everyday driving. In the real world of motorways and commutes it will save you heaps of money while it impresses you with its grunt.
We said:
“If the Audi TT missed the mark with its driving dynamics, it would still sell thanks to its stunning looks. But the fact it can mix it with the very best drivers' cars on sale should guarantee it shortlist status on any coupe buyers' shopping list.”
7th PlaceVauxhall Insignia
Vauxhall chose to drop the Vectra badge and call its new saloon the Insignia. We can see why, it’s a huge leap forward in design which bears no resemblance to its predecessor. The rakish coupe shape is attractive and expensive-looking and the number of engines and gadgets on offer is vast.
We said:
“From the huge chrome grille, with its restyled Vauxhall badge, through its coupe-like side profile to a sweeping rear with integrated spoiler, reminiscent from some angles of a BMW 6 Series, the Insignia is a striking car.”
8th PlaceRenault Laguna GT
We like the Renault Laguna GT because it’s a quirky, interesting car. Its rear wheels are able to steer in unison with the front wheels, helping the Laguna GT to turn more tightly at low speeds and remain more stable at high speeds.
We said:
“Renault is confident the Laguna GT is a unique offering – it is certainly the only active rear-steer car in its class, and the only car to offer something genuinely sporting since the demise of the Ford Mondeo ST and Mazda 6 MPS.”
9th PlaceFord Kuga
The Ford Kuga has all the benefits of an SUV with hardly any of the pitfalls. Nice, high driving position? Check. Wobbly handling? Not a bit of it. Good performance? Yes. Horrendous fuel bills? No worse than a family saloon.
We said:
“It corners better than you would expect from a good-sized five-seater SUV and goes well beyond the capabilities of a simple people-shifter. But it still meets the SUV requirement of ensuring a comfortable journey for driver and occupants with a good-quality ride and minimal engine and road noise.”
10th PlaceBMW X6
BMW has a brave marketing team, that’s for sure. Trying to sell a big-engined SUV bruiser in today’s world is not for the feint hearted. And yet, just about every time I take to the M6 motorway I’m left in the wake of a new BMW X6. It’s a technological tour de force which makes no excuses for its size and consumptions.
We said:
“What BMW has done with the X6 is to defy logic, convention and belief and produce a car you never knew you wanted. The BMW X6 is a car which correlates – perhaps more than any other Beemer – to the claim of being “the ultimate driving machine”.
Check out this video of our favourite car of 2008 - the Ford Fiesta.
HONDA
FERRARI
