The Skoda Yeti could be the answer. It’s such a pleasing car on so many different levels. While zooming around town (as the 1.8 petrol TSi does) it’s hard to believe that this easy to drive and manoeuvrable car can actually cope with very rough and unpredictable terrain. While it vaguely has the looks of a four-wheel drive in a cheeky, urban type of way, it certainly doesn’t scream at your 4 x 4 coming through, move over or else!

But I have seen proof of its skills on the shores of Loch Ness, as this car was put through its paces. Up incredibly steep slopes and down again, sometimes with one wheel so far away from any kind of solid surface that you felt it was bound to topple over! It didn’t may I add. And then it was my turn, through woods and water (the very same shared by the creature of the deep) and with my heart in my mouth, despite a brilliant instructor by my side, I was able to experience first hand how this car can cope with all sorts of terrain from hideous inclines and descents, to mud, stones, deep gullies and plenty more besides.

As well as being blessed with all these abilities, it’s also attractive, spacious without being cumbersome to park, won’t have people giving you filthy looks for destroying the planet and will give peace of mind for those snowy, icy days.

And when not coping with wintry conditions, it provides a responsive, comfortable, versatile family car that seems to have thought of everything that a driver could need. I love the interactive steering wheel, satnav, and would definitely go for the panoramic sunroof, leather seats etc etc. It could start to get expensive, but that is another plus point for this car as it comes in many different trim options and engine size. There really is something for everybody.

The Look

If like me you remember the Golf the first time round there will be no surprises in the looks department as seemingly very little has changed over the years – this is still recognisably a Golf. However, for those unfamiliar with the look it is one of understated elegance and design with the detailing of the headlamps and tail lights in particular blending in beautifully. Closing the doors gives the reassuring thud of a well-made car. In fact, everything you touch gives the impression of being very solid and well-made…

The Drive

The thing that stood out the most for me was being able to park in a tight parking space in a crowded car park in what seemed like one manouvre. There was no to-ing or fro-ing or straightening up, just straight in. Possibly it’s something to do with the speed-sensitive power-assisted electro-mechanical steering (to quote the blurb)! Either ~way, the whole thing’s very easy. With the engine letting off a healthy growl on acceleration and a heavier steering at speed it felt solid and safe. I found the gearbox a bit sticky and kept going into first instead of reverse. It was a comfortable ride: not too soft and it coped well with all the local speed bumps where some cars flounder. I did like the sensor indicating a visual gear change recommendation for optimum fuel consumption.

Space

There are all the usual useful cubby holes for drink bottles and the door bins in our model were lined with carpet and the glove box lined with velour. A nice touch! And mustn’t forget the all-important dedicated sunglass holder. There is also a foldaway cup holder for the back seat passengers. The moveable central armrest housed an Ipod ~connection, almost essential nowadays but amazing how many cars leave this out. The boot was big enough and there is a useful “ski hatch” between the boot and the rear passenger seats for carrying long items without having to fold down any seats, which in turn gives you easy access to the contents of the boot when sitting in the rear without having to resort to gymnastics trying to retrieve an item from the boot whilst on the move. Or you could always carry lots of skis, as we do in Kilburn.

The Interior

It all feels reassuringly, well, German. Well-made and high-quality with lots of attention to detail, which is probably what sets this car apart. No cheap tricks, no fancy styling, just simple elegance and efficiency. Air vents in the back are good . Height and reach-adjustable steering and the front seats benefit from height and lumbar adjustment. Lovely leather-trimmed steering wheel which feels just perfect, plus a leather gear-knob and handbrake grip.

Safety

Isofix child seat mounts for two outer rear seats, driver and front passenger front airbags with deactivation switch on the passenger’s airbag, head airbag system for front and rear passengers, including front side airbags. Here we go with the acronyms: ABS anti-lock brakes with EBD, ESP including EDL and ASR. Should help keep you on the road…

Green

BlueMotion refers to the most fuel and CO2 efficient model in each of VW’s passenger car ranges. BlueMotion models use existing but modified diesel engines and feature changes to gearing, aerodynamics and tyres to produce low-cost vehicles that match or beat hybrids currently ~available in the UK market. All BlueMotion engines also have as standard an oxidation catalyst and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) which reduce oxides of nitrogen and carbon particles almost to zero. CO2 emissions are a comparatively healthy 119 g/km and the combined MPG is 62.8. In essence this is an ordinary Golf which has had its mechanics and aerodynamics tweaked to offer ultimate efficiency rather than performance, although we should add that this car’s no slouch.

Cost

On the road this model comes in at £16,775.00 with a lot of creature comforts as standard fittings including automatic coming/leaving home lighting function, dusk sensor, automatic driving lights, rain sensor and automatic dimming interior rear-view mirror, ‘Climatic’ air conditioning, cruise control, eight-speaker stereo with CD player and alloy wheels. Pretty competitive with the hybrid gang.

Who

Anyone who wants a classic, stylish well made car with a great image without going down the hybrid route.

BMW X1 sDrive 20d SE (6 speed) £24,205

I’m still undecided about the looks of this car. Are they just bold, or is it a disaster? A bit of this and a bit of that all stuck together. If so, then I know how it feels – and that’s on a good day…

However, despite my quandary about its appearance, it still made me feel like a BMW should make you feel. Special. Luxuriating in the quality, style (yes it does have style) and sheer poshness (just shows how un-posh I am) while I was driving it, it certainly makes you feel good about yourself.

And on top of all this, it does have a practical side. It’s comfortable, has a great driving position and a boot that can swallow up huge amounts of goodies! So with that lovely mix of practicality and image, I felt I was using it to the best of its abilities.

As I sped up the M1 for lunch in Woburn with my lover, a huge shopping load discreetly hidden in the boot, with smaller, more expensive purchases carefully hidden in the space beneath the flat loading floor the car and I looked a million dollars. “In your dreams”, I hear you say. So true. However, I didn’t look too bad for a woman of my age and a lunch date was with my husband. Car and driver fitted in well at the country pub, even if it did take my husband a few seconds to realise it was me waving madly at him as I pulled up outside the restauran

But looking through the restaurant’s windows I did have to admit again that it was an odd looking vehicle Although its looks had grown on me with every mile I drove that might have been the lovely driving experience influencing my thoughts. It has a very long bonnet and the roof seems somewhat squashed. I feel as if the whole thing needs to be pumped up a bit and shortened – but then we’d have an X3, or an X5. It’s a problem.

So where does it fit in with BMW’s line up and why is it needed? BMW say it’s their first compact SUV, being more affordable than other BMW models. It’s not an off-roader, although it claims to be able to cope with rougher terrain that your average car. There again, there is nothing average about hits car, with its looks, great fuel economy (over 50 mpg) and low CO2 emission (139 g/km) and the first X model with the fabulous stop/start function which gives a 3% improvement in fuel economy and is such fun to use, frightening friends and family alike.

It will turn heads, but whether due to admiring glances or sheer curiosity it’s hard to know. I was sad to see it go at the end of the week. And one of the advantages to having rather heavy steering (something I only fully discovered when forced to drive back and forward in front of the camera, endlessly doing u-bends and reversing) was that it definitely tightened up my biceps. Not something I would necessarily look for in a car, but hey, got to fight those bat wings somehow!

This review first published September 2008

The Look

I’ve been told (by Paul mainly) that this is a beautiful car because of its proportions, beautiful lines and flowing curves. I can’t see it myself. It does look smart and the look has grown on me especially since I enjoyed driving it so much, but when I first saw one of these cars I thought they were just plain ugly.

The Grand Espace is larger that your average Espace in the boot area which is great when one is incapable of judging just how much stuff is really needed for a weekend away. I chose to remove one of the back seats to allow for the luggage for me, three kids and two cats. This was amazingly easy to do even when being photographed by a man who was quite clearly not going to offer to help even when he had finished snapping.

The seats in our Peugeot 807 are impossible for me to budge and even my giant of a husband struggles. Perhaps that is why the photographer didn’t offer to help – afraid of being ridiculed. But this was an important aspect of the car for me, actually being able to swap things around for myself rather than having to rely upon someone stronger, and often having to make do.

We also had a great colour which did enhance the look. I didn’t really notice that this was a longer vehicle than the average Espace as it didn’t feel particularly large.

I see this car as big with style, being smooth and sleek. I would miss my sliding doors as I do feel they are a must with kids who are not yet sensible enough to open doors slowly and gently for fear of damaging other vehicles. I also felt that with the passenger doors, there wasn’t a great deal of room for the children to easily get in and out, especially when child seats take up so much room.

There is an enormous tow bar at the rear of the car. I found this got in my way as I tried to fill the boot with shopping etc. I also wonder how this interferes with the sensor system – presumable it takes the tow bar into account when you are trying to get into a tight space. Let’s hope so. I didn’t want to put it to the test.

Interior

While this is a special limited edition Espace, it is not a superior model and has cloth seats whereas I feel that leather is the only way to go especially with children around. However, the seats had a good look and were exceptionally comfortable. After a long and painful journey up the MI on a wet Friday night, my back and legs were not aching at all which was a first for me for a long time. The seats feel very supportive and were easy to adjust which is a must when couples are at extreme ends of the spectrum! I found the seats firm and at the right level of comfort so that I was relaxed as I drove but also alert.

The dashboard is very plain and sturdy. There is nothing flash about it but I loved the solid feel and the way the endless cubby holes opened and closed. The steering wheel has a great feel to it and I like the slight indentations which the thumbs find as the wheel is turned. The controls feel good and there is nothing tacky and cheap about them. I especially loved the remote control for the volume to the CD and radio. So effortless to turn up the volume to drown out the sounds of kids at the back. The climate control is easy to use without having to take your eyes off the road. The master one is in the door on the driver’s side, but the passenger also has there own independent control.

Special features

I was slightly unnerved by the apparently lack of need to apply the hand brake. It’s all automatic once the car has stopped and it automatically goes off when the car pulls away. ~I was very concerned about how I would tackle hill starts without a hand brake and even went to test it out on one of the hills Rolls Royce allegedly tested their cars on in Derbyshire. It just didn’t feel right and realised that I must have got my facts wrong. Sure enough the handbook revealed the hand brake to the right of the steering wheel which automatically goes off when you pull away. From then on, my hill starts were perfect apart from the fact that I continued to stall the car at the most inopportune moments. Not the fault of the car, as no one else had this trouble.

This car has a marvellous credit card style key that unlocks the car without leaving your pocket or handbag. It also disables the car once you walk away from it and the doors lock automatically. Fantastic. However, this knowledge was rather late in revealing itself to the point where we couldn’t understand why Renault had gone for this type of ‘key’. We were getting it out of our bags and pressing the open sign and then plugging it in to the little slot before pressing the lovely starter button. It just shows how important it is to read the manual! The fantastic thing about this method of opening the car is that its hands free and immediate. No fiddling about while trying to keep hold of a wriggling child or bags of shopping.

I do love these starter buttons. The engine didn’t roar into life as with the Honda Civic Type S, but it did gently purr to life. The engine is then switched off with a press of the same button. Lovely.

The headlights remain on for two minutes after you have left the vehicle so that you are not plunged into darkness. Another great feature.

This limited edition is called the Grand Espace Tech Run. It is basically an entertainment centre on wheels, with a DVD DivX  player with two 7” screens which are integrated into the headrests, CD, radio, as well as multi-functional TunePoint to enable you to plug in MP3 players such as iPods. But no usable coffee cup holder which I think is more essential.

The Drive

I really enjoyed my first experience of driving this car once I’d got used to the feel of a gear stick again. It was easy to adjust the arm rest so that my arm could relax and change gear effortlessly.

I found it a very responsive car and didn’t feel as if I was driving an extra long vehicle. Perhaps this is because I am used to a Peugeot 807. It is so much more responsive that my diesel automatic and performed really well on the motorway. We were both put through our paces within minutes of starting the engine as my lift to the Renault depot was late for his flying lesson. I had to follow at speed first through country roads and then a very busy M40 and M25. I couldn’t complain as it was my fault we were late, having demanded to stop for a sandwich. The least I could do was to keep up. I felt that both the car and I performed very well, cruising nicely in sixth and accelerating in fifth when needed. Needless to say, we did arrive in time.

In town I found it to be sprightly and manoeuvrable. The brakes are very responsive and being in an elevated position is always great.

The Road Trip

The M1 sends me twitching at the best of times, but never more so than on a wet Friday afternoon, thinking I’ve beaten the traffic only to find that I’m stuck in the middle of it. A two and a half hour journey turns into a five and a half hour journey and I’ve still got to do it all again in reverse on Sunday afternoon. Why do weekends away always seem like such a good idea? It started off well – it always does for the first few junctions and you are lulled into a false sense of security. I felt I was flying along, really enjoying going into sixth gear (haven’t dared use cruise control ever since my father asked what happens if it gets stuck!). I don’t mind having my foot on the accelerator – it’s the clutch I hate having to deal with, which on this particular journey happened to be a lot. This type of car should always be an automatic. Much as I love using gears, to me a car designed to carry so many passengers, who are likely to be children, the driver should not have to worry about changing gear. It’s one less thing to think about as you try to maintain order in the back and have a free hand to dole out treats when it all goes horribly wrong.

However, at the start of this journey I felt confident that all would be calm with the troops. This model comes equipped with two DVD screens and wireless head sets. Everyone was very impressed by this particular feature. Once set up by my eleven year old, we were all sitting comfortably and we were away.

All I could hear were the odd giggle from the boys and the odd mieow from the cats who had been banished to the large boot. There weren’t even demands for sweets after the normal 10 minutes. I put on my music and enjoyed upping the volume with the remote finger controls and thought I’d cracked it. Peace didn’t last long however. After 50 minutes, William felt sick and complained of a headache, shortly followed by Thomas complaining of the same symptoms. Hannah then joined in moaning that the music was making her want to wee her pants. All on board entertainment was switched off, and we then realised just how much the cats were complaining. Short lived answer to my travelling prayers.

Normality was soon restored after a loo stop and the customary demand for snacks, drinks and sweets. I didn’t have the will-power to say no. Good job I didn’t get a take a way coffee as there wouldn’t have been anywhere appropriate to put it.

The whole experience reminded me why I separate my children on any journey, long or short. Having the three of them in a row so that they could watch the DVD was fine when they could watch it, but when it was switched off, all hell broke loose.

What we did work out on the return journey, was to limit the DVD watching to half hour slots. William was banished to the rear seat to stop him from irritating Hannah. While that worked, safety was an issue as William was constantly half way out of his seat so that he could see the screen. You can’t win.

Safety

The Espace has been given the maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating. There is a feeling of safety being in such an elevated driving position which one would hope would allow the diver to be able to identify any potential risks on the road. There is also automatic activation of the window wipers due to the presence of rain sensors and light sensors which automatically turn on the headlamps in poor light.

There are standard features such as brake assist together with ABS, ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) and understeer programme. This enables the driver to maintain control in the event of hard braking and optimises the stopping distances.  In the event of an impact the Espace has a reinforced body structure which can distort to absorb the impact and there are eight airbags.

There are ISOFIX mounting points in the rear seats to enable the installation of  ISOFIX Child safety seats.

Green Issues

Not only does the 6-speed manual gearbox provide smoothness and fluidity which enhances the driving pleasure, it also reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions which compare favourably to the Voyager without compromising on power.

Cost

This particular model retails at £24,935 with the slightly smaller Espace coming in at £23,735. I definitely think it’s worth the extra £1,200 for the space you acquire.

Review first published September 2008

The Look

The previous Clio was very stylish and unusual with its very distinctive rear window “bustle” and I feel that this look has actually been improved upon with this new model, still being cheeky with a lovely distinct bump to the rear.

I loved the round head lights and we did have a great colour – tempest, which is a wicked bright blue. The cloth interior was stylish with a simple dashboard. The controls are very easy to navigate while driving along. I love the idea of a starter button but this particular one does disappoint. Unlike the Honda Civic Type S which purred into action instantly, there is a slight delay and then an indistinct noise as the engine comes to life. I’d prefer an immediate response – it’s like the car can’t quite make it’s mind up!

Now that I understand the purpose of the credit card style key, I love it. We were puzzled with a previous car to what it was all about. But the fact that you can walk up to the car with the ‘key’ somewhere on your person and the car automatically unlocks is fantastic. All those times I’ve had my hands full of shopping or annoying, struggling children when a key like that would have made all the difference to my sanity. Likewise when you leave the car, and just have to press the button on the door handle to lock the car – marvellous.

The feel

I feel it’s an unfair comparison, but after driving the Renault Grand Espace, the poor Clio seemed rather thin. I felt as if there wasn’t much between me and the road, which I suppose is true to a certain extent. The interior had a slightly plasticky feel to it and I did wonder what extras I was getting compared to the basic Clio which comes in at £8,995. Top of the range is the Initiale which has a leather lined interior and comes in at just over £15,000. While this car was not test-driven, if I had £15,000 to play with there’s a lot of choice out there.

The Drive

We have a great deal to say about the drive, and just hope it doesn’t reflect our driving abilities! As it affected us all in a similar way, I think not.

It took me quite a while to get used to driving this car – to the point where I felt I was a learner again and not someone who has been driving for nearly thirty years in different countries in a wide range of cars. I didn’t exactly kangaroo, but it wasn’t far off on more than one occasion. I was constantly revving too much and couldn’t seem to find the right gear. Trying to make smooth progress around town I found impossible, especially when in second gear in slow moving traffic. But it did feel very nippy and powerful, with good acceleration and light steering. There just seems to be a certain “snatchiness” when coming on and off the accelerator in town. We’ve driven an auto and that obviously solves the problem completely.

I decided to take myself and my eldest son to take it for a spin up the M1 on a Sunday evening once Corrie was over, although he did have to be bribed. It actually flew up the first five junctions and cruised very nicely in sixth gear with plenty of power in reserve. It was quite a blowy evening but the car did not feel as if it was being buffeted around at all. It didn’t struggle at that speed and the gear-changes were smooth and satisfying – unlike those lower gears around town. Having been used to larger cars I was pleasantly surprised at how safe and stable the car felt even when overtaking larger vehicles.

Others have complained of the brakes feeling spongy. They felt fine to me but apparently I’ve been driving around with contaminated brake fluid in my car so anything would be an improvement!

I felt it was quite an achievement once I could drive this car without searching for the right gear and juddering along and I grew to really enjoy nipping around town.

Storage and space

Having five doors does make this car more versatile for carrying passengers, children etc. I wouldn’t want to go on a long journey with five people in the car, but then it is a supermini and you’d buy something larger if you regularly carried lots of people. Neighbours of ours have a similar-sized car and often go on holiday abroad with their two kids and don’t see what the fuss is all about. As I am a panic packer (pack everything just in case) it wouldn’t suit me. My neighbour has obviously got it down to a fine art. I definitely need some tips from her.

Cost

I would class this car alongside the Peugeot 207 for space and curb-appeal. Having had a little go in a 207 I felt it was a good comparison. The looks are quite different, but both nice in their own ways and come in at around the same price.

Safety

The Clio has two front airbags, two front lateral airbags and two front/rear  curtain airbags and Euro NCAP have given it a 5 star rating for adults.

There are ISOFIX mounting points and the front airbag can be disconnected to allow a child to sit safely in the front seat. It has an Electronic Stability programme (ESP) which helps to control the stability of the car if a sudden manoeuvre has to be carried out or if there is poor grip or irregular road surface. It also has ABS anti-lock braking system with EBD which helps the driver to remain in control if there is the need for sudden braking.

Summary

The Clio has a huge reputation, especially with us Brits. So perhaps we were giving it too much to live up to? Don’t get us wrong; it’s a great little car. Well-made, stylish, powerful and reasonably-priced. Shouldn’t cost too much to run either. We were disappointed with the jerky drive around town though and the vague gearbox, both of which conspired to make it harder to drive than it should have been. On faster roads though, the Clio was rock-steady, powerful and felt very safe.

Personally if I had one less child and they were a tad younger I’d buy one, but I’d get the auto…

Our Review First Published March 2008

Honda’s latest Civic flavour – the Type S – is pitched as a sporty three-door hatch just below the ultra-quick Type R. It’s billed as a more comfortable, less expensive and less, well, extreme alternative to the Type R, I was keen to see how it coped with the demands of family life with the usual kids, shopping and mess that entails. Could it do all that and knock a few years off as well? Let’s have a look…

The Look

What a great looking car – bit like a batmobile with funky twin exhausts and the most amazing belt of lights to the front and rear. It’s very neat with sleek lines and a pert but ample posterior not unlike my own! The shape continues with the door handles which looked great but I felt were rather awkward to open. My first impressions were showy, but not flashy. A car I’d definitely like to be seen in.

The Interior

While fooled momentarily by the need to press the red starter button, once found it hasn’t failed to delight. The engine starts beautifully with such a satisfying sound. While panicking that I wouldn’t be able to start the car I had a moment to observe my surroundings. First the chrome foot controls are awesome. Moving up, the cavernous depths of the dashboard are amazing. It gives the sensation of looking into a beautiful, deep pool where the dials seemingly float. The digital speedometer is big and highly visible – it needs to be as I certainly had to keep my speed in check.

The front seats are extremely comfortable and firm. They are easy to adjust and feel extremely sporty – which apparently is the whole idea. They are designed to surround the pelvis which gives support while cornering. Something I later fully appreciated, although my passenger Deb did not! In all fairness it was raining heavily and visibility was extremely poor.

The feel and the position of the gear stick is just right. More over to your left than in you average car with a very sporty feel to it. And back to those pedals. So shiny and big. Who would have thought they could be such a great feature? ~The steering wheel is also funky and sporty being covered in leather and has audio remote control switches on the left. The dual sunroofs are very cool and the covers retract in a delightful way. When open, they give a very different feel to the car making it even more spacious than it already is. The manual does describe it as tardis like and I have to agree. From the outside the car looks so neat and small, but there is a great deal of space inside. Even enough for my large husband to manoeuvre about in the rear while attaching children to car seats. ~What is particularly useful is the storage room underneath the rear seats – bit like being on an aeroplane – so useful for handbags or toys. It’s very comfortable in the back and while there are seat belts for three, two would be the optimum number of passengers. There are also anchor points for child seats, but why anyone in their right mind would want to have screaming children aboard is beyond me – hence I let my husband do that trip. However, while at first glance I would have pigeon holed this car for a girl about town with no babies in tow, I can see that having a baby on board would not cramp your style. Getting into the rear seat is made easy by the front seats gliding forward to allow an almost lady-like entry and exit.

Storage

There are plenty of storage compartments and the boot is positively cavernous. Popping to the supermarket was a joy and I filled the boot up with a huge weeks shop for five people with room to spare. It was only later that the delights of the lower boot space was revealed to me.

The Drive

Wow – what an exciting ride. It positively glides along and with the slightest touch of the wheel – turns. The diesel engine is amazingly responsive and quiet. I got back into my diesel automatic and thought I hadn’t released the hand brake! This car zips around town and my only problem was the speed bumps (which it handles very nicely) and the hoards of learner drivers (which I do not handle well) which stopped me from pressing those lovely shiny pedals. It’s a joy on the motorway despite atrocious weather. I quickly got it into sixth gear which is still a mystery to me, but it sped along effortlessly. Apparently it’s very good for economic fuel consumption.

I must say, when I heard we had a Honda Civic to review my heart sank and visions of grannies holding up traffic filled my head. As soon as I saw the car, I realised there would be no grannies in sight. This is a car for those girls about town, with money in their pockets, or those grannies about town who just what to have fun.

Night out

Driving around London late at night was a joy. The blue lights of the dashboard look so cool and clear. Heading for Knightsbridge we felt as if we really fitted in with all the trendy young things. Shame my new shoes were killing me as I hobbled into the trendy wine bar. I was more than happy to be the sober driver – I had thought there would be a scene about who was going to drive!

Minor Whinges

I just don’t think Honda have got it right with the wing mirrors. It’s great that they can be brought in by a push of a button, but you have to remember to do this. ~The number of times I’ve had to turn the electrics on again in order to press that button. I even drove home from Brent Cross with the mirrors still in – rather worrying that I didn’t notice this until very close to home. Couldn’t this all be incorporated into switching the engine on and off? At least my car does that – one of the few positive thing it has going for it! Having said that, they are very large and allow a great rear view, so perhaps you can’t have everything?

The rear window was not liked by any of us due to the window being split in two by a bar.  I also felt that the glass either side of the bar was distorted and interfered with visibility.

Safety

This car is apparently one of the safest cars in its class, if you are in it, but only gets a three star pedestrian safety. It has a very clever braking system which helps the driver to maintain control during cornering, acceleration and sudden manoeuvres. For front and side impact it receives a five star rating and the front head rests help to protect against whiplash injury in the event of an accident. For child safety it gets a four star rating.

Going Green

Its hard to imagine this lovely, zappy car can have any green credentials, but apparently it has. This is Honda’s first in-house developed diesel engine and they claim that while it delivers outstanding performance, which we definitely agree upon, it actually creates low emissions due to its catalytic converters. Being diesel it produces less CO2 than the petrol engine although the power is still the same.

Money Matters

It’s not a cheap car coming in at just under £20,000 with the metallic finish, but what a fantastic toy that gets you from A to B in comfort and style.

Review first published by us in 2008

The Look

It doesn’t immediately make you want to go ‘wow’, but it quickly grows on you. At first glance it just looks like any boring old saloon – or as Deb’s son commented ‘it’s an old man’s car’. At first I thought the big round brake lights were rather dated until someone suggested that actually they were quite retro – so I’ve changed my mind. It was unfortunate that we had a maroon one – always reminds me of a school uniform I’d rather forget. It would definitely look better in any of the other metallic colours on offer. I’d recommend the Royal Blue Pearl.

It is sleek, no doubt about it, and apparently the aerodynamics of the car have been greatly improved upon. I wondered whether the wheels looked too small, but they have been designed to reduce drag which increases efficiency.

The Interior

The old man feel continues with seats that look like armchairs, but like armchairs they are extremely comfortable. It’s very spacious inside and ideal for the taller ones among us – with more head and leg room. My husband normally gets out of a car with half his hair flattened down and a cricked neck. We drove a hybrid with leather seats but this does add £300 to the price which I think is worth it.

The dashboard is very clear and has an upmarket feel. Its positioning is good with all the driver needs to see right in front of them, so sensible and obvious once it’s been done. The digital speedometer is highly visible as are the gauges showing the clever things the engine/battery is up to.

The front seats can be heated which is a great advantage if your passenger likes it cold – at least your butt will be warm. I liked the easy to use controls especially for the climate control. The steering wheel is stylish with controls at your fingertips and the central storage compartment doubles up as an armrest.

The Drive

This car is so easy to drive, yet still satisfying once you’ve got used to the engine noise, or rather lack of it. Despite being a good sized car, I felt it nipped around town with plenty of power and responsive steering. I really enjoyed the ride. My first experience of city driving was following a friend from the salubrious delights of Kilburn to the depths of Hackney. Rather than waiting for me to catch up at junctions and lights, he seemed somewhat keen to lose me. Hence the need to whiz round double deckers, large vans and other cars who kept coming between us. Not only was I driving it for the first time and getting used to its quietness, I had to be constantly on the look out for his car as it sped away round unknown corners. However, I survived and enjoyed the trip despite being told to lock my doors – didn’t look any worse than Kilburn!

My next experience was very different as I followed a fellow scouting parent up the A41. What a lovely considerate driver – just a shame he didn’t put his foot down so I could fully appreciate the cars power. He must have wanted to go faster than 63m/hr in his merc.

When I did finally give it a blast on the M1  I found that it glided along and accelerated easily. Comments have been made about the level of the road noise but I didn’t notice as I was child free and making the most of blasting my eardrums with the CD player. There was some buffeting by passing lorries, but I couldn’t decide whether this just due to bad gusts of wind. But looking at the spec of the car, it has been designed to be as light as possible to help reduce fuel consumption further, so maybe this is the price you have to pay.

Storage

Taking two boys to scout camp, I realized that the capacity of the boot is not huge. They did have rather a lot of gear despite only being away for two nights. The spare wheel is under the floor of the boot, so there is no extra space there and the boot lacks depth due to the location of the battery – I suppose it does have to go somewhere especially as it’s such an important component of the car. Also, these days we are used to hatchbacks which allows the pile up affect. This is your traditional boot. Storage around the rest of the car is great with compartments for a mobile phone, drink holders and all the normal bits you would expect.

Safety

The car has a solid feel yet is agile to drive. The brakes are very effective and took a while to get used to and occasionally were quite shockingly quick to respond. Honda rate it as one of the safest cars in its class. It automatically assists in cornering, acceleration and with sudden manoeuvres by applying the brakes to the right or left side as necessary. Very clever.

Plenty of thought has been given to pedestrian safety. In the event of a collision involving an adult or child’s head, the bonnet and wings are designed to deform – sounds hideous. There are six airbags for passenger safety and ISOFix child seat restraint mechanisms.

Green Issues

This car is meant to feel like an everyday car, and apart from the lack of engine noise I suppose it does. But because of the engine, you get more miles out of one tank of fuel with incredibly low CO2 emissions. The technology is all based around providing power from recycled energy which comes from the battery pack. Going downhill, the wheels act like dynamos to charge the battery pack. The spooky part is when you come to a stop at a junction and the engine stops.

Cost

For all the amazing technology that is involved in this car – most of which I’m still trying to get my head around, I think that it’s quite reasonably priced at £16,300. For an extra £300 you can have leather seats. However, the running costs are lower that your average car due to reduced fuel costs, insurance being 10% lower and no congestion charge.

How I wish for a simple, yet stylish, utilitarian vehicle that I could actually use myself without the need for some strong arms. The Skoda Roomster instantly popped into my head. I no longer dream of fast, stylish cars that only seat two, but at least with the Roomster I would have some style, and I could single-handedly put the seats in whatever position I wanted.

It’s a great little tool.However, I digress… I had aquired a rather fantastic old chair that was in need of a complete make-over. So off we went to a local upholsterer that I had passed many times but never had the need to venture in. Frankly, it’s in a slightly scary part of town where I’d prefer not to stop.

It was a fascinating experience on so many levels, and afterwards I was rather relieved that John (seat-moving husband) and his strength had had to come along.

Having dropped my prancing daughter at her dance class we proceeded up the ramp of a former multi-story car-park which was now being used to house light industrial units. There seemed to be so much going on first thing on a Staurday morning. What a brilliant use of space.

The chair has been left there – rather it than me – with a very tall, exotic gentleman, whose office looked as if it had come from some old manor house (apart from the fact it was all so fake-looking). It was a bit like time travel – on one side of the door was a dirty, breeze-block industrial unit and on the other, a room with a fire, overstuffed armchairs, bookshelves (with fake books), an elaborate mantle piece and bolts of fabric elegantly lying around.

Not only that, but I was faced with the owner in jodpurs, riding boots, greased back hair and waistcoat! Kilburn if nothing if not suprising… So while dreaming of a flexible, easy-to-use Skoda Roomster, allowing me my independence, in actual fact when I go to collect my chair I’ll be rather pleased to have to have husband on hand to remove the seats for me.

Sometimes it’s rather a relief to give into the stereotypical female role – before I snap out of it and give him a list of chores for the weekend!