Long Term Tests

  The latest Honda HR-V, launched last year, marks a welcome return to a sector the brand helped create back in 1999. It exited the sector 10 years ago after which the success of Nissan’s Juke opened the floodgates of what is now the fastest growing part of the new car market. Honda needed to hit the ground running with ...

Three months and 3,000 miles into our long term Honda HR-V test and the car is proving to be reassuringly predictable and practical. While these might not be the most exciting of virtues for a new car, they are fundamentally what most buyers seek especially in the small crossover sector. The most predictable aspect of our HR-V is its fuel ...

Honda’s back in the crossover market with the all-new HR-V after an absence of 10 years. This is good news for dealers who have been unable to compete in what has become the sweet spot of the new car market. Has the long wait between HR-V generations been worth it? Judging by our experience over the last two months we ...

Honda dealers can be excused for holding their heads in their hands after the brand took the decision not to replace the original HR-V after it ceased production 10 years ago only to then see all its competitors launch vehicles into what has become the fastest growing new car sector. The original HR-V, launched in 1999, was a quirky looking ...

Our long term Hyundai Tucson has left the Motor Trader fleet after three months and 6,200 miles and has served as a useful benchmark for what to expect from a new  generation compact SUV. The car is a statement of intent from the brand. Launched last September it saw Hyundai ditch the clumsy ix35 nomenclature, revive the more customer-friendly Tucson ...

It has been a busy month for our long term Hyundai Tucson. As well as motorway runs and the daily demands of an urban commute, it has also been called into action as a people carrier and load-lugger. In other words all the typical demands placed on any compact SUV. As a motorway runner the Tucson is quick enough and ...

Hyundai’s all-new Tucson is an important car for the brand. Not only does it serve to reiterate Hyundai’s positioning as a carmaker with a wider appeal than the i10 city car which propelled it out of the downturn but it also helps consolidate its position in the fast growing compact SUV sector. Launched in September 2015, the all-new model saw ...

The fifth generation Mondeo went on sale in UK showrooms at the beginning of 2015 and re-confirmed the car’s no-nonsense reputation as a comfortable, practical and hard grafting workhorse; beloved by families and fleets for over 20 years. The latest incarnation is more upmarket looking than ever before with its supersized grille, attractive bonnet and flowing lines giving it an ...

MONTH TWO: We’ve been running the Ford Mondeo 1.0 Ecoboost since December and in that time have put 2,300 miles on the clock and tested its ultra low fuel consumption claims. The 1.0-litre petrol Ecoboost engine is undeniably an impressive piece of kit and Ford’s decision to place it into its fourth generation Mondeo, which weighs in at 1.5 tonnes, ...

MONTH ONE: There’s a trend among carmakers to squeeze more power, lower emissions and better economy from smaller engines. It’s a laudable aim which helps improve air quality, reduces running costs and provides dealers with a compelling sales proposition. Ford is no stranger to this trend having first introduced the award winning range of direct-injection turbocharged Ecoboost petrol engines back ...