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50–40 TOP 50 CARS
Lamborghini Huracán
Performante
Always third best behind Ferrari and
McLaren? Maybe, but this car gets
closer than any Lamborghini since
the days when Countachs duffed up
Testarossas. And if you insist on a
nor m a l l y a s pi r at e d e n g i ne i n y ou rexotic, low-volume, mid-engined
supercar, it’s the only act in town.
Mini Cooper S
M i n i h a s m a de c a r s i n a l l s or t s of
sizes and strange shapes since its
2 0 01 r e bi r t h but , w he n it c ome s dow n
to it, the Cooper S hatch has been the
best of the bunch from first to last.
That it also comes closest to realising
the original’s vision of a fun, high-
performance compact car is probably
not a coincidence.
Range Rover Sport
When it was launched, this was the
most broadly capable car ever to
call itself a Range Rover. Six years
later, it’s still a long way off the
b ot t om of t h i s l i s t , t h a n k s t o t he
enduring appeal of its design,
seven-seat configuration, off-roadability and on-road civility. A
Rangie for all reasons.
Toyota Corolla
Ye s , y ou r e a d t h at r i g ht. T he w orld’s
best-selling car is now British built
and back on sale, replacing the
stunningly unremarkable Auris. And
it i s s o muc h b e t t e r. It lo ok s t e r r i f ic ,
has a spacious and comfortable
cabin, is cheap to buy and run and,mo s t s u r pr i si n g of a l l , i s de c e nt t o
drive. There’s little not to like here.
Jeep Wrangler
Yes, of course it’s brilliant off road. What Wrangler was not? But that’s not why it’s here. On
the contrary, it is the way it provides such undimmed talent and ace looks while losing the
spine-snapping ride and adding a more spacious, higher-quality interior. The result is a Jeep
that’s no longer a mere recreation vehicle but a serious all-purpose SUV.
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Volkswagen Up
We’d lump the Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii clones in here, too,
as three of the most enduringly excellent urban runabouts.
The USP is not to feel like a budget car built down to a price,
but a car of typical VW quality, realised in pint-sized form.
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The Jeep Wrangler is now a
serious all-purpose SUV
a
Peugeot
Lots of near misses here, the
closest of all being the 508.
Large four-door saloons are
as fashionable as flares these
days, but there’s no escaping
this one’s good looks and
high-quality interior.
Renault
We we r e s h o c ke d th a t n o
Renault made it onto the
list given the French firm’s
pedigree. If there had been
one, it would have been the
Mégane RS 300 Trophy
hot hatch.
Vauxhall
It’s a toss-up between the
Insignia and the Astra. We’d
probably pick the Astra, which
bodes well given there is a
new one on the way. Maybe
that will be the one to end its
role as perpetual bridesmaid.