46 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 2 1 AUGUST 2019
Vauxhall Viva Rocks
Want to lure young and trendy
urbanites to your blue-collar
car brand? Well, don’t do it by
slapping some ugly bumper
extensions on one of the most
unlovely superminis. Slow,
unappealing and dull to drive.
BMW X4
Still the most objectionable
example of one of the most
objectionable breeds of new
car: the ‘sports utility coupé’.
It gives you less usable space
than an X3, costs more and
looks far worse to most eyes.
Maserati Quattroporte Diesel
It ought to be a shining example
of all that the Maserati brand
stands for. Instead, it is a fairly
derivative saloon with lashings
of brightwork, a diesel engine
unworthy of the marque and a
disappointing interior.
Jeep Compass
The Compass could and should
have been so much better. It
takes relatively cheap platform
architecture and presses it into
battle against the Mazda CX-5
and Range Rover Evoque. No
wonder it seems second-rate.
Alfa Romeo Giulietta
It will hit 10 years in production
if it survives to the end of 2019
when most new cars don’t
make eight. Its engines are
thirsty, the cabin’s a relic and
it doesn’t ride or handle well.
High time it was retired.
Porsche 718 Cayman
The current Porsche Cayman has a
four-cylinder turbocharged engine.
You may have read about this before.
It’s the reason the car has been quite
unreasonably rounded upon by
critics and singled out for ridicule,
when it deserves anything but. Is
either f lat four in the 718 range a
particular selling point? No, not
really. But this car still has a chassis
and steering as sweet as they come,
and uncommonly good usability.
BMW 5 Series
Having perhaps been distracted by
expansion into other segments, BMW
is back on truly world-beating form
with its traditional executive saloons.
T he 5 S e r ie s i s s o go o d t h at it le a d s it s
r i v a l s f r om Me r c e de s a nd A ud i e v e n
in ways you wouldn’t expect: cabinspace, mechanical refinement, driver
assistance technology and more. It’s
also sharp and rewarding to drive
for its size and offers real strength of
performance across the range.
McLaren 720S
The 720S became Autocar’s benchmark supercar when it was launched
in 2017 – and, limited-series track specials aside, it remains unbeaten
at t he v e r y t op of it s c l a s s. T he 72 0 S w ou ld g i v e up v e r y l it t le on out r i g ht
performance to any other car on the road. It has absolutely outstanding
dynamism and track poise but works just as well on the road, where its
exceptionally communicative steering, intuitive, precise handling and
pl i a nt r ide m a k e it e njoy a ble i n a n e v e r yd ay s e n s e.
Ariel Atom 4
Having swapped its memorably waspish supercharged engine for
turbocharged Honda power derived from the Civic Type R, the latest
Atom has taken some gigantic strides on speed. It is now once again whatit once was: a pint-sized supercar slayer on outright acceleration. But an
even greater and wider-reaching overhaul has sharpened, refined and
reformed the car’s ride and handling while retaining all of what makes it
so special to drive. Still utterly brilliant.
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The 720S remains unbeaten
at the very top of its class
a
TOP^10 WORS
T CARS