40 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 2 1 AUGUST 2019
Skoda Octavia vRS
I f it w ou ld not b e r i g ht t o r e ga rd t he
Octavia vRS as a Volkswagen Golf
GTI with a lot more space for a little
le s s mone y, t he n it w ou ld not b e f a r
off the mark. The Octavia vRS also
shows that good design is enduring
design: six years and one facelift into
its life, its ability to make this list is
an achievement in its own right.
Audi A6 Avant
Not the fastest estate out there,
not the most capacious, not the
best-handling, not even the most
comfortable. But average out its
abilities and you’ll find that, all
round, the A6 Avant is an admirably
capable car – and does not all-round
ability lie at the very heart of what we
w a nt f r om s uc h c a r s?
Volvo XC90
Given the brilliance of much of what
h a s c ome si nc e , it ’s e a s y t o for ge t
that the renaissance – scratch that
- transformation of Volvo started
right here with this big SUV. And
the stylish, spacious XC90, with its
effortlessly cool and airy interior, is
still a mighty pleasant way to while
away a long journey.
50
49
48
47
BMW i3
Six years into its life, there’s still nothing quite like the i3. Maybe that’s because it has
not been the runaway sales success that BMW hoped for. Even so, for the right person,
an i3 can still make more sense than any other car out there. And it’s fun to drive – not
s ome t h i ng w e ’d le ap t o s ay ab out mo s t e le c t r ic c a r s.
Bentley Bentayga
Any car is doing well just to make this list, but were it still available with diesel power, the
Bentley SUV would be even further up than this. Despite unprepossessing looks and its
odd name, the Bentayga still feels like the best engineered SUV out there and therefore a
product to be proud of.
Citroën
Best Citroën? If you count the
van-derived Berlingo, that by
a mile. Failing that, we do have
something of a soft spot for
the spacious, comfortable
C4 SpaceTourer, with its
improved dynamics.
Fiat
We know the 500 hatch remains
the darling of the urban
chic set but, for us, it can’t
approach the charm of the
back-to-basics Panda. A good,
honest small car, just like all
the best Fiats down the years.
Lexus
The LC Coupé got really close
to appearing on our top 50 list.
I t ’s h a r d to j u sti f y o b j e c ti ve l y,
but the big V8 is a car for
which we have a lot of genuine
affection. Great looking and
with echoes of the LFA.
Nissan
Lots to choose from here,
from the Micra to the GT-R,
but it’s the new Leaf, with its
far more engaging drivetrain
and enticing appearance,
that comes closest to making
the grade.
Maserati
Sadly, there’s nothing from
the once great Italian brand
that troubled the shortlist. The
Levante SUV came closest.
It at least looks great and, in
Trofeo form, now has proper
Maserati performance.
DIDN’T^ MAKE
THE^ CUT46
SUBARU XV
The tyre-smokers
say it’s worth only
three stars but I’ve
a weakness for the
XV, whose decent
ground clearance,
short overhangs and
general toughness
make it the antidote
to the namby-pamby,
drive-to-schoolness of
the Honda CR-V, Nissan
Qashqai and other soft
SUVs. Love the quirky
mechanicals and the
somewhat industrial
look of the styling. SC
“I SHOULDN’T
LIKE IT BUT...”