Auto Express – July 30, 2019

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk SpecialIssue 35

THOUSANDSofAutoExpressreadersfired

uptheircomputersearlierthisyeartogive

feedbackonthenewcarsthey’dboughtover

thepast24months.Thoseopinionsallowed

ustocloselyprofilethelong-termexperiences

75newcarsgaveownersintherealworld.

Over31individuallyrankedsubjectareas

andninebroadcategories,youtoldusall

thereistoknowaboutthesecars,taking

ineverythingfromthesmoothnessofthe

gearboxesandthesharpnessoftheir

steering,tothecomfortofferedbythefront

seatsandhowslicklytheirinfotainment

systemspairwithyoursmartphones.

OwnersscoredtheefficientToyotaPrius

sohighlyittookourDriverPowernewcarof

theyeargoldmedal,whilethesleekLexusIS

finishedsecond,andthesharp-handling

AlfaRomeoGiuliacamethird.

Aswellasoverallwinners,wehighlighted

whichmodelswerebest-in-class,helpingyou

findatoppickregardlessofwhetheryou’re

afteranopen-toproadster,apracticalMPV,a

luxuriousexeccaroranefficientrunabout.

BESTMPV

Citroen C4 Picasso

THECitroenC4Picasso(nowrenamedthe

SpaceTourer)didwhatanMPVshouldby

impressingyouwiththeenormouslevel

ofpracticalityitoffers.DespiteMPVsales

havinggivenwaytotheriseoftheSUV,the

Picassoservesitsroleasafamilycarwell,

offeringnumerouschild-friendlyfeatures

andflexibleseating,whilebeingeasyon

yourwalletbydeliveringimpressivefuel

economy.YousaidtheCitroenhasagood

ride,too,alongwithcomfortablefrontseats

andplentyoflegroomforpassengersin

theback.Theexteriorwasalsowellrated,

whilevisibilitywasanotherstrongpointfor

theFrenchcar,thanks,presumably, tothe

largewindowsandhighseatingposition.

BESTELECTRIC CAR

Hyundai Ioniq

AVAILABLEasaconventionalhybrid,plug-in

hybridorEV,itwasinthelatterguisethatthe

eighth-placedHyundaiIoniqstoodoutin

DriverPower2019,winningthetitleofbest

electriccar.Lowrunningcostswereahuge

advantage,youtoldus,withaffordable

servicinganotherhighlightforowners.You

alsolikedtheIoniq’simpressivearrayof

safetyfeatures,aswellasitsgoodreliability

andstrongbuildquality.Infotainmentwas

anotherpositivearea;readerswerehighly

complimentaryofthesat-navinparticular.

TheHyundaimanagedtowinyourfavour

whenitcametoitselectricpowertrain,

whichyoufound–perhapsunsurprisingly

–tobesmoothandquiet.

BESTPREMIUM LARGE SUV

Lexus RX

OURthirdclass-winningLexus–butnot
ourlast,amazingly–istheRX,whichtakes
thecrownasthebestpremiumlargeSUV.
TheRXblewawayallrivalsforinteriorbuild
qualityandyoucouldn’thavebeenmore
impressedwiththecabin.Yousaidthe
hybriddrivetrainwassmooth,whilethe
car’sstaunchreliabilityprovidedvaluable
peaceofmind.YoualsofoundtheRXtobe
highlypractical–asalargeSUVshouldbe
–anditshandlingmorethanimpressed.
Ownersrateditasasafecar,too,although
runningcostslettheRXdown,andits
infotainmentsystemwasalsocriticised.
ThislastitemisalmostasuniversalaLexus
hallmarkasqualityanddependability.

BESTEXECUTIVE CAR

Lexus GS

PRODUCTIONoftheLexusGShascometo

anendinEuropetomakewayforthenew

ES,buttheoldcarstillwonplentyofpraise

fromourreaders.Notonlydiditachievean

impressiveninthplaceoverall,butitwas

alsorankedbestexecutivecarthankstoa

numberoffactors,chiefamongwhichwas

thegreatreliabilityandsturdybuildquality

thathavebecomenear-synonymouswith

Lexus.YoufoundtheGSapleasuretodrive,

courtesyofatop-notchengineandgearbox,

andsaidthemodel’slookshaveagedwell,

whileyou’realsohappywiththequalityand

comfortoftheinterior.Factorinexcellent

rideandhandling,andit’sclearwhyyou

rankeditasthebestexecutivecararound.

BESTSPORTS CAR

Lexus RC

FINISHINGoffourrundownoftheDriver

Powerclasswinnersisthefourthandfinal

Lexushere.Theimpressivequalitiesthe

brandhasbecomeknownforareevident

inthissportycoupé.TheRC,whichwas

recentlyfacelifted,ranked31stoverall,and

wascrownedbestsportscar,beingunbeaten

forreliabilityandbuildquality.Itlivedupto

itssportscarname,too,becauseyourated

theengine,gearbox,rideandhandling

highly.YouravedabouttheRC’slooks,

whilesafetywasyetanotherkeywinning

point.Thesequalitiesarealmostuniversal

acrosstheLexusrange,asisfeedbackfrom

ownersthatsaystheJapanesemarque’s

infotainmentsystemsaren’tgoodenough.

BESTCOMPACTEXECUTIVE CAR

Lexus IS

THELexusIScameinsecondplaceoverall

inDriverPower2019andwasconsequently

rankedasthebestcompactexecutivecar.

JustaswithitslargerGSbrother,readers

weresmittenwiththeIS’ssmoothand

quiethybridpowertrain,whilereliability

–asyoumightexpect–wasanotherplus

pointfortheLexusoveritscompetitors.

Ownersalsohavenothingbutpraisefor

thebuildquality,insideandout.That

hybridpowertrainwasabighelpin

bringingdownrunningcosts,too,giving

theISyetanothervictoryoverother

compactexecutivecars.Anotherkeypoint

ofsuccessfortheLexuswassafety;you

spokehighlyofthevarioussystemsfitted.

BESTCOMPACTFAMILYCAR

Toyota Prius

NATURALLY, theoverallwinnerof

DriverPower2019cametopofits

class.YousaythattheToyotaPrius

isBritain’sbestnewcartoownfor

anumberofreasons,includingthe

incrediblefueleconomyofferedbythe

hybridpowertrainanditslowoverall

runningcosts.YoualsosaidthePrius

isquick,quietandsmooth,withthe

latterqualitybeingcomplementedby

acomfortableride,creatingarefined

andrelaxingdrivingexperience.

AnotherwinningpointfortheToyota

wasthewideselectionofsafety

technologytobefoundonboard.

BESTROADSTER

Mazda MX-5

IN22ndplaceoverallthisyearwas

theMazdaMX-5;unsurprisingly,your

favouriteroadster.Itoffersamazingly

entertaininghandling,asyoumight

expectfromacarthat’sdesignedfor

drivingpleasure,anditwashighly

ratedforridecomfort.Theengine,

gearboxandresponsivebrakeswere

praised.YoulovedtheMazda’ssporty

exteriorlooks,werehappywiththe

MPGandrunningcosts,andfoundits

infotainmentand phoneconnectivity

passedmuster.YoufeltsafeintheMX-5,

despiteitssmallsize,whilereliability

andbuildqualityalsoimpressed.

Ownersscored

the efficientToyota

Prius so highly it took

our newcar of the

year gold medal

22001199

DIDYOUKNOW?TheinfotainmentsystemsinlargeSUVshadthehighestsatisfaction

rating,at92.35percent,whilecitycarswereratedworstinthisarea,at84.77percent.