Driving has always been a way for my mind to relax. I love learning a car and working out where it’s strong and where it isn’t.
So, you can imagine I jumped at the chance to spend a whole day driving a variety of cars at The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)’s annual test day. Over the course of seven and a half hours I drove a total of 16 cars from city cars to super cars, from classics to SUVs.
Driving some of these beauties truly brightened up what was a rather dull and overcast day. I’ve marked all the cars with a score out of 10 – with one hitting full marks.
I’ve marked every single one I tested out of 10 – scroll down to find which vehicle hit the perfect 10.
Leapmotor T03 (Starting from £15,995)
The Leapmotor is one of the cheapest electric cars on sale in the UK at the moment. It’s a dinky entry into the continuously expanding electric car market. Just like the Skoda, I kept seeing fellow journalists leaping in and out of them, making them one of the two most popular cars on the day, although this could be to do with the fact there were three of them….
Nevertheless, people were queuing up and so I queued with them. On board, it was easy to see why it was so cheap for today’s money, but it did at least feel solid. Driving, it’s not a Porsche Taycan, but the lack of power meant you needn’t worry about approaching a bend too quickly. As you would expect, physics meant it was nimble and easy to manoeuvre. One slight curiosity was the tyres had a cliff of grip, in that once you reached a certain point, the grip disappeared completely without much warning.
However, when you’re not going very quickly, this doesn’t matter so much. Would I buy one? No. I would spend the money on a good second hand petrol car instead which was bigger, more spritely, and could go further. The Leapmotor is more of a left field third or fourth car rather than someone’s primary mode of transport. If you’re limited to the city, a motorbike or low mileage second hand city car from a bigger, well-known brand is probably a better bet.
Christopher’s Rating: 6/10 – Charming first effort, but needs more refinement, bigger boot and a lower price tag
Audi S5 Saloon (Starting from £65,151)
Speaking of bigger brands – Audi! The German brand was present with personal four-ringed favourite Audi e-Tron GT. I drove one of these last year – because Prince William has one – and found it’s steering to be a revelation. Fortunately, the same characteristics had passed into the Launch Edition of the S5 saloon that came with a tasty petrol powerplant.
This car, like it’s electric cousin, isn’t designed for track days or city driving, but storming along the autobahn at…speeds. Still, on Millbrook’s alpine handling course it twisted and turned with alacrity and poise. It rode the course’s bumps admirably and I felt it would probably appeal to people who both spent their time on motorways and also just like driving in general. A good effort.
Christopher’s Rating: 7.5/10 – Audi have been slammed in recent corners for the electric efforts, but they still do well in the whole Quattro-petrol area too.
BYD Seal (Starting from £42,916)
The Seal, from Chinese company BYD, is one of a new wave of Chinese cars looking to take on the likes of BMW, Audi, Mercedes, and Porsche at the executive car game. The Seal is part of that arsenal and on the basis of my albeit short time with it, the signs are good. The car is powerful sure, but there’s more to it than that.
Like almost every other posh car currently on sale in the UK at the moment, it comes with a wall of touch screens. Even though I’m not a personal fan of touch screens replacing buttons, the ones in the Seal were intuitive and easy to use. Once on the move, the ride was refined, the car grippy, and a doddle to drive. Would I have preferred more steering feel? Yes, but that’s not the point. The point is that these cars are a serious competitor to European big brands who have dominated this space for decades. Let’s see what comes next.
Christopher’s Rating: 7.5/10 – Equal to the Audi in terms of my rating, but loses and gains points in different places. It’s superior in terms of performance, but I preferred the driving experience of the German car.
Rocketeers Mazda MX5 (Starting Price N/A)
I’ve already touched on the Rocketeer MX5 for another article in the Mirror’s motoring section, but writing about it again is hardly a hardship when I have such a soft spot for cars like this. I love restomods, they take a beautiful classic car and give it the convenience (and sometimes power) of a modern car. The Rocketeer MX5 takes a 1990s B-road hero and gives it a fresh six-cylinder powerplant.
I was so excited to drive this MX5, it was the first car I drove after the driver’s briefing in the morning. Being a convertible, you can revel in that six-cylinder engine note and short-throw gearbox so much more.
It’s small, it’s nimble, it’s powerful, it can be made to be as bespoke as you want. It’s not mass-market but that’s not the point, it’s the car industry letting it’s hair down, and that can only be a good thing in a market where the public mainly wants SUVs.
Christopher’s Rating: 8/10 – Bravo Rocketeers. More of these please.
Ford Mustang Mach E Rallye (Starting from £76,790)
That isn’t to say the big boys from bigger brands can’t have a little fan as well. Ford is one of the best at this. They’ve taken their Ford Mustang electric car and given it some of World Rally Championship treatment. The original car has been given more power, different tyres, different interior, a few more driving modes, and a changed set-up underneath.
As a result, this car is nimbler than the vehicle it’s based on despite the raised suspension and off-road tyres. I would love to have had the opportunity to take on gravel where it’s rally-related modifications would have made it an absolute riot. On tarmac though, it still felt very effective.
Christopher’s Rating: 7.5/10 – Like the Rocketeers MX5 this is bespoke, and proves that electric cars are definitely not boring.
Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida (Starting from £27,895)
The Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida is a baby-SUV. It looks like an SUV, but is actually about the same size as a BMW 1 Series. It’s small, petrol, and on this particularly overcast day, very red. I decided to test drive it after following one whilst testing another car. Taking the wheel myself, it was clear why the other pilot had decided to do two laps of the alpine course and not just the one.
It was simply plain fun, felt light on its feet, had good steering feel, but never felt like it ran out of grip. I wouldn’t necessarily buy it as the boot was a bit too small and it could do with being a few centimetres closer to the ground. But there will be people out there who will be taken with t his small hot-ish hatchback.
Christopher’s Rating: 7/10 – The Junior Ibrida is a capable and charming car, that won’t be to everyone’s taste. It is at least fun to drive.
Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio (Starting from £78,195)
A car I would most certainly recommend you buy if you have the money is the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. A rival to the BYD Seal and Audi S5 above, this would be my pick of the three by far. A powerful six-cylinder engine, rear wheel drive, electric car like throttle response, and Italian charm, what’s not to like? I hypermiled one of these from London to Edinburgh and back last year and having the opportunity to not worry about MPG and just enjoy one of Alfa’s greatest hits was so liberating.
Yes, the German and Chinese cars probably make better financial sense, but there’s a charm to the Giulia. It’s not naughty, but it’s the alternative A24 choice. Some of it might not make sense, but it’s not afraid to be open about what it is. It’s a four-door Italian stallion of a car that is quite serious, but also very endearing in the way only Alfa Romeos can be.
Christopher’s Rating: 9/10 – A car you would buy with your heart, even if your head told you others would be a more sensible bet. I will be sad when Alfa stops building these.
Mercedes AMG GT (Starting price from around £165,000)
If the Alfa Romeo Giulia is a car you buy with your head, then the Mercedes is a car you buy if you’ve just won the lottery. At over £100,000, I think this may have been one of the most expensive cars on display. So expensive and precious were the AMG GTs on display that someone from Mercedes came with me as we wound our way around the alpine course and onto Millbrook’s high speed bowl where we were limited to a speed of 100mph for safety’s sake.
As you would expect from a car of this price and spec, it was very plush inside. Rivals for this car include the Porsche 911 and Aston Martin Vantage. Truth be told, this was one of those cars where you would want more time to truly evaluate it, but then again, the same could be said of all of the cars present. As it was, it was lovely experience.
Christopher’s Rating: 8/10 – A car designed to conquer continents, I was left with a feeling wanting to find out more.
Mini Aceman (Starting from £28,905)
The Mini Aceman is a family SUV, the best way to think of it is to see it as an electric version of Mini’s already relatively popular Countryman that we’re familiar with.
What has the Aceman got going for it when you’ve got 20-30 minutes? Well, it’s got short overhangs front and rear that should help with parking and comes with MINI’s new interior styling. This interior includes BMW’s new chunky steering wheel that also features in the BMW 1 Series.
On the road, the MINI is actually really rather fun, keeping up gamely with much sportier cars ahead of it. You wouldn’t take it on a track day, but it will hold its own. One slight fly in the ointment was the fact that music kept playing every time I touched the throttle. Interesting on first listen, but after a few weeks and you might start looking for the off switch.
Christopher’s rating: 7/10 – Impressive handling, practical, intriguing interior, but buttons and no music would probably improve the rating.
BMW 1 Series (Starting from £29,433)
Ah yes, the famous BMW 1 Series. For over 10 years, the baby BMW was a rear-wheel drive hatchback. Now, the car is front-wheel drive instead. Despite the change, the car has continued to sell in large numbers and the one we had available had BMW’s latest design styling.
With a big boot and big seats, the 1 Series makes for an ideal family car on paper, that is if that family doesn’t want an SUV. It’s not too big either which should help with parking and has very light steering which will make things even easier. On the twists and turns of the alpine course, it was flat, undramatic, and capable as most BMWs often are.
The interior is plush, posh, and comfortable, although the chunky and thick steering wheel wasn’t to my taste, it probably wouldn’t be a purchase defining matter.
Christopher’s Rating: 7/10 – A good effort, even if the driving experience was a bit lacking in texture.
Honda Civic Type R (Starting from £48,980)
Another car I was reunited with was the Honda Civic Type R. Considered one of the most effective hot hatchbacks of the modern era, this car has won a significant number of motoring awards.
When you get behind the wheel, it’s easy to see why. The handling is taught and balanced, the chassis stiff, the gearbox a joy and the engine buzzing with a desire to be let off the leash. What’s more, because this is based on a Honda Civic, it’s practical too with a big boot, rear seats, and space for family-related objects. It was one of my favourite cars to drive when I had one for a week in 2023, and that assessment hasn’t really changed 18 months on.
Christopher’s Rating: 8.5/10 – It was great in 2023, it’s still good now. We’ll be sad when Honda stops making these.
Hyundai Inster (Starting from £23,495)
The Hyundai Inster is a curious little car, and not just because its name sounds like slang for a popular social media network (guess which one). It’s interesting because it’s got early-2000s Fiat 500 vibes about it. When that car was launched, it was lauded for its cool looks, funky interior, charming handling, and small size.
These are all characteristics I found in the Hyundai Inster. It’s small-ish, it’s got memorable aesthetics, a brave interior, and it handles well. Unlike something like the Leapmotor, this feels like it’s vying to be somebody’s only car, something to rival the Ford Fiestas and VW Polos of this world.
Yes, being electric, you might be less likely to take it on incredibly long road trips, but if the UK’s charging infrastructure improves, then why not?
Christopher’s rating: 8/10 – Hyundai has built an effective base here. If, like other manufacturers, it builds a hybrid version, then I would be optimistic about sales figures.
Alpine A110R (Starting from £96,990)
One car which isn’t mass-market is the Alpine A110R. This was one of my favourite cars of the entire day. Just like its Austrian comparator, the Alpine has stiff suspension, a big wing, and you’re strapped into it using a four-point racing harness. This is a car through which you feel everything. There’s no insulation here, you are flooded with so much information you giggle. It’s a raw, enjoyable, thrilling place to be, even when you’re pootling out of the carpark.
Get going and once everything has warmed up, it is confidence inspiring. You feel alive and happy and confident. It’s a car that needs to be worked, it doesn’t give you pace on a plate, you have to work for it. What this all means is that when the car is ready, and you are too, it is incredible. Specialised as this car might be, it’s incredible.
Christopher’s Rating: 9.5/10 – Bright blue and beautifully brilliant.
Ford Explorer (Starting from £39,285)
The Ford Explorer is the blue oval’s latest attempt at dialling into the electric SUV market. The Explorer is a large and practical box, but a comfortable and well accomplished box, however. On the road it corners flat, comfortably, and grips well. Meanwhile, the interior screens are swift and easy to use and it’s got a big boot too.
One slight gripe I had however, was the fact there wasn’t much leg support in the seats which mean you slid about a bit if you put a bit too much angle into the steering at the wrong moment. The car still felt stuck to the road, but you didn’t feel part of the seat.
Christopher’s Rating: 7/10 – Good effort and decent starting point to build on.
MG S5 EV (Starting from £28,495)
The MG S5 EV is MG’s attempt at electric SUV, something the Anglo-Chinese company has become rather good at in recent years. Their latest car is a continuation of that success with a decent range, big boot, and not entirely unforgettable handling.
The important thing here is that cars like this are not about the handling necessarily, they’re about taking your loved ones from point A to point B safely and without drama. The same applies to the Ford above, they’re about making you feel safe and give you plenty of practicality for your money. My only big criticism is that big cars like this need bigger ranges, maybe of up to 400 miles, and more charging facilities.
Christopher’s Rating: 7/10 – Like the Ford it’s a good effort, and technology will only make these electric SUVs more viable with time
Skoda Felicia (Starting Price N/A)
The crowning jewel of the day was the Skoda Felicia convertible. Produced from between 1959 and 1964, I wasn’t originally going to drive it. But then I saw others coming back from their drives with massive smiles on their faces.
The first thing I was told was that to start it one had to pull out the choke to get it started. The second was just plain strange. Normally in a manual car, first gear is ahead to the left, second is direct behind, third is ahead to the right, fourth behind that and firth ahead to the right etc.
In the Skoda, it was literally the opposite. First was where fifth would be, second where sixth lives. In short, instead of going from left to right along the gearbox. On the road, the Skoda was practically charming in the way only cars of a certain age can be. I came back as all the others had, with a massive smile on my face, bobble hat still intact.
Christopher’s Rating: 10/10 – Skoda deserves great credit for bringing precious classics on an overcast, potentially rainy day
Conclusion
So, you drive 16 cars and have to decide which one is the best. In truth, there are very few cars here that you can directly compare with the other. You can’t compare the MX5 with the Ford or the Mercedes with the MG for example. So, on a purely objective perspective it’s hard.
But the car which was the most memorable from the day was the Skoda with it’s curious gearbox, blue paintwork, a novel driving dynamics.
