Review of the year - May 09
Fast Jags, an eclectic drag race and the best in braking are all put under the microscope
May saw a more eclectic mix of machinery tested than in any other month of the year. From the 67bhp Ford Ka to the 503bhp Jaguar XFR, plus a John Deere tractor and an 11-metre long motorhome, our pages didn’t lack variety this month.
What was a piece of bright green farm machinery doing in Auto Express? Well, we decided the arrival of Ford’s new 301bhp Focus RS in the UK deserved a special kind of test, so we arranged for a group of equally powerful 300bhp rivals to get together for an impromptu drag race. Our random line-up made for one of the most interesting days of the year.
The big surprise was the Lexus GS 450h hybrid, which beat the hot RS to the finishing line in the sprint down the runway.Another test that sprung a few shocks was our braking and electronic stability control special in Issue 1,064. You would expect a lightweight city car or low-slung saloon to excel in a high-speed stopping assessment, but our winner amazed us all with its sharp responses and planted dynamics: BMW’s X6 off-roader-cum-coupé proved to be a genuine tour de force.
The end of spring and start of summer saw our first cabrio test of the year, as we put the new Peugeot 308 CC up against the VW Eos on the south coast.
Used - available now
2023 Hyundai
Tucson
23,524 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L
Cash £24,997
2020 BMW
X3
55,716 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L
Cash £24,676
2023 Hyundai
Tucson
24,049 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L
Cash £22,797
2026 Audi
A1 Sportback
19,074 milesManualPetrol1.0L
Cash £16,997The French newcomer couldn’t match its German rival for style, handling or desirability.
Click any of the links below to catch up with all the rest of the year's most exciting stories.
December
Verdict
Tester's notes
As staff photographer at Auto Express, I get plenty of variety. But May threw up something genuinely unusual in the shape of a giant tractor. The John Deere 8430 posed some interesting problems, too.
The main image for our 300bhp special was a shot of all the cars driving down the runway at our test track. As I leaned out the back of a lead vehicle, the cars in the picture drove in formation behind.
This is normally done at about 30mph, and I can signal to each driver if I need them to reposition their car. But 11-tonne tractors aren’t the most responsive machines, so everybody else was forced to drive at the much slower maximum of the John Deere to get the shot we wanted!
Taking pictures from bizarre places is just part of my job, so hanging out the boot for this one was pretty simple – but it’s not always so easy. As the picture below shows, I’ve been pretty imaginative this year in my search for the perfect vantage point...
Pete Gibson
Staff photographer
