Car Reviews
Independent car reviews on Irish roads. Practical verdicts on value and real world economy to help you choose your next new car.
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Citroen C3 Aircross Hybrid vs EV: We drove both-Here’s Which One To Buy?
Road Tested By Hugh Maguire. Price: C3 Aircross hybrid 5-seat €29,390 e-C3 Aircross EV 5-seat €28,452 after grants. Pros: Some cheap plastic trim on the doors and centre console. Tyre roar on course tarmac. Basic…
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Volvo ES90. A New Benchmark For Electric Luxury?
Road Tested by Hugh Maguire. Price: €102,595 Pros: Supremely Comfortable. A high quality premium interior. Excellent levels of standard equipment. Cons: Not an involving driving experience. EV efficiency not as good as some rivals. The price! The new ES90 is Volvos’s answer to premium EV’s such as the BMW i5, Audi e-tron, or Mercedes EQE to name…
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Jeep Avenger 4xe: Great Idea But Is It Worth It?
Road tested by Hugh Maguire. Price: Avenger 4xe from €39,995 Pros: Actually quite capable off-road. Flexible practical interior. Reasonable amount of standard equipment. Cons: Not as economical as I expected. Cramped in the rear seats. Smaller boot than FWD models. Quite a lot of cheap looking hard plastics inside. The Jeep brand is famous for…
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Land Rover Defender Trophy Review: Can A Plug-In-Hybrid Still Be A True Defender?
Road tested by Hugh Maguire. Price: Defender Trophy €130,300 Pros: Almost unbeatable off-road ability Feels Special and distinctive Clever tech. Cons: Not so frugal if you can’t plug-in consistently. Quite a small battery only range. Small loss of boot space due battery. The name Land Rover Defender refers to one of the most iconic off-road vehicles…
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Ford Ranger Wildtrak Review: More than just a workhorse?
Road Tested By Hugh Maguire. Price: €64,800 inc VAT. Pros: Strong performance with instant torque. High tech practical driver assist systems such as Pro Trailer Backup. Plug-in- efficiency with some EV driving capability. Cons: Slightly less payload than rivals from VW, Toyota and Isuzu. Hybrid system adds 300kg or so to its weight. More expensive than…
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The Seat Arona FR Caught Me By Surprise!
Road tested by Hugh Maguire. Price as tested €36,146. Pros: A rewarding and involving driving experience. Practical inside. Quick shifting DSG gearbox. Cons: Rear seat space not as good as some rivals. Ride can feel overly firm on some road surfaces. Road noise on coarse tarmac. Seat as most will know is part of the Volkswagen…
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The Honda Jazz has grown up into an SUV-like version of itself, called the Crosstar.
Road Tested By Hugh Maguire. Price: €34,950. Pros: Very economical with great range. Well equipped as standard. Very spacious and flexible rear seats. Cons: Road noise on more coarse tarmac. No wireless phone charging. More expensive than rivals. The Honda Jazz Crosstar Advance is basically a Jazz on steroids. It is a bit more rugged looking…
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New Jeep Compass Rocks into the famous Slane Castle.
First drive by Hugh Maguire. What more iconic venue could you choose to introduce a new car? Slane Castle in county Meath is renowned as the venue for hosting such global giants as Queen, U2, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and many more. We don’t normally associate this Iconic venue with the launch of a…
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The BYD Seal 6 tested. The hybrid that thinks its an EV.
Road tested By Hugh Maguire. Pros: Incredible range. Very well equipped. Excellent warranty. Battery 8 years or 200,000km. Car & engine 6 years 150,000km. Cons: Harsh engine when revved. Bettered by rivals for ride & handling. Anonymous styling. BYD have really established themselves very quickly as one of the more premium Chinese brands. They are…
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Škoda Epiq revealed! An all new, fully electric, compact car due in Ireland next year.
Compact, clever, confident: the all-new Škoda Epiq extends Škoda Auto’s successful electric portfolio into the entry-level segment, combining compact dimensions with a spacious interior and high everyday usability. In its base variant, the Epiq is the most affordable fully electric Škoda model, prices will start from €24,559* including the SEAI Grant and VRT Rebate. The city…