Road tests by motoring journalist Tim Saunders
Founder and editor of Travel and motoring magazine, Tim Saunders is an advanced motorist and journalist. He has always been passionate about motoring and regularly reviews cars from the leading manufacturers.
His first report on a BMW 520i was published in the Dorset Echo when he was 17 (just after passing his driving test) in 1995. He went on to become business and motoring editor at the Bournemouth Echo. Now, his engaging and informative reviews are published in newspapers and magazines in the UK and abroad. One newspaper that publishes his articles prints over 500,000 copies a month. In July 2019 Tim launched Travel and motoring magazine.
BMW X5 E53 video, the subject of Tim's book
Kia Picanto GT-Line S 1.0 T-GDi
By Tim Saunders
It always ceases to amaze me how much power can be squeezed out of a tiny engine. The Kia Picanto GT-Line with its 998cc three cylinder engine and a little help from a turbocharger is a good example.
Here is a car that will undoubtedly make a good city runabout; it’s certainly nippy in town but I’ve got bigger plans for it – a run to Bury St Edmunds (over a 300 mile round trip), which will really show this car’s mettle.
My first impressions are that it is well designed and attractive from the outside, helped by its white finish with a go faster red stripe beneath the doors, around the front fog lights and inside the black radiator grille. The chrome door handles are a nice touch as is the twin exhaust. And when the engine is revved hard there is a satisfying roar – for me the best part of this car; try getting that from an electric car. During my time with it I spot an increasing number of the more standard models on the roads; it is certainly a popular choice.
Over a short distance the driving position is comfortable but stay in it for too long and it becomes apparent that the seats are just not designed well enough resulting in very achy backs. The five-speed manual gearbox is smooth to operate and it’s great fun to drive, just like the delivery driver told me. There’s a traditional handbrake, too. All in all it feels well put together and the black and red faux leather seats are good quality. It comes loaded with goodies including all round electric windows, air conditioning, satellite navigation, reversing camera, heated steering wheel and front seats, cruise control and speed limiter. There’s even a tilt/slide sunroof. This spec is often only reserved for larger more expensive vehicles. It does feel a bit like operation overkill, though. Is all of this really necessary in such a small car?
Three sizeable children’s car seats will squeeze into the back but it’s very difficult to try using the seatbelts in such a scenario. A great car for four but five is going just that bit too far. Space is tight.
There’s no need to put the key in the ignition to drive, simply put your foot on the clutch and push the start button. At the end of the journey the button is pushed again to stop the engine as in many vehicles these days. But when I leave the car there’s always a lot of bleeping, which is really annoying.
The tiny 35 litre tank covers around 300 miles if driven carefully, which means it frequently needs filling up; not as impressive as its competitor the ultra frugal Skoda Citigo.
On the motorway it holds its own and easily keeps up with the flow of traffic. No matter what car you drive trying to maintain a consistent 70mph is difficult because invariably you get stuck behind a dawdler or the flow of traffic demands a faster pace. The Picanto is fitted with both a cruise control and speed limiter. They both deliver the same result but the former allows you to take your foot off the accelerator. On one occasion when the cruise control becomes fed up and refuses to work I resort to the speed limiter. When the set speed is exceeded a similar noise to that for a seatbelt being undone sounds, which unnerves me as I think one of the children has removed their seatbelts.
A very welcome addition on a hot summer’s day is the electric tilt/slide sunroof but the switch to operate it is awkward; I still can’t tell you whether it requires pushing in slightly to work but after some faffing about and a little talking to it, it does eventually work.
Overall though, it’s a fun little car to drive with welcome character.
Here is a car that will undoubtedly make a good city runabout; it’s certainly nippy in town but I’ve got bigger plans for it – a run to Bury St Edmunds (over a 300 mile round trip), which will really show this car’s mettle.
My first impressions are that it is well designed and attractive from the outside, helped by its white finish with a go faster red stripe beneath the doors, around the front fog lights and inside the black radiator grille. The chrome door handles are a nice touch as is the twin exhaust. And when the engine is revved hard there is a satisfying roar – for me the best part of this car; try getting that from an electric car. During my time with it I spot an increasing number of the more standard models on the roads; it is certainly a popular choice.
Over a short distance the driving position is comfortable but stay in it for too long and it becomes apparent that the seats are just not designed well enough resulting in very achy backs. The five-speed manual gearbox is smooth to operate and it’s great fun to drive, just like the delivery driver told me. There’s a traditional handbrake, too. All in all it feels well put together and the black and red faux leather seats are good quality. It comes loaded with goodies including all round electric windows, air conditioning, satellite navigation, reversing camera, heated steering wheel and front seats, cruise control and speed limiter. There’s even a tilt/slide sunroof. This spec is often only reserved for larger more expensive vehicles. It does feel a bit like operation overkill, though. Is all of this really necessary in such a small car?
Three sizeable children’s car seats will squeeze into the back but it’s very difficult to try using the seatbelts in such a scenario. A great car for four but five is going just that bit too far. Space is tight.
There’s no need to put the key in the ignition to drive, simply put your foot on the clutch and push the start button. At the end of the journey the button is pushed again to stop the engine as in many vehicles these days. But when I leave the car there’s always a lot of bleeping, which is really annoying.
The tiny 35 litre tank covers around 300 miles if driven carefully, which means it frequently needs filling up; not as impressive as its competitor the ultra frugal Skoda Citigo.
On the motorway it holds its own and easily keeps up with the flow of traffic. No matter what car you drive trying to maintain a consistent 70mph is difficult because invariably you get stuck behind a dawdler or the flow of traffic demands a faster pace. The Picanto is fitted with both a cruise control and speed limiter. They both deliver the same result but the former allows you to take your foot off the accelerator. On one occasion when the cruise control becomes fed up and refuses to work I resort to the speed limiter. When the set speed is exceeded a similar noise to that for a seatbelt being undone sounds, which unnerves me as I think one of the children has removed their seatbelts.
A very welcome addition on a hot summer’s day is the electric tilt/slide sunroof but the switch to operate it is awkward; I still can’t tell you whether it requires pushing in slightly to work but after some faffing about and a little talking to it, it does eventually work.
Overall though, it’s a fun little car to drive with welcome character.
Facts at a glance
Kia Picanto GT-Line S 1.0 T-GDi
Price: £14,895 OTR
0-60mph: 9.8secs
Top speed: 112mph
Power: 99bhp
Economy: Around 40mpg
Honda Civic diesel
By Tim Saunders
“Where’s the gearstick?” I panic as I sit in the driver’s seat of the Honda Civic 1.6 diesel. “You don’t need a gearstick,” says my son Henry (3). He knows about these things. This automatic version has an exceedingly minimalist 9 speed automatic unit that takes a short while to get used to. Honda always seems to develop new and inspired futuristic design features that others follow years later. Of course that design is also extremely aerodynamic, aiding efficiency. Look in the boot and there’s a sliding parcel shelf and there’s lots of digital jiggery pokery on the dashboard, some of which shows it reaching 80mpg during the test, encouraging economical driving.
I’ve just had a week with the considerably wider Jaguar E-Pace that felt quite clumsy in comparison to the smaller Honda. I also found the Jag’s interior to be very dark. Not so in the Civic, where there’s a generous electric tilt/slide glass roof.
Another surprise for me is that the Civic is lower to the ground than my wife’s Vauxhall Corsa, and feels very sporty as a consequence. It certainly doesn’t feel like a five door family hatchback and is completely different to the last Civic model it replaces.
It is finished in eye-catching Rallye Red and while the front certainly demands your attention I cannot help but feel that the angular front bumper could age quite quickly in this fashion conscience world we live in.
Just before I embark on a journey to Kent I must drop my wife off at the library to return a few books. After doing this there’s a persistent bleeping from the sensors alerting me to something that it does not like – it tells me it’s underneath the car but this clearly is not the case - as we make our way out of the car park. I don’t need this aggravation at the best of times and certainly not in a vehicle with which I am unfamiliar. It finally stops as I leave the car park. Perhaps the cars were all too near the sensors and it didn’t like it. I don’t know. Thankfully this experience does not repeat itself during my week with my sporty red friend and things quickly improve. I am determined to stick to the speed limits as we head down the M27 towards the A3 and the intelligent cruise control really helps me as it rigidly adheres to the 50mph limits often in place these days. Just as well too because we count some 17 police vehicles, many unmarked whipping down the outside lane after speeding motorists, providing my back seat passengers with plenty of entertainment.
It is only when I have been driving for a couple of hours that I realise the seat is a little high compared to my wife’s. Lowering the driver’s seat provides a much better driving position. Now it really does feel like a sports car. I begin to like it very much.
Usually when travelling a distance my wife insists on packing the map “because I can’t trust the sat nav”. On this occasion she forgets. And I can report that we get to Ashford, Maidstone and Herne Bay without too much trouble. But there are issues. The main one is that the sat nav does not recognise the address of the new Travelodge in Ashford. It takes us to the old one where the staff explain where the new one is located, telling us that we’re the second perplexed customer to ask that day. It’s not that difficult when we find out. Sometimes there’s a one minute delay with the instructions, which I overcome by slowly going round the roundabout that I typically find myself on - twice. On another occasion the device insists on taking me down a closed road due to gas works. I overcome this by ignoring it and using my brain. I suspect any sat nav would have come up with these problems. It seems that this part of Kent is a bit of a nightmare to drive round. Roadworks, traffic jams and a great many signs to navigate.
It’s a comfortable car, my wife enjoys using her heated front seat but complains that she might have to call 999 for the fire brigade to put out her hot bottom. My bird does enjoy a good roasting…
The position of the seatbelt points in the rear is good allowing us to make light work of installing our little urchins. There’s a good amount of space in the back and the boot is a good size. Addled, as per usual, I forget to engage the childlocks on the rear doors but fortunately the rascals are well behaved and don’t try to open the doors while we’re driving.
The Honda delivers an enjoyable drive. It can be driven as an automatic or the paddle shifts can be used for a more engaging experience.
As we return home an elderly gentleman in a soft top Jaguar F-Type is showing off his car’s performance to his young wife (I presume) and as we pull up beside him, he doesn’t seem at all pleased with the Honda’s low down acceleration as we leave the traffic lights. Yes, the Honda Civic is full of surprises and you cannot help but smile when behind the wheel or indeed outside looking at it.
I’ve just had a week with the considerably wider Jaguar E-Pace that felt quite clumsy in comparison to the smaller Honda. I also found the Jag’s interior to be very dark. Not so in the Civic, where there’s a generous electric tilt/slide glass roof.
Another surprise for me is that the Civic is lower to the ground than my wife’s Vauxhall Corsa, and feels very sporty as a consequence. It certainly doesn’t feel like a five door family hatchback and is completely different to the last Civic model it replaces.
It is finished in eye-catching Rallye Red and while the front certainly demands your attention I cannot help but feel that the angular front bumper could age quite quickly in this fashion conscience world we live in.
Just before I embark on a journey to Kent I must drop my wife off at the library to return a few books. After doing this there’s a persistent bleeping from the sensors alerting me to something that it does not like – it tells me it’s underneath the car but this clearly is not the case - as we make our way out of the car park. I don’t need this aggravation at the best of times and certainly not in a vehicle with which I am unfamiliar. It finally stops as I leave the car park. Perhaps the cars were all too near the sensors and it didn’t like it. I don’t know. Thankfully this experience does not repeat itself during my week with my sporty red friend and things quickly improve. I am determined to stick to the speed limits as we head down the M27 towards the A3 and the intelligent cruise control really helps me as it rigidly adheres to the 50mph limits often in place these days. Just as well too because we count some 17 police vehicles, many unmarked whipping down the outside lane after speeding motorists, providing my back seat passengers with plenty of entertainment.
It is only when I have been driving for a couple of hours that I realise the seat is a little high compared to my wife’s. Lowering the driver’s seat provides a much better driving position. Now it really does feel like a sports car. I begin to like it very much.
Usually when travelling a distance my wife insists on packing the map “because I can’t trust the sat nav”. On this occasion she forgets. And I can report that we get to Ashford, Maidstone and Herne Bay without too much trouble. But there are issues. The main one is that the sat nav does not recognise the address of the new Travelodge in Ashford. It takes us to the old one where the staff explain where the new one is located, telling us that we’re the second perplexed customer to ask that day. It’s not that difficult when we find out. Sometimes there’s a one minute delay with the instructions, which I overcome by slowly going round the roundabout that I typically find myself on - twice. On another occasion the device insists on taking me down a closed road due to gas works. I overcome this by ignoring it and using my brain. I suspect any sat nav would have come up with these problems. It seems that this part of Kent is a bit of a nightmare to drive round. Roadworks, traffic jams and a great many signs to navigate.
It’s a comfortable car, my wife enjoys using her heated front seat but complains that she might have to call 999 for the fire brigade to put out her hot bottom. My bird does enjoy a good roasting…
The position of the seatbelt points in the rear is good allowing us to make light work of installing our little urchins. There’s a good amount of space in the back and the boot is a good size. Addled, as per usual, I forget to engage the childlocks on the rear doors but fortunately the rascals are well behaved and don’t try to open the doors while we’re driving.
The Honda delivers an enjoyable drive. It can be driven as an automatic or the paddle shifts can be used for a more engaging experience.
As we return home an elderly gentleman in a soft top Jaguar F-Type is showing off his car’s performance to his young wife (I presume) and as we pull up beside him, he doesn’t seem at all pleased with the Honda’s low down acceleration as we leave the traffic lights. Yes, the Honda Civic is full of surprises and you cannot help but smile when behind the wheel or indeed outside looking at it.
Facts at a glance
Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC EX 9AT
Price £26,620
Top speed: 124mph
0-60mph: 11secs
Economy: 50mpg
Price £26,620
Top speed: 124mph
0-60mph: 11secs
Economy: 50mpg
