CAR SEARCH

Irish Times Life & Style


First Drive: Citroën C4 Picasso draws on its success as a family car

The Picasso’s interior is spacious and comfy, although its steering is lifeless, and it’s a little too roly-poly on bends

The new Mercedes E-Class blends old-school comfort with a dash of youth

The E200 CDi may lack the performance punch of its nearest rivals, but it’s got the comfort and good value

Loud and proud Porsche 911 Carrera leaves the purists in its dust

With 50 years of evolution behind it – and much argument over which 911 is best – the Carrera has hit a new peak

Road Test: The new Toyota Rav is no great beauty, but it is a fine beast

The fourth generation of Toyota’s small SUV makes up in price and performance what it lacks in head-turning looks

First Drive: New Skoda is superb, if not quite supreme

The Skoda Superb is handsome, spacious and solid, but price is an issue, and it may face stiff competition from Skoda’s own Octavia

First Drive: The 2008 promises to make it a good year for Peugeot

Peugeot’s new model is set to be a big player in the crowded compact crossover market

First Drive: The new Range Rover Sport gets the heart racing on the test track

With a sleeker look, incisive steering, savage acceleration and solid roadholding, the Range Rover Sport is a winner

New Golf GTi keeps VW ahead of the game

Latest model is cleaner, lighter and more efficient while still packing a punch

Skoda’s family favourite faces uphill challenge

Octavia has the right recipe on paper, but doesn’t quite deliver on the road

F is for fierce: Jaguar F-Type S makes a big noise

Jaguar’s eagerly awaited new two-seater sports model has finally been unleashed, and it’s a wild ride

Kia Sorento has some form added to its functionality

Kia adds more style to its seven-seat SUV

Fiesta: Ford’s latest hatch packs a punch

Fiesta ST easily outperforms rivals such as the Mini Cooper S and Citroën’s DS3

Skoda’s new Octavia: the strong new contender from the VW-owned brand New Octavia rises to challenge

Skoda delivers in terms of value, space and refinement

The Paceman boasts strong figures on paper, but they don't translate to the road Pricey Mini Paceman doesn't merit badge of honour

The Mini brand is continuing its attempt to expand its line-up while retaining the “essence of Mini” that has worked so well …

Toyota Auris 1.4 D-4D Luna Evolution rather than revolution with Auris

First impressions are that this car is an evolutionary upgrade rather than a revolution

Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works GP Works Cooper delivers barrels of excitement

This is . . . civilised. And that is true of the whole car

The E-class gets a facelift from bonnet to boot

Earlier than would normally be expected comes a new version of the brand’s big seller

The Mazda 6 is impressively nimble for its size Mazda gets its message across loud and clear

The good news for the Japanese firm is that the Mazda 6 is an incredibly sleek and stylish car