Mazda 2
Driving
The 2’s compact size, light, accurate controls and tight turning circle are great in town, while the quick-witted chassis is well balanced and agile. This is an everyday supermini that’s great fun to drive. The fide is firm, yet because the damping is impressive, it never becomes jittery or loses its composure. Body control is superb – it may not be as grown up as some rivals, but it’s very enjoyable. Both 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre engines feel energetic too, thanks to the low kerb weight, while the gearshift and brakes have impressive feel.
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Renault Clio 1.5 dCi Dynamique
Compared with the three-door Clio we drove last week, Renault expects the new five-door to be a rare sight. The firm anticipates the latter variant to account for only 15 per cent of sales, reasoning that if buyers want rear passenger space, most will plump for a compact family hatch.
Full Review
Peugeot 407 Coupé SE HDi
Pride is at stake at Peugeot. Dealers are having a hard time trying to shift the 107 city car and unconventional 1007 supermini-MPV, so the French firm is hoping that this new 407 Coupé will be a hit. And its task isn't made any easier by the fact that the two-door's predecessor looked like an entry-level Ferrari...
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Volkswagen Golf R32
There's no stopping the VW Group. It has set new standards in the supercar class with the Bugatti Veyron, driven in issue 876, and now it's doing the same in the hot hatch market, raising the pace to once unimaginable levels.
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Volkswagen Passat Estate TDI DSG
Style is as important as storage in the ultra-competitive estate sector, which is why VW says it's expecting big things from the load-lugging version of its new Passat. And with good reason - Auto Express was so impressed by the saloon, it won the best family car title in our recent New Car Honours 2005.
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BMW 325i SE Touring
It's a tough brief. The new 3-Series Touring must offer class-leading practicality and space, and yet still manage to deliver the marque's legendary driving dynamics. Sampled here for the first time in the UK, we find out if the newcomer has what it takes to put the boot into rivals.
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Vauxhall Vectra CDTi Exclusiv
You simply can't underestimate the importance of the Vectra to Vauxhall. After all, the firm hopes to sell nearly 50,000 of them in the UK alone this year. As Auto Express revealed two weeks ago, a bold-looking facelifted model is promising to help the race for success. New VXR flagship versions are on the way, and there's an ever-wider range of luxurious options.
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BMW M3 CS
Now the new 3-Series has been launched, the M3's days are numbered. Even so, with a V8 replacement not due until next year, BMW is keeping performance buyers happy with this special edition, the CS.
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Vauxhall Astra VXR
The waiting is finally over! Vauxhall's volcanic Astra VXR has hit the road, and Auto Express was first behind the wheel. The turbocharged newcomer goes on sale this month, and is one of the most important models the Luton company has ever launched.
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Porche Cayman S
It is early morning and Porsche's engineers are peeling back the disguise that covers the secret Cayman S, exposing it to the world for the first time. There is not a spy photographer in sight, but we have joined the test team putting the car through its paces in South Africa.
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