Genesis G70Genesis Exterior styling makes a vehicle’s first impression, but it’s the interior that really makes or breaks it. It doesn’t matter how good the outside is if you’re not happy with the inside. To that end, auto industry publication WardsAuto recently announced its annual Wards 10 Best Interiors for 2019. The editors looked at 32 nominees (which had to be all-new or updated for 2019, but there’s no price cap) and scored each on design, comfort, ergonomics, materials, fit and finish, and user-friendliness. The Michigan-based company tested U.S. models, which don’t always correspond to Canadian trim levels, so we’ve given you both the Canadian starting price, and the U.S. price for the trim level that Wards tested. In alphabetical order, the top ten are: Bentley Continental GT (CDN starting price $231,800/US tested $276,730) Bentley Continental GT Bentley You expect near-perfection at this price, and the GT delivers. Wards says it takes 100 hours and ten bull hides to create the interior, and it looks it. Also nominated was the Cayenne Turbo, which has a sportier flair, but for plain good looks and coddling luxury, Bentley has this one. Even so, they bear some resemblance in their overall design, no doubt because they’re both part of the Volkswagen Group. BMW M850i (CDN starting price $123,500/US tested $119,295) 2019 BMW M850i xDrive Coupe Handout / BMW The new coupe was nominated along with the BMW 330i and X5, but while those two scored high, the judges thought the M850i “takes the brand’s interiors to another level.” They liked its “ergonomics, brilliant displays, and lightning-fast voice recognition,” along with its leather and metal trim. It is handsome, but I’d have given the crown to nominee Audi A8, with its better-integrated centre screen and smoother, wider-looking dash styling. Genesis G70 (CDN starting price $42,000/US tested $44,895) Genesis G70 Genesis The Genesis hit the list with attention to detail, rear-seat comfort, and that “all this style, quality and content” came in under $45,000. Personal taste being, well, personal, I’ve never been a fan of too much diamond-stitched upholstery; that aside, the G70 earned its spot. Among the also-rans, the Toyota Avalon has a curved centre console topped with a tablet-style touchscreen that looks too clunky, and the Lexus ES 350, while stylish, can’t top the Genesis. Hyundai Santa Fe (CDN starting price $28,999/US tested $39,905) Hyundai Santa Fe Hyundai The Hyundai Palisade and Veloster N were also nominated, but Santa Fe made the final cut for throwing in all kinds of features for the price – Wards noted heated second-row seats, wireless charging, privacy shades, impeccable fit-and-finish, and “the kind of brushed-aluminum sill plates usually found in luxury cars twice the price.” The new Palisade could have easily traded places with it, but what you get for the Santa Fe’s price is impressive. I also like the Subaru Ascent’s interior, and it was nominated, but didn’t make the final cut. Jeep Gladiator (CDN starting price estimated $45,500/US tested $51,245) Jeep Gladiator Jeep The Gladiator shares the new-for-2018 Wrangler’s impressive cabin, but Wards was really wowed with the second row and its fold-up-fold-down seats, locking storage, and removable Bluetooth wireless speaker. The Gladiator easily topped the nominated Ford Ranger, with an interior that gets the job done but lacks the Jeep’s flair. The GMC Sierra Denali made the top 10 in 2014, but only earned a nomination this time around. Lincoln Nautilus (CDN starting price $50,450/US tested $67,630) Lincoln Nautilus Black Label Lincoln Lincoln’s new focus on its interiors earned it a well-deserved spot. Wards tested the Black Label trim and liked the infotainment system’s operation, the diamond-pattern seats, Alcantara headliner, and a console that’s “the visual focal point of the interior.” Arch-rival Cadillac was nominated for its XT4, but its hodgepodge of dash panels is too funky for a luxury brand; the Lexus UX 200 F Sport compact sport-ute has a functional cockpit but it’s a bit too plain. Mercedes-Benz A220 Sedan (CDN starting price $34,990/US tested $51,935) Mercedes-Benz A220 Sedan Mercedes-Benz The A220 is Mercedes-Benz’s entry-level model, but it doesn’t look it. Wards gushed over the first appearance of MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience), which uses artificial intelligence to learn natural speech commands. As did I, the editors also liked the turbine-shaped vents and how the instrument cluster and infotainment system are integrated into a single screen. Other nominated sedans included the Nissan Altima, with a swoopy dash that mimics the front grille; Volkswagen Jetta, with its simple but elegant design; and Honda Insight, which is too busy and has a strange, push-pull button transmission shifter. Nissan Kicks (CDN starting price $17,998/US tested $23,330) Nissan Kicks Nissan The Kicks was the least expensive
Origin: The 10 best vehicle interiors for 2019
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Best lease deals of the week: Hot hatchbacks
Leasing can be an affordable, practical route into having your own private car, but it’s not always easy to tell the good deals from the duds. The experts at our sister magazine What Car? work hard to find you the best pay-monthly schemes, taking into account mileage allowance, montly outlay, contract length and initial deposit. We’ll be bringing you the best deals they find from a different segment each week. This week, it’s hot hatchbacks: 1. VW Golf GTI 245 Performance £285 per month, £1709 deposit, 24 months, 8000 miles per year It may be in its twilight years, but the Mk7 Golf GTI remains the consummate hot hatch all-rounder. In this 245 Performance spec, it gets bigger brakes and a limited-slip differential to sharpen up its handling. 2. Seat Leon Cupra 290 £244 per month, £1464 deposit, 24 months, 8000 miles per year Closely related to the Golf GTI but with far more power, the Leon Cupra 290 is as usable every day as it is blisteringly quick along a B-road. It lacks the VW’s classy cabin and badge appeal, however. 3. Honda Civic Type R £436 per month, £2616 deposit, 24 months, 8000 miles per year What’s so clever about the latest Civic Type R is that it can be as wild and as outrageously fast as any other hot hatch one moment, then remarkably civilised and comfy the next. Its styling remains divisive, though. onda lease deals 4. Renault Sport Megane 280 £305 per month, £1830 deposit, 24 months, 8000 miles per year For a long time, RS Méganes were among the best-to-drive hot hatches on sale. This newest version is more usable than ever but still rewarding on the right road. Optional Cup chassis gives a very firm ride. 5. Mercedes-AMG A35 £450 per month, £2698 deposit, 24 months, 8000 miles per year It might not be the hot hatch of choice for someone who lives at one end of a B-road and works at the other but, as an everyday proposition, the A35 is hard to beat. It also has a first-rate cabin. 6. BMW M140i £370 per month, £3326 deposit, 24 months, 8000 miles per year When the current 1 Series is replaced later this year by a new model with front- or four-wheel drive, you’ll no longer be able to buy a new rear-driven hot hatch. Catch the M140i while you still can. For more great personal business lease deals visit What Car?
Origin: Best lease deals of the week: Hot hatchbacks
James Ruppert: the best ULEZ-beaters for urban families
Well, this is becoming something of a regular occurrence: the ULEZ (Ultra-Low-Emission Zone) question. Promise I won’t make a habit of this, but it isn’t just London which is affected. There’s heaps wrong with the scheme, not least that some include motorbikes, but I’m not here to write about those. Indeed, I am here to write about something pretty awful. Let’s see what the reader’s question actually was. “I am looking for a petrol-engined automatic car that’s ULEZ compliant and can fit three full-size car seats across the back. Budget up to £8000. Priorities are safety, comfort, reliability and some driver appeal. And it can’t look as ugly as a Seat Alhambra. Please help.” Not quite sure what their problem with an Alhambra might be, although I accept that unless you have a big brood or are in the private hire game, MPVs are universally grim to look at and drive. Never mind, let’s waste a few hours of life on the ULEZ checker with real registration numbers. What emerges is a handful of models that gives a buyer some sort of choice. Yep, Fords Galaxy and S-Max, the go-to MPVs of London’s leading minicabbers, are the obvious answer. Actually, the S-Max does look slightly interesting and is quite nice to drive. A 2.0 Ecoboost Titanium would seem to be the perfect family mover. I did find a privately owned 2011 with 61,000 miles, and all for £7200. Add a lot more miles – 100,000- plus – but sold from a dealer with a warranty and an absolutely loaded specification plus an added X in the name, and it raises the buying bar to £7450. Unsurprisingly, there don’t seem to be many recent petrol auto Galaxys, so we can leave those there. I did stumble across a Mercedes Viano at one point, but that was snapped up very quickly. The R-Class 350 is probably the most prestigious and blingy model you can buy; a 2009 example with just over 60,000 miles at £7995 would seem to be less offensive than an Alhambra. The more you look at the R, the more likeable it becomes, and an automatic petrol one is relatively affordable. When searching for petrol MPVs you inevitably fall down the grey import wormhole and find yourself looking at the chrome overload that is the Nissan Elgrand. The 2006 example I saw with just over 40,000 miles with no less than eight seats costs just £7000. The sensational news is that it is ULEZ-exempt. What a wonderful way to look down on the other City dwellers who have to take the bus or get on their bike. All this is rather depressing, and depressingly necessary. It’s not the future, either: this is the very real present where we have to check what we are actually allowed to drive. What we almost bought this week Few cars are as shabby chic as an old Volvo estate. The 850 (1991-’97) still looks fresh, too, while the 2.5, five-pot petrol engine is a lusty old thing. This example is a 1997/P SE auto with 155,000 miles and, according to the seller, no mechanical issues. It costs £495. Throw in a year’s MOT and it’s a deal. Tales from Ruppert’s garage Well, this will be interesting: the nipper’s Gordon the Golf is due its first MOT in a few days. One of the tyres is more than an advisory and there’s been another pheasant strike, which has cracked the offside bumper and pushed it beyond the lip, to the extent that we have to stage an intervention to pull it square again. So what is the youngster going to drive to work while the Golf is in for work? Well, there are BMWs, Minis and Land Rovers available. But what’s the insurance on a V8 for a 21-year-old? More details on that soon. A to Z Bangerpedia C is for Chrysler PT Cruiser: This is a 1930s gangster-style family MPV that drives like a hatchback and has plenty of standard kit. Not much else is going for it because it’s no people-carrier, taking just five on board – and don’t even try to get the seats out. Mind you, the boot is big and they remain really rather cheap. At some point they might become rare and ironically interesting. For now, though, this is a cheap set of fairly ugly wheels. You’re better off with the 2.0-litre petrol rather than the 2.2 CRD. Manual is more fun than the grim automatic, but who cares? Readers’ questions Question: I’ve just bought a 500-mile ex-dealer demonstrator. On the test drive I asked the salesman if it had been run in. He said new cars don’t need to be. Was he right? Paul Goodall, Scarborough Answer: We’re told new car mechanicals are so much better machined these days and modern oils more efficient that running in isn’t necessary, but keeping the revs down in the first 1000 miles can’t be a bad thing. It’s unlikely a dealer demo will have been treated in such a way, but if you’re really worried have the oil changed on your car at around 1000 miles to rid it of any metal particles, should they exist, and then think no more about it. John Evans Question: I need to find my young daughter a car that is small, economical and reliable. What do you advise? Susan Hurst, via email
Origin: James Ruppert: the best ULEZ-beaters for urban families
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