This time on Fifth Gear,
we get our hands on Jeep's first electric car, the Avenger...
Can it go off-road? There's only one way to find out.
..but Rory may have pushed the compact SUV beyond its limits.
It's at times like this when I wish I had listened
to Vicki Butler-Henderson.
Proving that luxury and performance can be done on a budget,
Vicki drives two more Second-Hand Heroes.
There's quite a lot of grunt there.
This time she's stretching the legs of a pair of classic coupes.
Just so lovely.
Smooth, potent, absolutely beautifully engineered.
Oh, yes-yes-yes.
And I bring some much-needed heat to the Welsh coast
by setting quick laps in a pair of sizzling-hot hatchbacks...
Come on, JP.
..the Cupra Leon and the Honda Civic Type-R.
It is so rapid.
But before all of that, let's talk long-distance cruisers.
Most people doing serious motorway miles all want the same thing, don't they?
Yep, practicality, comfort, and economy.
Yeah, which you got from older cars like Sierras and...
Cavalier.Yeah, Cavaliers. Proper travelling-salesman cars. I was a sales rep.
No way.I was, I was, in the '80s.
Vacuum cleaners. Bit of Brut. Aviators.
Do not need that image in my head.
Most people that are travelling up and down, they're driving Tesla Model 3s now.
Because of the tax breaks for EVs.Exactly.
Well, there's plenty of alternatives nowadays to Tesla, plenty.
To find the best long-range EV for every driver's needs,
we need to act like a regular motorway cruiser.
Well, we've gone all David Brent
with our polyester shirts, flammable ties, and clipboards
in a hope to get inside the mind of a rep.
Sales reps rack up vast amounts of motorway miles
travelling from client to client,
so they're the prime example
of the type of driver these cars are aimed at.
Their EV has to have a long range, plenty of boot space,
and be enjoyable to drive.
Thankfully, these things are desirable to pretty much any driver,
so even if you're not a high-flying sales rep,
stick with us.
Along with the new Tesla Model 3,
we'll be testing the BMW i4,
the VW ID.7,
and the Hyundai Ioniq 6,
but can any of them topple the Tesla
as the ideal zero-emissions rep-mobile?
We'll be putting all four cars through their paces in a series of knockout rounds...
..to find out which is the most comfortable,
easiest to use, the most efficient, and the most fun to drive.
Because sales reps spend many hours in their cars,
the cabin needs to be comfortable and the sat-nav has to be fast and reliable,
so our first test will look at cabin quality,
comfort and navigation.
The car that comes off worst will be fired.
Well, let's start with the Tesla, cos that's the benchmark.
The new Model 3 has had a face-lift
and new-look rear lights,
and the interior is even more minimalist.
It's also very competitively priced,
starting at around £40,000.
This rear-wheel-drive version we're testing costs 48 grand,
but it's still the cheapest of our four cars.
What the hell is that? Is this car finished?
Minimalist. What's wrong with it? There's nothing in here.
Quite nice.No buttons, no nothing. There's an iPad.
Right, off we go.
Can I just say I hate it? I gathered that from the start.
It just doesn't feel like a... like a finished car.
Put it in drive now.
How do I do that? It's on the screen.
What, here?No.
Do you not know? Genuinely? No, I don't know!
You genuinely have no idea? I want a button. I want a lever.
You see that bit?What bit? You swipe that up and down.
No, I don't know this. That's reverse. That's drive.
And now you just accelerate.
Lesson over. Let's get rolling.
Is it comfy?Yeah, it's OK. It's quiet, isn't it? Yeah, it is quiet.
I don't mind the cabin. I think it's all right.
I wouldn't choose these seats. They'd be ruined in four days.
Well, you've only got two options - white or black.Yeah.
For me, this isn't an enjoyable experience.
It's just a mode of transport. There's no character in this.
It's just a tool.It's white goods.
It is literally a fridge. It's a fridge.
Shall we see how good the sat-nav is?
That came up really quickly. Automatic suggestion.
In. Bosh. It took, like, what, three seconds?Yeah.
Didn't have to enter a postcode, and it tells you how much energy you'll have left when you arrive.
26%.OK, that's pretty cool. So you can work out if you need to charge.
Also, it'll route you to a supercharger
if it thinks you haven't got enough to get to your destination. Automatically?Automatically.
I'm never going to be a fan of a Tesla's interior,
but there's no denying that the Model 3 is an impressive package.
As a piece of kit, it's good, isn't it?
They've done a good job, done a decent job.
Probably better than "decent".
I think it's a good bit of kit.
So the Tesla sets a high benchmark.
Have its rivals got what it takes to muscle in on the Model 3's patch?
First up, it's BMW.
The i4 has the lowest range of the group,
the only one claiming under 300 miles.
It's also the most expensive.
This rear-wheel-drive M Sport model costs 60 grand.
OK, here we go. It's got a button to start it...Nice.
..and a switch to go into drive. I mean, look at this. It's so much better, isn't it?
Cars should have buttons. All about knobs.
Give me a knob any time. Well, I can imagine.
So, look, Rory, this is what a car should feel like inside.
It makes me feel more like I'm in a car
rather than...a fridge.A fridge.
You hear that?
There's synthetic noise there. I like that.
Do you know what? Me too.
As with the Tesla, the sat-nav is intuitive and quick.
Easy-peasy. It's also gonna tell you
how much juice we're gonna have when we get there.
I like the way they've integrated the screen into the car, as well.
So, with a lot of electric cars these days, the screens are like...
..but, yeah, this is nicely integrated.
There's no doubt the BMW is a nicer place to be,
but the i4 is over £10,000 more expensive than the Tesla,
and it's got lower range.
You know what? I think, as a tool, the Tesla might be slightly better,
because it goes further
and it probably charges more conveniently, as well,
because you've got the supercharger network.Yeah.
But as a driving machine, this is superior.
By a long way.It is.
Next it's the Volkswagen ID.7.
It's the second most expensive of the four cars
and packs the highest claimed range of the group,
an impressive 383 miles.
Right, what do we think of this one, then, J?
I mean, I prefer it immediately to the Tesla, interior-wise.
And the BMW?No. I prefer the BMW. So you're somewhere in between.
Initial impressions, yes.OK.
Comfortable. Quiet. Feels like a bigger car.
It's still a bit dull, though, inside.Really?Yeah, I think so.
Let's have a look at the sat-nav, then.
How do you get to the sat-nav? There we go.
There's a neat feature on the VW's sat-nav.
The highlighted area on the map shows how far you can go
with the remaining charge.
I've got 82% left. You can get to Amsterdam.
Do you want to go to Amsterdam? That'd be my choice.
That's really clever, isn't it? It is good.
A bit closer to home, the sat-nav quickly zeroes in
on every sales rep's dream destination -
Europe's biggest trading estate.
Slough trading estate. Really easy, again. They're all really simple.
They recognise the first few letters and off you go.
But there's one thing worrying me about this VW.
In the sales-rep game first impressions count,
and the ID.7's car-park kudos is flatlining.
When you talk about the cool factor...
I don't think this looks quite as cool as the BMW. Yeah, me neither.
The Tesla might be cooler than this as well.
That's the problem with this car. It's absolutely fine...
Yeah. It's vanilla. It's vanilla ice-cream.
Nothing wrong with vanilla ice-cream.Absolutely.
It's not raspberry ripple... It's not chocolate.
..but vanilla is OK.Yeah.
And I think that's what VWs, nowadays, tend to be.
It's not as good as the BMW, but for me it's a bit better than the Tesla.
You'd get more street cred in a Tesla than in a VW... whatever-this-is.
Do you really believe that? Genuinely, yeah.
Wow.The Tesla's a cooler car.
So, for me the VW is second, behind the BMW,
but it's not cool enough for Rory, and he's got it down in third place.
Now for our last contender.
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 talks a big game
with its four-wheel drive and beefy performance,
but in the dog-eat-dog world of sales
presentation is everything,
and the Hyundai's fastback styling could be a deal-breaker.
The rear is horrific.
That slope-y back is like a hyena's arse.
Actually feels quite good in the hands.
Steering's nice and light. Suspension is...a little bit busy,
but actually quite nicely damped.
Quite comfortable. A lot of space in here, as well.It's massive.
The Ioniq 6 handles well enough,
but can its sat-nav lock on to Slough's international quality business hub?
I don't think it's gonna work.
Look at that.Ah, hold on.
It's got there.It's near enough.
The screen doesn't look as good.
And it doesn't show your range bubble.Interesting.
The Hyundai's IT might be sluggish,
but its on-road acceleration is far from slow.
Right, here we go. Accelerating. Oh, that's...That's quick.
Yeah. That's really good.
Yeah, I quite like it. It's quiet.
I don't think it's quite as luxurious-feeling
as the VW or the BMW.
I'm hearing a bit more wind noise, bit more road noise.
It's OK. Is it desirable? To me, no.
Would I buy this car compared to the others? Eh, probably not.
So the Korean car was a bit of a let-down.
It didn't meet its targets in Test 1 and therefore gets fired.
I'm a bit disappointed. I thought that would be a good contender.
On paper it looks good... Yeah...but in reality it's just not very nice, is it?
Yeah. Bye, Ioniq 6.
Now it's gonna get tricky.
Later in our sales-rep challenge,
time is money, so we grab a coffee to go.
It's gone down my sleeve.
Plus, we all pile into the new Jeep Avenger.
Will the off-road giant's debut EV pass our all-terrain team test?
OK, now go. Oh, no, you are stuck. Yeah, exactly.
And the Welsh coast is toast
as I wrestle a pair of flaming-hot hatchbacks.
It's a Fifth Gear shoot-out.
Come on, JP, get yourself in.
So, I'll tell you what I find slightly surprising.
Jason's fashion sense. Mate, have a word with yourself.
I'm so used to that by now. No, it's Jeep.What about it?
What's the matter with Jeep? The Avenger's pretty radical, isn't it?
"Radical" as in "get rid of the big engine and the four-wheel-drive"?
Exactly, yeah. Get rid of the traditional Jeepy stuff.
The all-electric Jeep Avenger has only recently hit the showrooms,
but it's already been named European Car of the Year.
The uber-chunky styling tells you it's very definitely a Jeep,
but a smaller, cuter one.
In fact, apart from the original wartime Willys Jeep,
this is the most compact Jeep ever.
So, boys, what do we think?
It's a nice-looking car, isn't it?
What is lovely is they've got the seven slats across the front
so you instantly know, reassuringly, that it's a Jeep from that.
What's that?It's, like, a bottle-opener, isn't it?
No, that's actually designed to look like the front of a Willys Jeep.
Oh, I see what you mean. So sweet.
There's loads of little Easter eggs on this car.Yeah, exactly.
Jeep, being kind and wonderful people,
have delivered little goodies,
little Easter eggs for us to go and find, dotted around the car.
Particular highlight was the ladybird.
What do you mean, ladybird? On the roof. Go have a look.
Look up there. There.Ah, there. Little ladybird.A-ha, look at that!
I don't know why they're done, but I really like them. It's a nice touch, isn't it?
We all love the playful design touches on the outside,
but what's the Avenger like on the inside?
What we have got is wireless charging for your phone down here,
and then this kind of flappy, magnetic...
It's, like, an iPad case kind of thing, isn't it?
The lovely pop of colour in here...
I like that.I really like that.
I think more cars should have pops of colour.
It is good. How do our plastics feel? A bit plasticky.
It's hard plastic, isn't it? This is 40-odd grand, this car.
£42,000. Can you justify that much money,
especially on a car with this much plastic?
It'd better drive amazing.
Well, no pressure there, then. Belts on, boys.
To the test track.
First impressions: suspension feels a bit lumpy, not gonna lie.
It's noisy in the back.Is it? Yeah, yeah, like, just car noise.
Well, it's a car. And there we go, you see.
Vicki, are you having fun?
Would you go as far as to say you're enjoying this?
For a nippy city car, yes. For a 42-grand car, no.OK.
What's that?
The indicator.That is the coolest-sounding indicator.
That's the coolest thing about this car.Yeah.
I'm having fun now. Yeah, that's fun.
The Avenger has a 54kWh battery,
which should be good for a range of up to 248 miles.
It's compatible with high-speed chargers up to 100kW,
so will go from 20% to 80% in about 24 minutes.
On the road, my verdict is it's fine.Yeah.
I'm sure it's very, very capable. Can it go off-road?
There's only one way to find out.
Well, it is a Jeep.
But, Vicks, you don't like going off-road, remember.
I don't know what you mean, Jason.
Are you insane?
'Mm. Off-roading isn't exactly within my comfort zone.
Over the years, all-terrain driving has pushed my nerves...'
I'm absolutely bricking it inside.
'..and my vocal cords...' Oh, God!
'..to the limit.'
Right, so, we're gonna go off-roading.
I'm gonna get some modes ready.
Ooh.Does it have an off-road mode? Mud, Sand, Snow.
What should we go for? Probably Mud.
With no 4x4 system, the Avenger is primarily a road car,
but Jeep has fitted electronic stability and traction control systems
to maximise its ability on different surfaces.
I was being Mrs Cautious nonetheless.
Go quicker.No, no, no. Go quicker.
No, I don't want to.
Vicks, honestly, honestly, come on, send it. Send it.
"Just send it. Just send it."
Yeah, send it where? Into a puddle?
Let's send it, Vicks. I'm going to get stuck.
No, you won't, you won't. OK, now go.
Oh, no, you are stuck. Yeah, exactly.
Ooh.Oh, no, I don't like that. Are you beached? Yeah, we're see-saw now.
I think this is too much for this car.
If it was me, I'd send it.
Vicks, I've got an idea. Me and you jump out,
and you send it.I will send it. We'll watch from the sidelines.
This will be great.I will send this in an appropriate way.
Give me a piggyback. I've got white socks.
She got out of the car
and a real professional showed her how it's done.
Piece of cake.
OK. OK?
OK, here we go. He's gonna break the car now.
I'm feeling a lot less confident now.
Go on. Go on, my son. Go on. Go on.
Go on, my son.
"Just send it."
Sending it didn't work.
No, I'm genuinely stuck.
It's at times like this when I wish I had listened to Vicki Butler-Henderson.
Then a Land Rover came and rescued the real professional.
Are you enjoying watching this? I'm loving it. I'm so loving it.
That's it.Yes.
A bit of fun, but not really fair to Jeep, cos it's not an off-roader.
All in all, the Avenger is absolutely fine.
It's a decent family car. Range is OK.
It drives well and looks decent.
I like its looks. I love the little details all around the car.
I quite like the way it drove,
but is it 42 grand's worth?
It's a cute little car. It needs to use better materials inside,
but as a design item, I quite like it.
I'm going to give the Jeep Avenger a score of 7.0 out of 10 -
not bad, not amazing.
I'm gonna give it...
..a 6.
For £42,000 it didn't sing enough for me,
so I'm going to give it a score of...
..which means the Jeep Avenger has a team-test score of...
It's a funky-looking, compact SUV,
but rivals like Volvo's EX30
and the Kia e-Niro deliver the same package and performance
but with a much more appealing price tag.
Coming up in Part Three, hold on to your wallets,
as Vicki's picked a pair of pre-loved, prestigious sports coupes
that can be driven away for hatchback money.
Ah, it's all just so well-balanced,
and the chassis underneath - oh, hubba-hubba.
Go on, then, get it over with.
And Rory and I enjoy a refreshing cup of coffee
as we continue our search for the best rep-spec EVs.
Ooh!
Want to drive a high-end car,
but don't want to pay high-end prices?
Welcome to Second-Hand Heroes.
We pick a modern classic you can drive every day
and a proper classic to bring out at weekends.
Both can be driven away today for a fraction of their original price.
There are two ways to look at coupes.
Either - they are a bit pointless
because they're the size of a saloon car
but the rear doors are missing, so access is a bit of a faff,
or - they have the performance of a sports car
but also have a decent boot
and offer 2-plus-2 space, sometimes more.
And, of course, they look great,
which is why I'm firmly in the second camp,
particularly when those in the know can pick up svelte second-hand beauties
like the Alfa Romeo GTV6
and the BMW E46 M3.
I'll start with the stone-cold classic.
Penned by the legendary Italdesign,
the GTV6 oozes style and has the power to match its looks
thanks to its silky 2.5 V6.
160 of your finest horsepower
could propel the GTV6 to 60mph in around nine seconds,
and on to 130mph.
If I put my foot down here in third, from 40mph...
Ah, it is really smooth,
and it feels like there's quite a lot of grunt there. Nice.
The Alfa also has razor-sharp handling,
but has that affected the ride?
This car feels incredibly comfortable,
and I feel like I'm wafting
as opposed to being in a, sort of, hardcore little sportster.
It's a proper GT, I suppose. Lovely.
Older Italian cars are notorious
for their unforgiving driving positions,
and the GTV6 doesn't buck the trend.
It's classic Italian of its time
in that the fixed steering wheel and pedals are quite close together.
If you've got super-long legs, you might have to adopt the lotus position,
but for people who aren't blessed with height, like myself,
we're the perfect fit.
The GTV cost £13,000 in 1991.
That's today's equivalent of around £30,000.
Today a good second-hand example will set you back £15,000.
So, what do you have to look out for as a potential Alfa owner?
For starters, if the transmission randomly selects "neutral" while on the move,
then the gearbox is on the way out, and with it £3,800 of your cash...
..but that's not the biggest issue.
This car came from an era when all cars corroded,
but particularly Italian ones.
Now, let me see.
Wheel arches, inner wings, door bottoms, sills,
boot floor, tailgate - the list goes on.
But find a well-preserved example
and you'll be the proud owner of a stylish Italian coupe
that delivers smiles by the bucket-load.
Time for the BMW.
The first M3 appeared in 1986.
BMW made a super-fast version of the 3 series
to take on Mercedes in the German touring-car championship,
and planned to only make 5,000 of them,
but such was the demand,
BMW has made an M version of the 3 series ever since.
The E46 was the third M3 to be created,
and it came along in 2000.
At first glance, it looks very much like a standard 3 Series of the time,
but look closer and you will see these subtly flared arches,
quad exhausts, and the bulging bonnet.
But while it's demure on the outside,
under the hood lurks a lairy 3.2-litre straight-six
that revs to 8,000rpm.
I am on a public road and this is a privately-owned car,
but I will give you a little, tiny taste of,
"Oh, BMW M yumminess!"
Just so lovely.
Smooth, potent, absolutely beautifully engineered.
Oh, yes-yes-yes.
A limited slip differential and fat tyres ensure
all 343 horses can get their hooves down onto the Tarmac.
0-62 happens in 5.2 seconds, which is pretty impressive
considering this car is almost a quarter of a century old.
I really hope that my smile says it all.
This car is made for drivers.
The seating position,
the weight and the feel of the gear change,
the steering - oh, it's all just so well balanced,
and the chassis underneath, oh, hubba-hubba. Rear-wheel drive...
I think you've got the message.
When the car was launched, it cost around £41,000.
For a while prices fell fast,
but over the last five years things have improved,
and you can expect to pay around £20,000 for one today.
But even though it's German, things can still go awry with M3 ownership.
One word on every owner's lips: VANOS,
the variable valve timing system that helps boost the power.
If the engine is limp, this has likely failed,
and expect £1,800 to limp out of your bank account.
The M3 was built to withstand the pressures of high-performance driving,
but the rear sub-frames are prone to cracking.
Ignore this at your peril.
A small crack could quickly become the Grand Canyon
and you'd be looking into a £3,000 hole.
Decision time.
Italian chic versus German precision.
It is a toughie, but I can't resist the allure of an M badge.
Scusa.
Time for the second part of mine and Jason's day as go-getting sales reps
as we search for the ultimate electric company car.
Despite having a good range and the fastest acceleration,
the Hyundai Ioniq 6 came up short in our first test...
I'm not sure I like it. The rear is horrific.
..and it was eliminated.
So that leaves three contenders: the Tesla Model 3, the VW ID.7,
and the BMW i4.
As well as being nice places to spend time,
these cars have got to be practical.
They're going to rack up a fair old mileage,
carrying all sorts of merchandise on a variety of different roads.
So in Test 2 we'll see how much boot space they've got
and how well the suspension copes when things get a bit rough.
I've gone off the road into a pot-hole.
So, to test the boot space,
we wanted to find something which is awkward in size and shape
and, actually, that every self-respecting, image-conscious sales rep
would need to take with them on every sales trip.
It is, of course...
..a Corby 7700 executive trouser-press in Arctic white.
Tipp-Ex white. Arctic, I think, this one.
I think you'll find it's Tipp-Ex.
Anyway, let's try and get it in the boot
of this BMW i4 to start with. 470 litres.
You ever used one of these? Of course. You can't sell without pressed trousers.
Charging cable is in the way, of course.Get it out, get it out.
Under-floor storage.
Oh, it's not great, is it? That's a bit rubbish.
Eh? Look at that.
That's really easy, actually. Whip it out.
Next it's the Tesla, which isn't a hatchback,
but has the largest boot at 594 litres.
Well, the hole's smaller. Yeah, but it's big.
It's quite deep, isn't it? Shall we try the VW?
The ID.7 falls in between the other two, with 532 litres.
Yeah, job's a good 'un.
You have to say the BMW's got less space.
The BMW is small with no under-floor storage.
The Tesla is big, but it isn't a hatchback.
This is a hatchback, with some under-floor storage.
This might be the better of the three.
So the VW just shaded it,
though they all coped pretty smoothly with the trouser-press.
Next we're gonna test how well the cars' suspension irons out a rough road surface,
starting with the Tesla.
OK, so, for our next test it's time for another sales-rep staple,
the take-away coffee cup.
But will the Model 3's suspension soak up the bumps,
or am I gonna take a soaking?
That's a nice white shirt there. Thank you very much. So is yours.
I've also got a nice white towel. Right.
So, I'll do, what, 25mph? 30mph?
I think...I reckon 30, don't you? That sounds like a lot, actually.
I haven't got a lid. Don't worry about that.
Do whatever you feel is necessary. 30mph it is.Oh, God. Right.
Go on, then. Get it over with.
Here we go.So that's 30mph.
Quite a bumpy road. That's all right.
That's not so bad, is it? That's fine.
Give it time.Do you know what?
People criticise the Model 3's suspension, but for this new version,
they've actually improved it quite a lot-
Nice.
It's gone down my sleeve.
It feels quite firm, though.Yeah.
The damping's quite firm, but it's controlled.
So, a good performance from the Tesla.
Yeah, absolutely fine, mate, all day long. Never in doubt.
Time to swap drivers and cars
and see how the BMW copes with our bumpy road.
Right, here we go, Jason. 30mph, you say.30mph.
The thing is-Whoa, whoa, whoa. That's 33mph.
I'll do 30mph.Good lad. But we know it has smoother suspension...
It certainly does, yeah. ..so we can go a bit faster.
I'll push it to 35mph. 37mph.
I think you can pack that right in now.40mph.
No, do you know what? You can... What were you saying?
I've gone off the road into a pot-hole.
You can instantly feel it's softer over the bumps.Yeah.
It's just better, isn't it?It is... It is just a smoother car.
I mean, our sleeves are the ultimate decider in this.
I've got a filthy sleeve. You're clean.There we go.
Is your lap all right? Perfect.Absolutely fine. Not even a drip.Impressive.
At my age, it's an impressive thing, isn't it?
No spills or thrills in the BMW.
Next up, it's the VW.
That's 30mph.OK.
We went over the first couple. Not bad. Go on, get quicker.
35mph. Up to 40mph. That's 40mph.Oh, that's... Oh.
Do you know what?That's nothing.
Oh, a little bit of spillage there at 40mph.
Well, there's very little between all three cars
in terms of suspension and boot space,
but we felt the BMW just had the edge over the other two.
So, which car gets dropped, the Tesla or the VW?
The Tesla's the better car.
What?I cannot see how we can justify
eliminating the market leader for the sake of that.
A tiny little spillage.I mean, look, it's wrecked that shirt.
Right, OK, I'm with you. What you want me to do?
This is OK. It's a nice car. It's OK.Yeah.
That's a great car, but the interior's garbage, I think.
It's a bit stiff on the road. So what?So what?
OK, we'll get rid of the VW. Fine. Agreed.Done.All right.
With regret, the VW ID.7 has got to go.
Later in our sales-rep challenge,
we'll see if the BMW i4 can knock the Tesla Model 3 off its pedestal
as the go-to EV for long range, economy, and comfort.
And I pit the legendary Honda Civic Type-R
against the Cupra Leon
to see which hot-hatch is the hottest.
It is so rapid, this thing.
Can I just say, "Honda Civic Type-R"?
Yes, you may,
and you can say it again and again as far as I'm concerned.
Are you saying it because there's a new one out?Yes.
And you got behind the wheel of it...
Yes.
..to see if it's still the king of hot-hatches...
..or if there's something out there to seriously challenge it?
This is weird. Spooky. You're like mind-readers.
Two hot hatchbacks, one track.
Which car will post the fastest lap?
This is the young pretender, the Cupra Leon.
It's got a turbocharged 2-litre engine
and is capable of a top speed of 155mph.
Whoo-hoo!
And this is the hot-hatch it'll have to beat.
The Honda Civic Type-R has been top dog
with the motoring press for 25 years.
This version boasts a 2-litre VTEC turbo engine,
producing a top speed of 171mph,
and a 0-62 time of 5.4 seconds.
Ah, that was sweet.
On paper, the Honda has a slight edge,
but we're not racing on paper,
and this mildly damp Anglesey circuit
will flatter the hot-hatch with the sharpest handling.
Now, Cupra started out as the sportier end of the SEAT brand,
and it, you know, brings memories back,
cos I used to drive for SEAT in the early 2000s
in the British Touring Car Championship,
and I had a first-edition SEAT Leon Cupra,
which was a cracking bit of kit for the road,
and I have to say, early impressions of this,
it's pretty good.
This car's got, you know, Brembo brakes,
and the pedal feel...
just feels a little bit soft for my preference,
but the brakes are very good.
Lots of drive modes. I've got this in the Cupra setting,
which is the most extreme of them all.
I've also got traction and stability control turned off,
and I'm in manual gearbox mode.
Do you know what? It's got a really tight front end.
It's great.
All this will set you back £45,445,
which may seem a bit punchy for a hatchback,
but it's still five grand cheaper than the Honda Civic Type-R.
I reckon we should go for erm... a hot lap.
Start the watch.
Ooh, you fighter.
Come on, JP.
It was a bit wild through that fast right then.
Christ, it's quick. 120mph there.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Arrive at a tight corner too fast in the Cupra
and you find yourself wrestling with armfuls of understeer.
Ah, lost a bit then.
So, as we come up to the line...
..the Cupra sets a time of 1:21.38.
Now for the Honda.
The Type-R badge first appeared on the Civic in 1997,
and set a new standard for hot-hatches.
This, the sixth generation, has a sleeker look than the previous model,
but underneath the bonnet
the 2-litre engine carries on the Type-R tradition.
One thing which has always been great on these Type-Rs
is this VTEC engine. It just loves being revved.
So, in terms of specs,
you know, this has got 29hp more, at 329hp, than the Cupra.
It's got about 20 newton-metres more torque.
But, crucially, it's a lot lighter,
70kg lighter,
and that's...that's considerable.
It is quick. There's no doubt about that.
The speed is impressive,
but I'm less convinced by its ride.
It's quite a bit stiffer than the Leon. Certainly in damping.
Do you know what? In terms of the chassis,
there's a little bit more understeer on turn-in, on entry,
so I can just feel the front just giving way a bit.
So that's not quite as good.
So the Type-R is a bit more of a handful on turn-in,
but how will it fare across the whole circuit?
All right, here we go.
Start the watch.
When you start to push...
..she has got a bit of understeer in her.
At the first checkpoint there's little in it.
That was a nice, clean exit.
I mean, it is so rapid, this thing.
Whoa. Come on, JP. Get yourself in.
Little bit of wheel-spin there.
By the second checkpoint, the Honda's opened up a one-second advantage.
Ah, that was sweet.
Right. Just gotta make sure I don't mess it up.
Oh, that was about perfect.
Felt the rear starting to have a little wobble around, then.
Let's have a look. Right, last corner.
Come on, nail it, JP. Here we go.
The Honda crosses the finish line in 1:18.9.
Two seconds a lap quicker.
Very impressive.
So, no amount of Cupra racing pedigree
can make up for the Honda's balance of power and poise.
The Type-R retains its hot-hatch crown.
Now it's time to rejoin Jason and Rory
as they continue their mission to find an EV
that can rival the Tesla Model 3 as the ultimate electric rep-mobile.
In our first challenge we tested how comfortable the cabins were...
I'm not sure I like it.
..and checked out on-board navigation.
Easy-peasy.
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 wasn't as intuitive to use
and didn't feel as premium inside or out.
Is it desirable? To me, no.
So it was eliminated.
Our second round tested the cars' load-carrying practicality
and the quality of ride when things got a bit bumpy.
Whoo! It's gone down my sleeve.
Despite performing well,
the VW ID.7 just didn't excite us, and we waved it goodbye.
OK, we'll get rid of the VW. Fine. Agreed.
So that leaves the Tesla Model 3 and the BMW i4
to battle it out for top spot.
Our final test is all about performance.
Any self-respecting rep wants to be the first to the sales pitch,
so it's crucial that their car accelerates quickly,
and for everyone else, strong acceleration is important
for joining fast-moving traffic.
So we're making use of an airfield runway
to see how our two finest compare in a drag race.
Let battle commence.
You feeling confident, Grandad?
What is he like? No, I apologise.
He's three years younger than me, that's all. Three years.
I apologise, but you are in a BMW.
You should be feeling confident.
I'm in a Tesla. It's a fridge. That's a car.Very good point.
Whether or not it'll be... On paper, that's a bit quicker.
Tiny bit.It doesn't matter. Even if it isn't as fast,
I'm much cooler in here, much more comfortable.
And you're a racing driver. Yeah, but this is not about skill.
Oh, right?I think it'll be tight.
I don't think it will be. Bring it on.
Three, two, one, go!
Oh, he's got better... Oh, you beauty. Look at that.
Oh, no!Whipped him. Oh, no, he's had me.
Oh, that is... I did not expect that.
It was so slow to launch. That's rubbish.
Oh, man.
The Tesla fanboys are not gonna like this.
Mm, no.
Oh, dear, oh, dear. Tell you what, though -
once they got off, pretty equal.
You were pulling away ever so slightly.Yeah.
This just launches better.Yeah.
This was, like, slowly launching, and you just shot off. See, I'm surprised.
I thought that might be better. Clearly not.It's close, isn't it?
It's close. No cigar.
Although the Tesla was beaten in the dash off the line,
I still think it's the best overall package
for the driver who prioritises comfort and economy.
Listen. You can't tell me that an i4 is better
than the Tesla Model 3, the benchmark in the sector.
It says it on paper, but as we've seen in the past,
this is what matters. Real world.No.
This was faster, I was much more comfy,
I looked cooler. The BM's the car.
You can't tell me the i4's better.
I just have.
And I'm going to get in my really nice, stylish, comfy BMW.
Ta-ra.Can we have a rematch?No.
The company-car debate continues.
For me the new, cheaper Model 3 still sets the standard
as the best long-range, affordable EV...
..whilst I think the rest of the car-makers have caught up,
and cars like the BMW i4 are what the discerning rep should opt for -
although their sales targets may have to rise
to cover that hefty price tag.