Being on Autocar’s long-term test fleet is the ultimate test for any new car. It’s a chance for us to find out what a new machine is really like to live with over an extended period.
Although the sudden – and still ongoing, for the Autocar team – advent of remote working means our office car park has been empty since March, we’ve maintained a fleet of long-termers at our various home offices. But while the need for social distancing and suitable sanitising safety measures has reduced our ability to swap cars quite so frequently, we’ve still been privileged to run some incredible cars this year. And, as is tradition, it’s time to hand out some awards.
The Best Innovation (Until a Vaccine) Award - for the most innovative feature
Winner: Jeep Wrangler removable roof and doors; Highly Commended: Mazda Skyactiv-X Engine, Honda Honda E twin touchscreens
Modern cars are kitted out with ever-growing amounts of cutting-edge and sophisticated technology. But sometimes the best form of addition is subtraction – which is shown by our Jeep Wrangler’s removable doors and roof. Effectively, this allows drivers to turn it from largely civilised SUV into a stripped-back off-roader with relatively limited effort.
“This is a car that can tow my Defender home when the clutch goes on a rainy October evening but can also be a fun-loving roofless convertible when the sun shines,” said custodian Matthew Prior.
Still, the Autocar team did also highlight some more advanced tech in this category. The compression-ignition Skyactiv-X engine in our Mazda 3 long-termer drew praise: the improvements in economy may be only relatively modest, but Mazda’s efforts to show the combustion engine still has a future are very welcome.
The Honda E scored for its truly brilliant twin-touchscreen set-up, which both looks good and offers innovative, useful features. Plus, as deputy digital editor Tom Morgan noted: “Any car that rolls off the forecourt and lets me hook up a PlayStation gets the thumbs-up.”
The Socially Distanced Disappointment Award - for the car you most wanted to drive but couldn’t due to Covid
Winner: Toyota GR Toyota Supra; Highly commended: Jeep Wrangler, Lamborghini Huracan
Add your comment