Would you buy a car purely on EVO recommendation?

[V8Granite]

Definitely not, there are quite a few cars which have been hailed as great which I thought were flat and heavy feeling.

It definitely lets me look at cars differently and gives me a smaller shortlist though.

Dave!

[Rich B]

Thread development - which cars have evo loved and you've hated after testing?

For me - Panda 100hp. I didn't get it at all.

[duncs500]

Nothing that I can think of that I've hated, but I don't love 911s as much as evo. I'd like to own one, and maybe I will one day, but dynamically in terms of how I like a car to feel they just don't excite me as much as the Lotuses I've driven. I have never driven a GT-series car though to be fair, and from the passenger seat they feel a lot more special.

[Gavin]

Ford Focus Mk1 and a facelift. EVO raved about them, I hated my petrol LX and wasn't bowled over by my diesel Zetec either.

I did love the Puma though.

[Jobbo]

Thread development - which cars have evo loved and you've hated after testing?

For me - Panda 100hp. I didn't get it at all.

Yeah, my Puma

[Carlos]

Ford Focus Mk1 and a facelift. EVO raved about them, I hated my petrol LX and wasn't bowled over by my diesel Zetec either.

They were great with the revvy 1600 twin cam.

[JonMad]

Heavily influenced/shortlisted by evo and others, I guess (Parkers reviews generally give an accurate impression, imo)
e.g.
306 Rallye. Test drove it and the Integra Type R. The Peugeot garage let me rag it down a B road. The Honda garage let me go up and down a dual carriageway. I bought the Peugeot, so it wasn't all down to the magazine in that case.
RS250 Megane. Bought from a friend of some forum members without ever sitting in one, let alone that particular one. Flew up to Scotland, drove it back. Evo plus many other reviews.
Swift Sport. The evo review was one of the key ones that led me to it.

[Zonda_]

Yep, bought my first 306XSi based on their review.

Wow, if I had been challenged I would have guessed that fell in to the era of Performance Car.

It probably did when launched but it was a group test of best hot hatches in Evo that I read.

[Barry]

Nothing that I can think of that I've hated, but I don't love 911s as much as evo. I'd like to own one, and maybe I will one day, but dynamically in terms of how I like a car to feel they just don't excite me as much as the Lotuses I've driven. I have never driven a GT-series car though to be fair, and from the passenger seat they feel a lot more special.

Very much the case IMO, based on my limited experience of 964 and 996 Carrera. Nice cars, very much a distinct way to drive them, and full of character. GT3 is just elevated so much more IMHO, far more appealing to me (not that I can afford/justify either).

[duncs500]

Nothing that I can think of that I've hated, but I don't love 911s as much as evo. I'd like to own one, and maybe I will one day, but dynamically in terms of how I like a car to feel they just don't excite me as much as the Lotuses I've driven. I have never driven a GT-series car though to be fair, and from the passenger seat they feel a lot more special.

Very much the case IMO, based on my limited experience of 964 and 996 Carrera. Nice cars, very much a distinct way to drive them, and full of character. GT3 is just elevated so much more IMHO, far more appealing to me (not that I can afford/justify either).

Probably the same ones I drove! The 964 feels a bit closer to the immediacy I like, but then we all know Ben's 964 isn't (or wasn't at the time) on a standard suspension set up.

[McSwede]

Ford Focus Mk1 and a facelift. EVO raved about them, I hated my petrol LX and wasn't bowled over by my diesel Zetec either.

I did love the Puma though.

MK1 Focus was superb. I got a brand new 1.8ghia in Jan 2001 after running around in a demo for two weeks. A brilliant little car and I didn't have it long enough for it to rust though

Also had a Puma for the wife which was a super little car until she killed it

[Carlos]

MK1 Focus was superb. I got a brand new 1.8ghia in Jan 2001.

I'm picturing a young executive McSwede in a burgundy saloon

[V8Granite]

Ford Focus Mk1 and a facelift. EVO raved about them, I hated my petrol LX and wasn't bowled over by my diesel Zetec either.

I did love the Puma though.

They were pretty much the worst ones of the lot to be honest. Which again shows why a test drive is important, it only takes a small change for a car to behave completely different.

Mini Cooper S, the first model. Felt heavy, flat and the engine was just noisy.
Mk1 MX5, I was expecting a lovely tactile car but it was not, the whole thing felt numb bar a lovely gearshift.

Dave!

[V8Granite]

MK1 Focus was superb. I got a brand new 1.8ghia in Jan 2001.

I'm picturing a young executive McSwede in a burgundy saloon

When the tie is tucked into the pocket, things are about to get serious as he engages the Nigel mansell mindset.

Dave!

[Rich B]

Yeah, I tested a R53 Mini Cooper s when I was new - it was so capable I found it dull and bought a Civic type R instead.

[McSwede]

MK1 Focus was superb. I got a brand new 1.8ghia in Jan 2001.

I'm picturing a young executive McSwede in a burgundy saloon

When the tie is tucked into the pocket, things are about to get serious as he engages the Nigel mansell mindset.

Dave!

Doom blue and my tie was tied around my head during maximum attack trips through the countryside. Thank you!

[Matty]

I don't even both test driving cars TBH.

I've only ever tested one car before buying, that was the 147GTA. Everything else I've just bought blind.

So what made you read car mags in the first place if not to learn what was good or bad?

I like the pictures.