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Volvo XC90

People think this car has become such a common sight on the road because it is part of the private school uniform. That may be so. But there’s another, bigger reason. It is by far the best of all the school-run-mobiles because there really is room for seven people, 14 legs and two dogs in the boot as well. No other car maker — and this is strange — has managed to pull off a similar trick without ending up with a bus.

Range Rover TDV8 Vogue SE

Without wishing to sound pompous, my heart swells with pride that humankind can make such a wonderful, graceful, dignified and beautiful thing. And while patriotism may be the last refuge of a scoundrel, I’m proud too that this car was conceived by the Germans, who are basically British but with a bit less humour.

Alfa Romeo MiTo

Of course, I loved it. I found myself ignoring the defects and concentrating on the way there’s a choice of what material you’d like to surround the headlights. I loved the crackly, almost flat-four exhaust note, I loved the 155bhp turbocharged engine (from a Fiat), I loved the interior, which feels like it belongs in a much more expensive car. But the thing I love most of all about this car is that, at parties, when people ask what you’re driving, you can say: “An Alfa.”

Jaguar XKR convertible

So, the conclusion then. Honestly. Absolutely honestly. Hand-on-heart honestly. The XKR is not perfect. It’s not even close. The light switch is wrong. The back seats are stupid. Some of the new jewellery is awfully Cheshire and that ride is way, way too firm. But when I look at the opposition — the chintzy SL, the overly complicated M6, the vomitously ugly Maserati Coupé and the expensive Aston V8 — I know for sure, and for the first time, that if I were in the market for a car of this type, I would have the Jag.

BMW Z4 sDrive35i

I’ve thought quite hard about this and can confidently say that the Z4, with its folding metal roof and softer feel, is now the best of the medium-sized sports cars. Certainly, I prefer it to the Boxster and the Mercedes SLK.

Jaguar XF 3.0 Diesel S Portfolio

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