In recent years I have put together an article about the year’s testing statistics in one of the double Christmas issues of our magazine.
What was striking in 2023 was how the average star rating had dropped from four to 3.5, and there were no five-star statements. So not a great year, 2023.
When 2024 immediately started delivering some really good cars (Dacia Duster, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, Morgan Plus Four, Skoda in general), I started to wonder if the tide had turned, or if I was going soft .
I was therefore very happy to participate in the Tannistest in Denmark together with editor and Car of the Year jury member Mark Tisshaw. This is an event organized by the Car of the Year committee to bring together as many of the year’s key cars as possible in one place to test them back to back. That’s why many of our recent first rides took place in ‘North Jutland’.
It has restored my faith in mediocrity. By the end of the two days I was there, I had driven so many somewhat forgettable crossovers that they all started to blend into one.
Many of them are fine cars that would make you very happy at the rental counter, but they don’t do anything that their hatchback counterparts or technically similar platform mates don’t do. Which begs the question: are they really necessary?
Actually, it is, because they allow the really good things to shine even brighter – and leave no doubt that there are some really smart and beautiful cars hitting the market right now. You just need a gray background to let the stars shine.
The Renault 5 is brilliant, and not just because of the bright colors in which it is offered. I won’t repeat Tisshaw’s review, but what I particularly like is that it manages to be cheaper than the Mini Cooper E without feeling it.
While many manufacturers use just a piece of screen as an excuse for interior design, the 5 beautifully combines retro and modern, yet has all the tech you could want. In a way, the Dacia Duster does something similar, at an even lower price.
After a morning of driving electric and hybrid cars, the Suzuki Swift – which I had missed when it arrived at the Autocar office earlier this year – provided the perfect detox.
It was one of only three cars with a manual transmission at Tannistest, which in itself is a bit depressing, but I wasn’t thinking about that as I shifted the lucky three-pot through several gears and then tip-toed back down . for an approaching turn.