Every year, us auto scribes live with dozens of the markets latest offerings to give you readers the down-low on the most important new models.
As a result, I’ve driven, photographed, filmed, presented and written on a whole pile of vehicles. Cheap ones, expensive ones, fast ones, slow ones, hybrids, diesels, trucks, compacts-- you name it.
All part of the job, folks.
Most of these machines impress on numerous levels, but every so often, a vehicle represents a massive surprise. Usually, these vehicles aren’t incredibly powerful, insanely-styled or unattainably-priced.
After all, you know, say, that the Audi R8 is fast, sexy and beautiful. It screams it. It’s also priced well into six-figure territory. Impressive? Very. Surprisingly impressive? Not a bit.
As such, it’s some of the more affordable mainstream models that deliver some of the biggest surprises in today’s automotive scene. It’s always a pleasant shock when one of these everyday models puts on a performance above and beyond what was expected.
And with that, I give you a list of my favourite surprise surprises of the past year.
Nissan Juke: Yes, it’s weird looking and a bit silly-- but the Nissan Juke is a serious performance weapon. It won’t burn its tires down a quarter mile track, but Nissan’s compact crossover is as fun to drive as it is strange to look at, and that’s a good thing. Sharp, flat and crisp handling, a torquey engine and a responsive and enjoyable CVT transmission make this one of the market’s biggest sleepers where handling and fun-to-drive factor is concerned. Seriously, test-drive one.
Jeep Grand Cherokee: The folks at Jeep have outdone themselves here. On top of an interior that can makes many competing utes look tacky or understyled, it boasts exceptional off-road ride quality and enough capability, even in stock configuration, to tackle more than most will throw its way. The new Grand Cherokee should easily put America back on the map in its segment.
Volvo S60: Forget the A4, C-Class and 3-Series? No—but the all-new S60 kicks all sorts of ass in its own special Swedish way. The interior is fantastic. So is the ride. And the powertrain. And its ability to make treacherous driving conditions in lousy weather almost amusing. It operates with a solid, safe and planted feel, alongside an exceptional level of character that can make its German competition feel plain. That’s no small task. Dare I say, but the S60 was this writers favourite test-drive of the year.
Ford Shelby GT500: Right from the moment you fire it up, the Shelby GT500 whispers naughty thoughts in your ear. For a while, the BMW M3 had held a place in this writer’s heart as the epitome of a performance car. But thinking of performance in terms of sights, sounds and emotions, the GT500’s looks, rawness and soundtrack really take the cake. And with 550 horsepower priced from under sixty grand, it’s a hell of a bargain on a tire-frying menace to society, too.
Jaguar XKR: Yes, I said cars priced in six-figure territory aren’t usually surprising-- but I’ve found one exception. Though your writer isn’t personally a huge fan of cars with real-estate pricing levels, the Jaguar XKR really left an impression. Obviously, it’s fast, sexy and amazing to listen to—but it was the XKR’s everyday comfort, unbeatable cabin trimmings and refined operation during gentle driving that really changed my perception of such pricey posh rockets. I’m not wealthy. If I was, I probably wouldn’t drop a hundred plus on a vehicle. Thing is, the Jaguar XKR makes it easy to see why so many lucky folks do.
As a result, I’ve driven, photographed, filmed, presented and written on a whole pile of vehicles. Cheap ones, expensive ones, fast ones, slow ones, hybrids, diesels, trucks, compacts-- you name it.
All part of the job, folks.
Most of these machines impress on numerous levels, but every so often, a vehicle represents a massive surprise. Usually, these vehicles aren’t incredibly powerful, insanely-styled or unattainably-priced.
After all, you know, say, that the Audi R8 is fast, sexy and beautiful. It screams it. It’s also priced well into six-figure territory. Impressive? Very. Surprisingly impressive? Not a bit.
As such, it’s some of the more affordable mainstream models that deliver some of the biggest surprises in today’s automotive scene. It’s always a pleasant shock when one of these everyday models puts on a performance above and beyond what was expected.
And with that, I give you a list of my favourite surprise surprises of the past year.
Nissan Juke: Yes, it’s weird looking and a bit silly-- but the Nissan Juke is a serious performance weapon. It won’t burn its tires down a quarter mile track, but Nissan’s compact crossover is as fun to drive as it is strange to look at, and that’s a good thing. Sharp, flat and crisp handling, a torquey engine and a responsive and enjoyable CVT transmission make this one of the market’s biggest sleepers where handling and fun-to-drive factor is concerned. Seriously, test-drive one.
Jeep Grand Cherokee: The folks at Jeep have outdone themselves here. On top of an interior that can makes many competing utes look tacky or understyled, it boasts exceptional off-road ride quality and enough capability, even in stock configuration, to tackle more than most will throw its way. The new Grand Cherokee should easily put America back on the map in its segment.
Volvo S60: Forget the A4, C-Class and 3-Series? No—but the all-new S60 kicks all sorts of ass in its own special Swedish way. The interior is fantastic. So is the ride. And the powertrain. And its ability to make treacherous driving conditions in lousy weather almost amusing. It operates with a solid, safe and planted feel, alongside an exceptional level of character that can make its German competition feel plain. That’s no small task. Dare I say, but the S60 was this writers favourite test-drive of the year.
Ford Shelby GT500: Right from the moment you fire it up, the Shelby GT500 whispers naughty thoughts in your ear. For a while, the BMW M3 had held a place in this writer’s heart as the epitome of a performance car. But thinking of performance in terms of sights, sounds and emotions, the GT500’s looks, rawness and soundtrack really take the cake. And with 550 horsepower priced from under sixty grand, it’s a hell of a bargain on a tire-frying menace to society, too.
Jaguar XKR: Yes, I said cars priced in six-figure territory aren’t usually surprising-- but I’ve found one exception. Though your writer isn’t personally a huge fan of cars with real-estate pricing levels, the Jaguar XKR really left an impression. Obviously, it’s fast, sexy and amazing to listen to—but it was the XKR’s everyday comfort, unbeatable cabin trimmings and refined operation during gentle driving that really changed my perception of such pricey posh rockets. I’m not wealthy. If I was, I probably wouldn’t drop a hundred plus on a vehicle. Thing is, the Jaguar XKR makes it easy to see why so many lucky folks do.