cheltonianmotoring


comfortable than youwould expect, with a halfway decent stereo, a sat nav that, although rudimentary, is effective once you’vemanaged to programme your destination and upholstery that feels good and seats that are supportive. But then they have to be, because the suspension is horrible, andwithout something to distract you fromthe lack-lustre acceleration you’d be sorely tempted to give up andwalk. Mywife’s friend joked that she felt


she had to ‘do a Fred Flintstone’ to help it up the hills, and I knowwhat shemeans. If you don’tmash your


foot down enough to drop the five- speed automatic gear box through the cogs, itwill struggle, and once you losemomentum, it’s slowto recover it. The gearbox is not smooth, but again, I think this is because it’s set up for off-roading, and longer gears are less disruptive to control over loose surfaces. So, it’s horrible on the road, clunky


and,whilewell-equipped, you’ll find better quality almost anywhere in terms of technology.Oh, and if you want to remove the roof, it takes two people and a set of step-by-step instructions. Itwill also punish you


for inattention and heavy-handed steering… but it has a certain quirkiness, something thatmakes you smile, something I couldn’t put my finger on, and at the end of the week,while Iwasn’t sad to see it go, it had grown onme. But payingmore than £34,000 for


something that onlyworkswhen you go out to play, rather than on the way towork aswell? That truly is mad.


CatchmoreofToby at www.cartestdummy.co.ukor followhimonTwitter@tobyaiken


THECHELTONIAN MARCH/APRIL 2018 49


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