Reviewed: Babington House

The difference between a good restaurant and a good hotel is that in a good restaurant you expect to find high standards of service and product, decent value, and then also originality, flair, wit and sophistication, whereas in a good hotel you just cling to the dream that it won’t be utterly dismal.
I go to hotels quite a lot, overnighting after an evening function somewhere and, honestly, it is so dispiriting.

Motoring Review: Fiat 500

A rival to the original Austin Mini, the Fiat 500 was one of the first small city cars. Originally produced between 1957 and 1975, it measured 9 feet in length and had a tiny 479cc engine (hence the name 500). In 2007, fifty years after the original, Fiat revised this cheeky little car. It’s loosely based on a 2004 concept car, the Trepiuno. Dean Woodward takes one for a spin for us…

Motoring Review: Ford Fiesta

The 1970’s saw rising demand from European consumers for smaller vehicles now known as superminis. Ford answered this with the Fiesta in 1976. It was an instant success, with the millionth Fiesta produced 3 years later in 1979. Now after 33 years, over 10 million sales, the MK7 Fiesta remains one of Ford’s most popular cars. Dean Woodward takes one for a spin for us at Business Matters

Motoring Review: VW Golf

Unless you have been away from civilisation for the last 30 years you should be aware of the famous Volkswagen Golf. Few cars have commanded such attention as the Golf, with sales exceeding 25 million over its life span. Truly egalitarian, whether you’re cruising down the motorway, collecting the kids from school or zipping off to a black tie event, there is no other family hatch that does it better.

Motoring Review: Seat Leon

Seat’s answer to the compact family hatchback, the Leon blends coupe styling with practicality. In a hugely competitive sector with a wide choice of manufacturers the Leon holds its own. The model variants are extensive ranging from a modest £12,850 OTR to the scorching hot hatch Cupra K1 at £20,545. Business Matters takes a look

Motoring Review: BMW 5 Series

What is it?
A large executive car first produced in 1972 by BMW. It took its name from the fifth series built after the V8 and Isetta era. BMW’s intention was to replace its smaller saloons, providing a clear distinction with its coupe models. The 5 Series set the trend for naming models with 3 digits, e.g. 520, 525 (the first number being the model, the second and third numbers are the engine size in decilitres). Each of the 5 generations of the 5 Series is recognised by a unique ‘E’ number chassis reference.

Motoring Review:Audi A5

Where Audi really needed to improve its game was in the driver involvement department. With the A5, it has just done that. The coupe features a wide track, its steering has been engineered from scratch, the quattro 4WD is biased towards the rear and the front axle has been moved forward 120mm to counteract understeer. All this work has had the desired effect.