Reviews 01
How to plan a test drive that tells you something
Most test drives are too short, too supervised and too flattering. Here is a way to run one that leaves you knowing whether you want to live with the car.
The main work of this site
Reviews and test drives
Six long reads, each built from the same set of checks and written after real drives on roads around Sharjah and beyond. They are meant to be read slowly, with a cup of coffee, rather than skimmed on the way to a showroom.
Reviews 02
Reading a review without the sales gloss
Car writing is full of words that sound authoritative and carry no information. Here is how to find the paragraphs that were written by someone who actually drove the car.
Reviews 03
Cooling that holds through a Gulf summer
Two cars with identical specifications can behave very differently after four hours in an open car park. This is what to test, and what to ask about.
Reviews 04
Seats, posture and the long drive
A seat that feels wonderful in a showroom can become intolerable on the second hour. These are the checks that separate the two.
Reviews 05
Visibility, glare and mirrors on Gulf roads
Styling has made cars harder to see out of, exactly as our eyes need more help. Here is how to judge the view from the driving seat before you commit.
Reviews 06
Tyres, brakes and heat on Emirates roads
Heat is hardest on the parts you cannot see working. What to check, what to replace, and which common advice is simply wrong.
Nothing on this page is sponsored, and no seller has seen any of it before publication. Where a car is criticised, the criticism is the writer's own opinion after driving it, and you are encouraged to test the same points yourself.
Calm reviews from Sharjah
Take the long way home
If you are about to spend a serious sum on a car, or you already have one that has stopped being pleasant in the heat, a conversation costs nothing. Call, describe how and where you drive, and you will get an honest answer even if that answer is that you do not need any help at all.