Author Archives: Nick Johnson

Full Name: Nick Johnson Website:
Info: Nick is the founder of MyCarCoach (mycarcoach.co.uk), a service that takes the hassle out of car-buying by recommending and then finding the best car for its clients, so he is used to passing his critical eye over the latest dream machines.
Reviews March 11, 2017 posted by Nick Johnson

2017 Jaguar F-Pace – their first SUV: 59 mpg, aluminium construction and a set of waterproof keys [Review]

The premium SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) market is for luxury car makers what the Oscars after-party is to celebrities: each is desperate to get in on the action to further their own careers. When Porsche launched their Cayenne SUV fifteen years ago they went from zero (profit) to money-making hero. Making sports cars is all very well, yet like owning a selection of race horses, they may look impressive, but you try making money from them! SUVs on the other…

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2017 Jaguar F-Pace – their first SUV: 59 mpg, aluminium construction and a set of waterproof keys [Review]
Reviews October 29, 2016 posted by Nick Johnson

2017 Volvo V90 – Swedish luxury and self-drive economy (65 mpg) – this is not your grandfather’s Volvo Estate [Review]

Volvo has always liked to do things differently according to their bigwigs, but in the past, different often seemed to mean cars that could be best described as safe, practical and dependable. Not bad qualities in fairness, but thanks to some hefty investment from Volvo’s Chinese parent, Geely, their latest flagship S90 (saloon) and V90 (estate) now offer additional terms of endearment like sleek, handsome and modern.  This level of progress continues inside too with the offer of suitably futuristic…

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2017 Volvo V90 – Swedish luxury and self-drive economy (65 mpg)  – this is not your grandfather’s Volvo Estate [Review]
Reviews August 25, 2016 posted by Nick Johnson

2016 Jaguar XF – Super 70 MPG Economy And Ultra Sleek Style: This Cat Purrs! [Review]

Back in 2007 when Jaguars still had a whiff of Werther’s Original about them, the first generation XF represented a big change of direction for the company. Out went the yesteryear styling and in came modern designs that proved there was life in the old cat yet. Fast forward to 2016 and there is now a new XF on the prowl. For 2016 this new Jaguar XF has received a bodywork upgrade, not just in terms of its desirable lines…

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2016 Jaguar XF – Super 70 MPG Economy And Ultra Sleek Style: This Cat Purrs! [Review]
Reviews July 22, 2016 posted by Nick Johnson

2016 VW Tiguan – the 56 MPG soccer mom surfer

You cannot keep a good man (or women) down so the saying goes and Volkswagen has certainly been knocked hard after its emission scandal.  To borrow famously from Her Majesty the Queen, it has undoubtedly been Volkswagen’s annus horribilis.  Nevertheless Volkswagen being rather good at what they do and being the second biggest car company in the world after all, have decided to fight back with a raft of new products. This second generation Tiguan (pronounced Tig-wan) forms part of…

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2016 VW Tiguan – the 56 MPG soccer mom surfer
Reviews July 12, 2016 posted by Nick Johnson

2016 Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion – 65 MPG, 3-cylinder, turbo charged hot hatch style [Review]

Ask most people for ideas on what car to buy and they will often reply: “just buy a Golf”. They do this not because it is the only car they think of when put on the spot, but because it does everything you ask of it so well.  Recently however, certain diesel Golfs have been caught out doing a little too well at emission tests, something that has now snow-balled into an industry-wide scandal causing diesel engines to become something…

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2016 Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion – 65 MPG, 3-cylinder, turbo charged hot hatch style [Review]
Reviews June 2, 2016 posted by Nick Johnson

2016 Tesla Model S – Supercar performance, space for seven and zero exhaust emissions! [Review]

Ten years ago none of us had even heard of Tesla, but with their Model S you cannot help but wonder whether the bigwigs at other luxury car makers have been caught with their feet up munching on the biscuits in the staff canteen. This is because Tesla for all their youth (incorporated in 2003) have effectively rewritten the rule book on luxury saloons, producing the first electric car which offers a usable real-world range (at least 250 miles), fast…

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2016 Tesla Model S – Supercar performance, space for seven and zero exhaust emissions! [Review]
Reviews April 21, 2016 posted by Nick Johnson

2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport – all singing, all (53 MPG) dancing [Review]

Think of a Land Rover Discovery and you will no doubt think of the big, bulky off roader with a front as sleek as the White Cliffs of Dover and lines that could only have been inspired by a setsquare. It is quite possibly all the car you could ever need, but now there is a new addition to the family: Discovery Sport. Is it worthy of the name? We find out. The Discovery Sport replaces the Freelander model but…

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2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport – all singing, all (53 MPG) dancing [Review]
Reviews March 23, 2016 posted by Nick Johnson

2016 MINI Convertible: Top down sun catcher, fun-seekers required [Review]

Here in the UK we buy more convertibles than the Spanish, Italians and French put together, which is rather surprising given the 50 shades of grey that so often typifies our weather.  Convertible owners must be an optimistic bunch and MINI found many of them for its topless model which became the best selling of its kind on these shores. Thankfully to test this third generation model, the MINI team wisely decided that optimism has its limits in expecting good…

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2016 MINI Convertible: Top down sun catcher, fun-seekers required [Review]
Reviews March 16, 2016 posted by Nick Johnson

2016 Jaguar XE: Cool, 70 MPG, aluminium and all for a cat’s whisker under £27k! [Review]

Every time Jaguar releases a new model there is always talk that it is the most important yet, but with the launch of their new small saloon, XE, this really is the big one. Like any good parent, Tata Motors has been patient in nurturing its child, stumping up the necessary cash to give it the best start in going from bespoke manufacturer to proper premium player.

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2016 Jaguar XE: Cool, 70 MPG, aluminium and all for a cat’s whisker under £27k! [Review]
Reviews February 2, 2016 posted by Nick Johnson

2016 BMW 7 Series – 60 MPG, carbon-fibre, laser light luxury! [Review]

When you hear of BMW’s 7 Series model, what do you think of? Pampered rear passengers? Or, perhaps the car from the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies?  In that movie, a 7 Series was famously used to avoid the bad guys by being driven remotely via mobile phone.  Fast forward to 2016 and in both cases you could well be talking about this latest version of BMW’s flagship.

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2016 BMW 7 Series – 60 MPG, carbon-fibre, laser light luxury! [Review]
Reviews November 23, 2015 posted by Nick Johnson

2016 BMW 3 Series – 74 mpg, stylish frugal thrills [Review]

As parties go, visiting the Rioja region of Spain to celebrate the 40th birthday of BMW’s 3 Series is a fine way to start. The first model launched back in 1975, the same time incidentally as new tech upstart called Microsoft. This revised sixth-generation car is the result of BMW sending its best Bavarian boffins to tinker and improve the 3 Series after it came in for some serious competition from Jaguar’s new XE. So was the work worth it?…

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2016 BMW 3 Series – 74 mpg, stylish frugal thrills [Review]