Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
Ray Leathern

Creator

Ray Leathern

Guest Author

The new BMW 1-series: Still a Marmite car?

The BMW 1-series was always a "Marmite car"; you either loved it or hated it. But it still hit a high note with consumers. So what about the new one?

Polo GTI: Something like a phenomenon

Polo GTI: Something like a phenomenon

<strong>Ray Leathern</strong> praises VW’s new Polo GTI as a victory of benevolent democracy over old-fashioned dictatorship.

Ten years of Mini Cooper

Ten years of Mini Cooper

<B>Ray Leathern</b> looks back on 10 years of the iconic Mini brand.

Built to blend

Built to blend

<strong>Ray Leathern</strong> believes the new Ford Fiesta deserves a little more scrutiny than is afforded most small cars.

Bright Spark

Bright Spark

<strong>Ray Leathern</strong> spends a month testing a pseudo-holiday hire Chevy Spark.

More regal than ever

More regal than ever

When you climb up into the cabin of a Range Rover Vogue you immediately feel an air of invincibility wash over you.

Geely versus Volvo: Is this the end?

Geely versus Volvo: Is this the end?

Chinese car-maker Geely has bought Volvo and <b>Ray Leathern</b> has been driving a C70 wondering if this is the beginning of the end for Volvo.

Lights

Lights, camera, action Audi A8

<strong>Ray Leathern</strong> has spent a few days finding out if the new A8 still cuts it as the movie star of the automobile industry.

Pick of the crop

Pick of the crop

Buying your first new car should be a carefully orchestrated exercise in balancing value for money with your thirst for personal independence.

A curious case of the Honda Accord Tourer

A curious case of the Honda Accord Tourer

Not only does the Honda Accord Tourer feel big at speed, it feels even bigger when piloting it through car parks, writes <b>Ray Leathern</b>.

Cruel intentions

You don’t need to be Mario Andretti behind the wheel to realise the S5 cabriolet is not a particularly sporty car, writes <b>Ray Leathern</b>.

I wouldn’t be caught dead in that

I wouldn’t be caught dead in that

<strong>Ray Leathern</strong> reviews three cars that are unbelievably embarrassing to be seen in, but are oh-so-good to drive.

Flying the Koup

Flying the Koup

Good looking and good value it most certainly is, but <b>Ray Leathern</b> is itching to find out if the Kia Koup is a sports car.

Crash of the Triton

Crash of the Triton

The new Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 4×4 is by all intents and purposes a Triton with seven seats and a fixed back end.

A space odyssey

A space odyssey

To celebrate the retirement of the Honda S2000 we decided to let it do what it does best: stretch its legs on a stunning piece of road.

No more drab diesels

No more drab diesels

Ray Leathern samples the latest Mercedes-Benz eco-warriors.

More than a Quasimodo of a car

More than a Quasimodo of a car

I’m very fond of the German inclination to be uber-rational and uber-literal at all times. Like when they invent new words for complex things.

Like a golf, only nimbler

Ray Leathern takes the new VW Polo for a spin and discovers that it’s an ‘alarmingly impressive’ car.

A four-wheel expletive

It’s enthusiasm for driving, ironically, that works both as a blessing and a curse when reviewing cars.

The best Kia around

This year should be remembered as the year Kia became ambitious — in the last 12 months they’ve introduced three new cars in major segments.