By Miles Downard
It’s that time of year again, and my what a year it’s been. Trump is going to be president of America. JZ’s cage has finally been rattled. Brexit kind of happened. But what I really care about is looking back at the top 5 best cars I drove in 2016, so here they are.
I love a fast Ford. And what is more iconic than an RS Ford? This one breaks the mould of recent RS models by going back to the drawing board and coming up with what is honestly the best All Wheel Drive system I’ve ever encountered. So many AWD cars these days suffer from chronic understeer, which to overcome you need to be a complete lunatic.
Not in the RS though. This thing drives like a rear wheel drive car, only giving you far more confidence through a corner. It’s an amazing feat. That coupled with a 2.3 litre turbo charged motor, a short shifting 6 speed manual and the best bucket seats this side of a race car…well, you can see why I love it.
If there’s a car that I’ve traditionally not seen eye to eye with it’s the Golf GTI. Despite all its fanatical fans over the world I personally have never fully understood what the fuss was about. Yes it’s fast, yes it’s practical, yes it says VW on the front. I just never found it to be any fun. And what’s a hot hatch all about if it isn’t a bit of fun?
Well the new Golf GTI Clubsport really showed me a thing or two on the mountain passes of the Western Cape. Despite some heavy rainfall and sheer drops I found myself consistently egging on the 2.0 litre turbo charged motor, capable of 195kW in standard form and 213kW on overboost. The limited slip differential keeps those front tyres in check brilliantly, while the overall chassis dynamic has been tweaked (thanks to aerodynamic aids) to create a Golf GTI that is a HUGE amount of fun. All at the price I dare say cannot be beat.
Opel isn’t really a manufacturer that sits on many people’s radars anymore. But that’s something the company is working really hard to change. This Astra is proof that Opel is producing some of the most technologically advanced passenger vehicles in their respective classes. In fact I think this thing has some kit that even the likes of the Mercedes S Class hasn’t seen before. Not only that but they’re practically giving them away they’re so cheap. There’s a good reason the Astra has won international car of the year, and as we speak sits in the final of the SAGMJ Car of the Year competition locally.
Safe to say the Mazda 1.5 DE Hazumi has one of the best small diesel motors I’ve ever come across. Mated with Mazda’s automatic gearbox it delivers power excellently, sips frugally at the fuel tank and feels punchy across the rev range. It’s quite remarkable. Couple that with a package that looks as good as the Mazda does and you must have a winner right? Well to sweeten the pot even more Mazda offers up some nice kit, like navigation, cruise control and all kinds of other controls too. Just bought a Polo TDI? Kept the receipt I hope?
This is probably a fairly controversial decision considering the new Toyota Hilux was also launched this year – and honestly the Toyota is an incredibly good bakkie. It’s such a big step up over the previous generation but in my books I’d still rather have the Ford Ranger. The Ranger has been around long enough now that we know it’s tough as nails and as reliable as the sun rising, making it a match for the Hilux in that department. So, it comes down to looks (subjective), interior, features and capability. To my eye the Ranger looks better, interior is not quite up to the Toyota, has a load more features and is equally capable. On balance then, as I’m sure you have deduced, my win goes to the Ford. And I’d happily pick this as my recreational work vehicle of choice.
