{"id":22493,"date":"2018-01-02T10:23:46","date_gmt":"2018-01-02T10:23:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yallacompare.com\/car-deals\/?p=22493"},"modified":"2018-01-03T09:52:54","modified_gmt":"2018-01-03T09:52:54","slug":"best-cars-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yallacompare.com\/car-deals\/best-cars-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"2017 In Review: Our Top Test Drives"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s a new year \u2013 and that means it\u2019s time to reflect back on the previous 12 months with our top car picks. Okay, we know we only launched in September, but our team of writers has been testing cars throughout the year, meaning we got a pretty good handle on the lay of the motoring land in 2017.<\/p>\n

So, in no particular order, and in no particular class, here are the top cars we tested in 2017. Which would you most like to see on your driveway?<\/p>\n

\"Golf<\/h3>\n

Golf GTI<\/h3>\n

We\u2019ll start with an obvious one. Anyone who\u2019s driven the Golf GTI<\/a> immediately gets why it\u2019s so special. The GTI is a combination of incredible practicality (packaged into a small form factor) and superb dynamic ability. We recently tested the updated Mark VII, with an extra 10 bhp and a new infotainment system. Not as fast as the Golf R, but as far as we\u2019re concerned almost without fault, the Golf GTI is the definitive hot hatch. Read the full review here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Audi<\/h3>\n

Audi S5 Coupe<\/h3>\n

How would you like a German coupe that drives as well and feels as luxurious as a Bentley Continental GT, but costs about a third of the price? That\u2019s basically what the Audi S5 Coupe<\/a> is. We drove the standard version of Audi\u2019s new A4 at the beginning of 2017, and we were suitably impressed. But when we got our hands on the S5, which comes with 354 bhp, 3.0-litre, turbocharged V6, we were blown away. Check out the full review here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Porsche<\/h3>\n

Porsche 718 Cayman<\/h3>\n

It may make a rubbish noise, but the Porsche 718 Cayman<\/a> is a seriously well sorted car. Even in \u2018base\u2019 guise, it delivers more speed and excitement than you could possibly ever need on public roads \u2013 and we reckon it\u2019d be a blast on the track, too. A couple of annoyances in the arrangement of the cabin don\u2019t deter us from recommending the Cayman as one of the finest drivers\u2019 cars going. It really is that good. Check out our video review here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Audi<\/h3>\n

Audi Q2<\/h3>\n

Who knew that the world needed a tiny SUV that\u2019s about the size of a family hatchback, but slightly raised? To be honest, we\u2019re still not convinced that the world does need such a car, but Audi has completely nailed the class brief with the Q2<\/a>. While it\u2019s essentially a raised A3, the Q2 feels as special and premium as any of Audi\u2019s other SUVs. And it costs about AED 40,000 less than the Mini Countryman, the only car that can hold a candle to the Q2 in the class. If you\u2019re looking for a tiny crossover, the Q2 has got to be the one. Head here for the full review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Bentley<\/h3>\n

Bentley Bentayga<\/h3>\n

The fact that the Bentley Bentayga<\/a> is so unnecessary is what really makes us fall for it. Let\u2019s face it \u2013 if you\u2019re looking for an uber-luxury SUV, you\u2019ll be more than satisfied with a Range Rover. But if you\u2019re willing to spend about twice as much, Bentley will sell you the ultimate expression of luxury SUV motoring. Imagine driving about in Buckingham Palace, and you\u2019re on the right track. Oh, except you\u2019ll be doing 0-100 km\/h 4.0 seconds and be able to scale any mountain or bash any dune. Much want. Here\u2019s our review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Jeep<\/h3>\n

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT<\/h3>\n

Another full-size SUV that\u2019s silly-fast, the Grand Cherokee SRT makes the list simply because of the monster under its bonnet. It\u2019s a naturally aspirated, 6.4-litre HEMI V8, good for 475 bhp. The 0-100 km\/h time is 4.8 seconds, meaning it\u2019s slower than a few cars on this list, but the way it delivers its power is incredible. The slightest blip of the accelerator will result in a distant but stomach-wrenching rumble, while flooring it will unleash a torrent of adrenalin-fuelled fury. Flick the drive selector to Sport mode, and everything is dialled up to 11 \u2013 you get more noise, more drama, more grin-inducing responses. It\u2019s wonderful in just about every way if you like your full-fat V8s. Hats off to Jeep for that one.<\/p>\n

\"Ford<\/h3>\n

Ford Mustang 5.0 GT California Special<\/h3>\n

A late entry, we tested this iteration of the Ford Mustang<\/a> just a couple of weeks ago, but it was so good that it had to be included on this list. Essentially, this is everything you want a Mustang to be \u2013 it\u2019s fast, good-looking, and actually quite reasonably priced. You get a 5.0-litre V8 that develops 435 bhp, meaning this Mustang is good for 0-100 km\/h in 4.4 seconds. And this thing will actually handle \u2013 really well. The California Special<\/a> trim is the icing on the cake \u2013 you get special-edition rims and interior flourishes, making this a really special car. Check out our video walkthrough<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Porsche<\/h3>\n

Porsche Macan<\/h3>\n

Given its success with the Cayenne, is it really any surprise that Porsche\u2019s Macan compact SUV is properly good? We tested it out in \u2018base\u2019 trim, meaning we got a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo engine developing 250 bhp. While that doesn\u2019t seem a lot, the Macan is light, meaning it\u2019ll still do 0-100 km\/h in just over 6 seconds. Plus, that lightness is a blessing around the corners \u2013 the Macan feels and acts like a proper sportscar. No other compact SUV delivers driving thrills quite like the Macan. Keep an eye out for our review soon.<\/p>\n

\"VW<\/h3>\n

Volkswagen Tiguan<\/h3>\n

We\u2019re rounding off this list with a sensible entry. Like the Golf GTI is the definitive hot hatchback, the Tiguan is the definitive compact family SUV. It\u2019s practical, it\u2019s economical, it drives well, and it\u2019s supremely comfortable. Oh, and prices start at AED 90,000 with loads of kit as standard. Given that it shares loads of parts with the Audi Q5, we\u2019d say that\u2019s the bargain of the century. In fact, we wonder why you\u2019d pay so much more for the Audi when the Volkswagen is so well sorted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s a new year \u2013 and that means it\u2019s time to reflect back on the previous 12 months with our top car picks. Okay, we know we only launched in September, but our team of writers has been testing cars throughout the year, meaning we got a pretty good handle on the lay of the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":22499,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,2666],"tags":[2770,2693,2601,2772,2539,2773,2595,2626,2553,2674,2775,2774,2569,2771,2559,2560,2552,2551],"class_list":["post-22493","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-motors","category-reviews","tag-2770","tag-audi","tag-bentley","tag-best-of","tag-cars","tag-compact-suvs","tag-dubai","tag-ford","tag-hatchbacks","tag-jeep","tag-porsche","tag-saloons","tag-suvs","tag-top-lists","tag-uae","tag-united-arab-emirates","tag-volkswagen","tag-vw"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yallacompare.com\/car-deals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22493","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yallacompare.com\/car-deals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yallacompare.com\/car-deals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yallacompare.com\/car-deals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yallacompare.com\/car-deals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22493"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yallacompare.com\/car-deals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22493\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yallacompare.com\/car-deals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yallacompare.com\/car-deals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22493"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yallacompare.com\/car-deals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22493"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yallacompare.com\/car-deals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22493"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}