“What’s the best car you’ve ever driven?” If I had a penny for every time I’ve been asked a derivative of this question… I’d have a few quid. But, it’s a common question and far from an unreasonable one. The tricky thing is answering it. What do you want or need from a car? Does it need to be able to lap the Nürburgring faster than anything else, or does it need to get the kids to school and you to work in quiet comfort? You can’t judge a McLaren 750S in the same way you judge a BMW 7 Series, they’re too different and set out to achieve very different things.
So, what we have here is a shakedown of the cars I’ve most enjoyed driving this year. I keep a private list of everything that I’ve driven and these are the cars that I have rated as 10/10. It’s a personal rating, as much given on sentiment as anything else. Did I particularly enjoy driving that car? Was it comprehensively able meet its intended brief? Did it simply make me feel all warm and fuzzy?
It’s worth noting that not all of these cars were launched in 2024, they’re just cars that I’ve driven in 2024. This isn’t Top Gear or Auto Car, so I’m not being flown out to car launches to review them hot off the press. I wait until I can review them on UK roads, using them for the sort of day-to-day activities you’d generally use a car for: long motorway schleps, school runs, commuting, finding your favourite B-road to find the enjoyment sweet spot.
So, here are the cars I’ve enjoyed most in 2024. To read each review, simply click on the sub-heading to be re-directed.
Honda Civic Type-R
The FL5 Honda Civic Type-R had a lot to live up to and, boy, did it live up to it. The aesthetics have been toned down but the driving experience most categorically has not. Put simply, it’s a stunning machine. The manual box is a joy to shift through, the steering and chassis are communicative and you can hustle it with absolute conviction.
They don’t make cars like this much anymore and cars like this will very soon be relics of bygone, halcyon days. “Is the Honda Civic Type R the best hot hatch available right now?” I asked. “Yeah, it probably is. If you can get hold of one, that is. It’s a special machine. In a rapidly changing automotive industry, if this is to be the last Honda Civic Type R, then you can only doff your cap in Honda’s direction for going out on such a high.”
BMW 7 Series
Another stunningly good car, albeit for completely different reasons. The BMW 7 Series isn’t designed to tackle country roads in all-out attack mode. Rather, become enveloped in the ocean of leather, embrace the silence and waft along in perfect serenity.
On a drive to Nottingham and back, it ticked off the miles with elegance and grace. It’s whisper quiet and the audio system is sensational. On the commute to work, getting stuck in Putney provided no stress whatsoever, with it merely presenting an extended opportunity to have one’s back massaged. Then, the kids loved it with its drop-down TV in the back. It’s a car that takes comfort to a whole new level.
Audi S8
This is very much a personal preference, but I absolutely love the Audi S8. The thing I’m most drawn to is how understated it is. You’d be forgiven for barely noticing its existence; it looks a bit like an A6 and there are few clues to the fact it’s equipped with a barnstorming V8 which means this limo can chase sportscars.
On a drive back from Barry, in Wales, it was a soothing yet progressive place to be. In some cars, you can attract the wrong sort of attention, refusing the advances of others to engage in more aggressive driving. In the Audi S8, no one pays it such attention and, even if they did, you’d likely make them disappear in your rearview mirror with surprising haste. Rather, I could tackle the drudgery of the M4 on an overcast Sunday my own way. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Ferrari Roma
Cards on the table, I love a GT. Big engine in front, opulence in the middle, a bit of practicality behind you. It’s a formula that has made SUVs so successful, but to drive something like the Roma makes you wonder why you’d opt for a house on wheels over something like this. Okay, if you’ve got kids and dogs I see your point, but does Rover need to be propelled from 0-60 in four-seconds back there?
The Roma is an ode to the GT. It has the retro styling and an unmistakeably Ferrari gait. You get lulled into a false sense of security, that this is nothing more than a laid-back poser’s car. Then you get assertive with the throttle, the V8 barks into action and life starts coming at you in the way you’d expect it to in something donning this badge. It goes like a supercar yet can cosset you like a limo. It’s also a car you don’t tire of driving.
McLaren 750S Spider
It’s amazing. I could leave it there but I feel I owe more of an explanation. The starting point, as it is with all McLarens, is the steering. The electrohydraulic setup lends a sense of feel and connection that is receding from the industry. You can drive it at 30mph and marvel in the precision of its responses to your inputs. But, you won’t do that, because this is a supercar.
It has the looks and it has the performance. One of the fastest cars I’ve driven this year (or any other year), that’s not what sets it apart. There’s a sense of theatre combined with clinical excellence. It’s never out of its power zone in a road setting, with an unholy amount of shove constantly available. Snicking through the gears via the paddles is a joy, the cockpit is set up solely for the driver and all I need now is for my Euromillions numbers to come in…
BMW M4 Competition
I really wasn’t expecting the BMW M4 Competition to be this good. I mean, I expected it to be good, but it’s been around a while now and the sands of time stand still for no man, or car. Yet, here is a car that does it all. I got the kids in the back, comfortably, I attacked country roads with great gusto, precision and a scarcely believable level of traction and I trekked to Leeds and back in a howl of straight-six glory.
The drive modes really help to set it apart. There’s genuine configurability which helps you get out of the M4 what you need, when you need it. You know what this car is about from the first few miles behind the wheel, but the configurability adds depth to the experience. It may be a recognisable face on the scene, but it stands tall as one of the super saloons to be aspired to.
TLE’s car of the year 2024
Hot hatches, GTs, limos, super saloons and supercars… all provided outstanding drives in 2024. There was one, however, which turned things up to 11. It impressed with its ability to cover long distances with consummate ease, with its ability to stun everyone with its turn of pace and the way it could engage with you at any speed in any setting. That’s the McLaren 750S.
Everything is so driver focussed. There are no buttons on the steering wheel, no domineering infotainment screen and all the stuff that impacts the drive is within touching distance of the wheel. You always feel at one with the car and even after a long journey you can’t wait to get back in and drive it again. There was also a surprising amount of practicality, a car you could use daily.
I always look forward to driving a McLaren. Obviously, you might well retort. It’s the steering, mostly, but the precision and raw speed thrill, too. The 750S had tough shoes to fill in the form of the 720S and I was a tad nervous ahead of driving the 750S that it might not be able to fit the billing. Any fears quickly dissipated as I hit my stride early in the 750S. The plethora of other awards this car has won bear testimony to just how exceptional it is.
I knew it would excel on country roads. It was a long day trip to Leeds and back which cemented its place in my affections. A 400-mile roundtrip isn’t supposed to be for supercars, but the 750S took it in its stride. The sheer pace of the thing kept the journey engaging and the ride quality was impressive. I thought I’d be dragging it well outside its comfort zone, but not a bit of it.
Thank you!
I hope you’ve enjoyed my car reviews this year. I’ve got plenty more coming up in 2025, so stick with us for more independent reviews. I’ll be kicking off with a couple of rugged off-roaders, a hot hatch and taking a supercar down an autobahn (hopefully!), plus much, much more besides.
You can read the rest of our reviews here: https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/tech-auto/automotive/. This article is just a selection of my absolute favourites from this year. There were some other belters as well, as I’m sure there will be next year, too. See you soon!