Motoring journalist Gareth Butterfield convinces Honda to let him borrow one of their stunning museum pieces for seven days, here's how he got on. DAY ONE The car I'm testing this week is something of a personal indulgence. The nice man at Honda asked me if I'd like to try one of the cars in his heritage fleet. And I pretty much bit his hand off. Honda, as with many manufacturers, keeps a collection of some of its favourite cars locked away out of sight, cosseted as if they were its delicate children. Every once in a while they let these cherished, immaculate examples out for people to play with and reminisce about the good old days. The list of cars Honda sent me to choose from read like a Greatest Hits album, but I decided to settle a score and borrow a car I'd always wanted to drive, but had never been given a chance to - the Honda Integra Type R. I know it's a bit of a cliché, but this car is something of an automotive legend. Its boldest claim is that many motoring … [Read more...] about Review: the Honda Integra Type-R
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Car review: Honda HR-V Sport
If you are looking for an engaging drive, chances are your first choice would not be an SUV. Too tall. So when Honda introduced a new sporty version of its smallest SUV, the HR-V, called the, er, HR-V Sport, most people were just expecting a bit more pep and perhaps the odd bit of red trim. In fact, the car’s handling came as a revelation. On twisty country roads near its international launch in Lisbon the Sport gobbled up corners like a greedy teenager and seemed to encourage the driver to give it an extra helping of beans. Armed with a 182PS 1.5-litre VTEC turbo engine it is not going to set your socks on fire, but there is easily enough grunt to make cross-country dashes plenty of fun. Whether the Sport has a slick six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed step-shifted CVT auto, it always feels eager to press on, but is equally happy to noodle around town at a snail’s pace. The driving position is spot-on, and both the steering and gearbox are a joy to use. I … [Read more...] about Car review: Honda HR-V Sport
Honda HR-V Sport review
The original HR-V was labelled the Joy Machine by Honda’s marketing bods back in the early 2000s. It was meant to appeal to young buyers with its “unique” styling and and blend the practical benefits of an SUV with a compact form. It was ahead of its time in many ways but was abandoned in 2006 amid mediocre sales. Wind on to 2015 and the world was ready for compact crossovers and the HR-V was reborn as a more conventional-looking entrant into the market. Honda HR-V Sport Price: £27,595 Jump ahead four more years and the HR-V has had some mild titivation with a new grille, bumper, wheels and lights but has also had a more major change in the oily bits with the addition of a 180bhp turbo engine to this Sport model. The HR-V falls into that subset of crossovers that are bigger than the Juke, Ecosport and Captur but smaller than the Qashqai, Kuga and Kadjar. It’s up against the likes of the Mazda CX-3 and Toyota C-HR. In this Sport guise, it also needs to … [Read more...] about Honda HR-V Sport review
What did our reviewer make of Queens Bar & Grill in Bury St Edmunds?
PUBLISHED: 12:37 16 April 2019 | UPDATED: 12:37 16 April 2019 Queens Bar & Grill in Bury St Edmunds. Picture: MARK HEATH Archant Mark Heath and his wife Liz visited Quens Bar & Grill in Bury St Edmunds, which is making waves on the local food scene for its American-style offerings and fantastic Man vs Food-esque challenges. Here’s what they made of it. We shared a starter at Queens Bar & Grill - beef bites. Quality pieces of meat in a crispy batter!FoodQueens Bar & Grill is the latest venture from noted Bury St Edmunds foodie Ben Hutton, who already runs the popular Ben's restaurant in the town.This new offering is just a few doors down from Ben's, in what used to be the Queens Head pub, formerly a staple of Bury's nightlife, which fell on hard times and closed.Walking in on a Wednesday night, it was nice to see that elements of the old pub remain, but the interior has been given a facelift to make it feel more like a place you'd want to go and eat.Ordering … [Read more...] about What did our reviewer make of Queens Bar & Grill in Bury St Edmunds?
Review: Why is the Honda CR-V one of the world’s best-selling SUV’s?
Over its long history, Honda's CR-V has quietly become the world's best-selling SUV and this latest version doesn't look all that different to its predecessor, but it's still a big improvement. And it's perfect timing for a car like this to maintain its crown at the top of the SUV tree, as the nation seems to want nothing other than a jacked-up mud-plugger as their family workhorse. As diverse as its talents are, most CRVs will inevitably end up on the school run, the office commute or possibly, in rare cases, crossing grassy fields at a point-to-point or towing a caravan to Norfolk. So what's new? Well, to start off it has a stiffer chassis, so it handles a bit better than the predecessor and, although the newcomer is the same length as the car it replaces, the wheelbase is stretched so there's 50mm more legroom in the back. There's also a range of technology improvements to make it more clever and more user-friendly and safety has been turned up a few notches. But the big news is the … [Read more...] about Review: Why is the Honda CR-V one of the world’s best-selling SUV’s?