• About Joanne Ahern

    Joanne is a Dublin-based journalist whose interest in new cars stems from a childhood of being let down by bangers. When not road testing motors she gets around in a Peugeot 307cc called Ben. Joanne loves chocolate and coffee and is not a fan of electric parking brakes.

    Avensis is an agile mountain climber

    by  • February 15, 2012 • Car Reviews, Test Drives

    2012 Toyota Avensis exterior - right front

    The new Toyota Avensis is a wonderful car to drive. I was impressed by its agility, its lovely, smooth drive and its handling when I took it out on the Dublin Mountains. It’s an elegant looking car, which is very spacious both back and front and also has a massive boot, with a hatch...

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    Jeep’s grand adventure

    by  • February 8, 2012 • Car Reviews, Test Drives

    2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee exterior

    If you’re new to the Jeep brand one of the first things you’ll be asking yourself as you slip into the luxurious heated leather driver’s seat of the Grand Cherokee is ‘how the hell do I turn on the wipers’’, even more so if it happens to be raining when you do so. Indicators...

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    Citroën’s DS4 balances style with substance

    by  • February 1, 2012 • Car Reviews, Test Drives

    2012 Citroen DS4 exterior

    The Citroën DS4 is a thing of angular beauty – from its snazzy looking and unusually shaped rear doors (and hidden door handles) to its front lights. The DS4 also makes great graphic use of its badge at the rear. Inside, the fabric and leather combo seats are nice and firm, with adjustable back...

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    Driving pleasure in the Scout 4×4

    by  • January 25, 2012 • Car Reviews, Test Drives

    2011 Skoda Octavia Scout exterior - front

    If you’ve got your heart set on something that has the look of an estate but the feel of a 4×4 then you could do worse than check out the Skoda Octavia Scout 4×4. While the Yeti might be the best known of Skoda’s 4×4 offerings, it’s joined in the line up by the...

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    Fiat plays mind games with Punto Evo GP

    by  • January 18, 2012 • Car Reviews, Test Drives

    2011 Fiat Punto Evo GP exterior

    Fiat does like playing quirky little mind games with its drivers. In the Fiat 500 it was ‘how the hell do I open the windows’ after it moved the button to the centre console and in its bigger brother, the Punto Evo GP, the speedometer and Rev Counter have been transposed (I’m thinking of...

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    Polite Outlander will see you

    by  • January 11, 2012 • Car Reviews, Test Drives

    2011 Mitsubishi Outlander exterior

    It’s not every car that says goodbye to you when you turn off its engine but the Mitsubishi Outlander does just that with its quirky ‘See You’ on the display panel. A little quirk like that is not really what you’d expect from a big authorative looking vehicle like the Outlander but it’s a...

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    Classy Mondeo glides along

    by  • December 14, 2011 • Car Reviews, Test Drives

    2011 Ford Mondeo exterior

    There was a time when the two words ‘Mondeo man’ when used together was a term of derision, but let me tell you the new Ford Mondeo is nothing to scoff at. It’s a real classy looking car, long and sleek with a hint of muscle on the outside, with eye catching front LED...

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    Modern vintage in the Fiat 500

    by  • November 16, 2011 • Car Reviews, Test Drives

    2011 Fiat 500 exterior - front view

    Vintage glamour meets technical sophistication in the Fiat 500. Small and cute, the Fiat 500 has a real old style feel to it, but it’s crammed full of modern technology. The Matt Black version I was driving features satin chrome mirrors and door handles and is one of a number of Fiat 500 specials....

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