The 10 Best Car Reviews, According To Reddit

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May have moved on from their car review days but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In The Grand Tour’s latest special, “A Scandi Flick,” the trio once again proves that there are still lots of interesting ways to entertain fans. Over the past two years, the presenters have focused on tours after the Amazon Prime Video series put an end to the review segments.

Though the world’s most popular gearheads have adapted to their new professional circumstances, fans will always be nostalgic about their analysis of various car models. Their Top Gear reviews are specifically held in high regard by motoring enthusiasts, especially the ones on Reddit.

10/10 Ferrari F40 vs. Porsche 959 (Season 16, Episode 6)

That’s_absd names the “Ferrari F40 vs. Porsche 959” review as one of the best ones. It involves Hammond taking a look at two of his favorite childhood cars.

The review finds Hammond in comedic form as he dishes out harsh truths on how car manufacturers usually rush to make new models that are no different from the previous ones. An interesting detail he notes is that the 1987 Ferrari F40 has a top speed of 201mph while the 1986 version of the same car hits 200mph. Why exactly the manufacturer would only add 1 mph is something that leaves both him and the viewers baffled. And since both cars are his favorites, Hammond demonstrates a level of bias, refusing to declare one of the two cars as better than the others. Well, in typical series fashion, it’s later proven that the presenter is simply nostalgic and none of the cars is as good as he says. That’s because they both break down when the Stig test drives them.

9/10 The New Ford Fiesta (Season 12, Episode 6)

Redditor joraig3k loves “Jeremy’s review of the restyled Fiesta just for the Blues Brothers baddie chase.” The specific review involves the presenter testing the new Ford Fiesta.

The review is a golden one because Jeremy comes up with all kinds of hilarious ways to criticize the car’s size, even stating that it can only fit “2.2 children.” But as the Redditor puts it, the best moment comes when he tests the wheel grip. To do that, he takes a page from one of the best movie car chases of the ’80s and has fake baddies chase him through the slippery walls of a mall. To his relief, the Fiesta doesn’t keep sliding like the Corvette..

8/10 Jaguar F-Type (Season 20, Episode 6)

Thyme_Machine enjoyed “the review of the F-type/British pride segment.” In it, Clarkson drives the F-Type V6S through some of the finest British roads while analyzing its features.

Clarkson’s love for Jaguars has always been deep and throughout the series, he has done a great job of converting the car’s critics into believers. Here, viewers once again get to see the presenter go poetic about the speed, design, handling, and soundtrack. Additionally, fans are once again treated to what has become the most recurring of Clarkson’s best Top Gear quotes: “It’s called the Jaaaag!”

7/10 Find A Suitable Car For The Mafia (Season 16, Episode 3)

After a member of the Albanian Mafia allegedly sends a letter asking for recommendations, Clarkson, May, and Hammond take a Rolls-Royce Ghost, a Mercedes-Benz S65, and a Zastava Yugo 101 on a road trip to see what the best buy for a mobster would be. Powler_Bare comments, “I don’t know why that makes me laugh every time.”

One of the things that make the show so iconic is the tendency of the trio to find childish ways to have fun. During the review, it doesn’t take long for the trio to dive into the tropes of the best gangster movies. Though all the cars pass the style test, they fail in some important areas, notably the “trunk test.” According to the trio, putting a dead body in the trunk is an essential paractice in the mafia. Unfortunately, the “dead body” fails to fit in either car. The heist test also fails, with Jeremy’s car “plummeting off a cliff” while trying to avoid a police roadblock. In the end, they fail to come up with a recommendation, which means the mafia will be very angry.

6/10 The Paramount Marauder (Season 17, Episode 1)

Xan_The_Man mentions “the Marauder! Except for the part where they drive over an Alfa.” In the season premiere, Hammond heads to South Africa to test-drive the country’s main military vehicle, the Paramount Marauder.

With speed and style being ruled out as one of the things that can be looked at, the presenter goes the carnage route while attempting to demonstrate just how cool the vehicle is. He uses it to destroy everything, from walls to an Alfa Romeo, something the Redditor had a problem with. Trust him to assure viewers that such acts of mayhem are very necessary. In the end, he is forced to come up with the conclusion that such a beast would only benefit the military.

5/10 The SRT-10 Viper (Season 5, Episode 3)

LoganLucky4536 says “the SRT-10 viper always made me laugh.” In the review, Jeremy takes the new Dodge to the track to see if it’s as good as advertised.

In the past, some car manufacturers have had problems with Clarkson portraying their models in a bad light and one such example can be found here. Hardly enthusiastic about the car, Clarkson keeps throwing shade and his criticism becomes justified when it actually catches fire. Nonetheless, the attempt to use the car to write its own name on the track is an unforgettable moment.

4/10 Aston Martin V12 Vantage (Season 13, Episode 7)

In what is undoubtedly one of the most iconic Top Gear moments, Clarkson ends the episode by simply driving the Vantage through a picturesque region. Stigmacher says the review had “so little information given, but so many emotions.”

Generally, Clarkson tends to be a chatterbox, and the fact that he chooses to be economical with words says a lot about the car’s brilliance. This time, the camera does the talking, thanks to beautiful exterior shots that also capture the beautiful landscape, as well as interior shots that show the neat design. And it all ends on a sad note, with Clarkson lamenting that the current wars in the Middle East, coupled with the push for environmentally friendly cars means the Vantage will only be available in history books in the future.

3/10 Alfa Romeo 8C-based Touring Disco Volante (Season 21, Episode 4)

Clarkson decides to take the Volante, the first coach-built car since the ‘30s, on a drive. Redditor rajutkash confesses, “For me this still is the best car review ever.”

It’s during this particular review that Clarkson gives what is perhaps the best car description ever: “A Maserati heart, an Alfa Romeo badge, exhausts from Otis Redding and a coach built Body.” Trust Clarkson to also rubbish Hammond’s earlier review of an older model of the same car, explaining that his colleague’s version was Angel Gabriel, but his version is Baby Jesus.

2/10 Lamborghini Sesto Elemento (Season 20, Episode 5)

TrollingMcDerps admits it’s “one of the best cinematography for a car review I’ve ever seen.” The Redditor is referring to the showroom angles shown before Hammond test-drives the car in Italy.

While it’s always fun seeing the cars outside, the showroom segments have also been some of the best on the show. On this occasion, Hammond slowly guides viewers through every feature via a voiceover as the camera moves all over the vehicle. The minutes do indeed feel cinematic, and thanks to the brilliant camera work, the Elemento ends up looking as cool as some of the most expensive Fast & Furious cars. And it sure fits that category since it isn’t road legal.

1/10 The Moon Buggy (Season 16, Episode 6)

Redditor toro44 says, “James May’’s film about the Moon Rover was good too.” In it, May travels to America to check out NASA’s new Moon Buggy Mk II.”

For someone who has handled hundreds of vehicles, it sure means something when May describes the Buggy as “the most fabulous car I’ve ever driven.” It’s easy to see why he was awed, as the car has an in-built toilet and sleeping quarters. It also cost $4,500,000 to build. This means that NASA officials kept tailing him to make sure he didn’t damage it. After all, the Top Gear trio can’t be trusted to leave a car in one piece.

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